Colt Custom Flare Cut

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GTJC460

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• Nov 5, 2014

• #1

Bright stainless colt custom 1911 I just finished. I can now say I'm a professional graver sharpener! About every fourth cut chipped my graver. This was an exercise in persistence. Ultimately I was able to tweak my graver geometry to a configuration that provided good strength.

Lesson to be learned is to experiment with your geometry till you find something that works for you!

 

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Mike Fennell

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Matteson, a south suburb of Chicago.

• Nov 5, 2014

• #2

Very nice cutting (and sharpening), Bert. Having the scrolls grow out of a deer's head is clever.

 

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don hicks

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Pictou,Nova Scotia,Canada

• Nov 5, 2014

• #3

Great photos of your work. Thanks for posting.
Cheers
Don

 

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BlaineA

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Sep 17, 2007

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Kansas

• Nov 5, 2014

• #4

Looks like a very nice wedding gift. I like the sunflower in the corner.

 

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GTJC460

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• Nov 5, 2014

• #5

Thank you.

For the pictures, I use the clouddome and my iPhone. It's supper easy and only takes minutes to do. I'd highly recommend get a clouddome setup. Gerry Beathard sells them if you are interested.

 

Marrinan

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outside Albany in SW GA

• Nov 5, 2014

• #6

That came out real well. The combination of flare cutting and your standard leaf cut at various location is a surprisingly nice combination. Well done. Fred

 

dlilazteca

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Laredo, Texas

• Nov 5, 2014

• #7

Good job Bert!

 

LVVP

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Toronto

• Nov 5, 2014

• #8

Very nice done, thank you for showing the photos

 

Donny

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Girard, OH

• Nov 5, 2014

• #9

Very nice job! Did you polish it beforehand yourself? If so what grit level did you polish to?

Donny

 

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GTJC460

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• Nov 5, 2014

• #10

These guns come from Colt in a mirror polish. Colt doesn't cleanup the dirt though, so they are filthy! They only make it in 38 super. It's for a very limited market and the guns themselves are not very easy to get. On the resale market they command a premium for factory new 1911's.

They are a bit daunting to start working on, because it's not easy to fix any accidental marks like if you slip when laying out borders. Usually they require a very light pilishing buff afterward. There's a few tricks I use when doing the final assembly to make them perfect.

 

Beathard

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Paige, TX

• Nov 5, 2014

• #11

Good job Bert

 

Ed Westerly

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southern California

• Nov 6, 2014

• #12

Well done, Bert. I have just finished the slide on a high polish stainless Colt 1911, and I agree that there is a tremendous amount of graver sharpening that has to be done. I have found that Glensteel flats hold up the best, especially when you use a 55 degree face and 20-0 heel. X-7, c-max, carbide, etc. just snap at the corners and scare the crap out of me, so just Glensteel for me! (by the way, the slide I'm doing is 100% coverage and relieved and stippled backgrounds!!!)

 

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GTJC460

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• Nov 6, 2014

• #13

Bruce....ugh!! I'm not crazy about relief in stainless guns. I'd rather whack my graver hand with a 10# sledge hammer. I just use a HSS 120. I was using various combinations of face and heel. Ultimately I ended up using a 120 with traditional long heel to allow me to make the wide bright cuts.

 

BrianPowley

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East Springfield, Ohio, United States

• Nov 6, 2014

• #14

...and try using a lot of graver lube. I mean a lot.
It makes a difference in harder steels.
You'll spend more time cutting than sharpening.

 

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GTJC460

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• Nov 7, 2014

• #15

Thanks Brian. I will give it a try on my next one.

 

JJ Roberts

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• Nov 7, 2014

• #16

Bert,Try the Lindsay Universal geometry with a 50 degree face and M42 graver steel,I cut stainless with no problems with out any lube.Remove the background by cross hatching with single point graver J.J.

 

Ed Westerly

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southern California

• Nov 7, 2014

• #17

I still use small flats to remove the background, but I've given up on the number 36 size. They just don't last at all!

 

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GTJC460

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• Nov 7, 2014

• #18

I cut 90% or more of my work in stainless. I usually don't have any issues doing my normal style of work which is finely shaded american scroll. These flare cuts in stainless are a whole different animal. It's a massive load on any geometry.