Omega grips too big so I hacked 'em up

[jmx66]

I received a set of Omega Desert Ironwood grips with my 97.
I liked them but they were too thick for me.
Tried to sell, no one wanted them so I thought, "why not"...
By the way, "Ironwood" is a great name for this stuff. It is the hardest, densest wood I've ever worked with.
Will try them out this weekend. 


Here are the results.
Thickness reduced from 3/4" to under 1/2"
Before:

After:





Before:

After:



And on gun:

[BDG]

Did you have to remove all the material/wood that seated inside the frame handle?
Do you have an image of the back of the grip?

[jmx66]

No, only removed from the outside.
Here's the backside:

[BDG]

Nice.
I'm sure that added to the challenge.

[1SOW]

 jmx66,  that was a very nice job!

Ironwood is aptly named. 

[wdbutcher]

Jmx66, you're a brave soul. I don't think I'd have the guts to try that. Those grips look great!

[jmx66]

Just for fun I looked up "Desert Ironwood":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olneya


Yep!:

Olneya ironwood is very hard and heavy. Its density is greater than water and thus sinks; it does not float downstream in washes, and must be moved by current motion. One popular usage for the wood is for knife handles, since its hardness, grain, and coloring is ideal.
Due to its considerable hardness, processing desert ironwood is difficult. Final treatment of the wood with solutions can also be difficult because of its high density.

[BGlas]

Very nice work, that's a gorgeous set.
Ironwood is really pretty, but is one of the few woods that can eat one of my sanding belts almost on it's own.

[jmx66]

More pics though no one asked...
Before:

After:



Before:

After: