Here are some pics of my latest build.  I posted pics before while it was a work in progress.  It's my neighbor's gun, and he did all the pimpalicious polishing.  It is a simple gun, but it turned out very nice.  I literally blinded myself momentraily looking at his thing outdoors.  It has the following work done to it:

-mill slide for and install Novak front and rear
-install Ed Brown beavertail
-install S&A beavertail
-install Ed Brown mainspring housing
-install Knighthawk Custom trigger
-trigger job set at 3 lbs.
-tune extractor and ejector
-polish feedramp, throat and polish barrel
-crown barrel muzzle
-beadblast pistol
-pimpalicious grade polish on slide and frame flats
-Ed Brown grip screws
-Wilson Combat tactical mag release
-Pachmayr extended slide release
-exhibition grade spalted maple grips from www.gripsandknives.com/

Beautiful work.  Doubles as an emergency signalling device.

Thanks you sir.  It's definitely not my type of gun, but it's really beautiful in person.  I wonder if my neighbor would just let me keep it.  

It looks very nice Hobbs.  What is one's fancy may not be anothers.  I think s it's a darn classy piece.  

What type of media did you use to blast it?  Or did you send it out?  

forgive me if I sound like an idiot, but I thought a "BBQ Gun" was one that had been case hardened in the old way, giving a mottled look.

Pimptastic!  Pimptiful!  Pimpfection!  and its shiny too!

Nice work Hobbs.  Great looking gun.

That is very nice.

It really needs some ivory or stag though.

Damn fine.

Quoted: That is very nice. It really needs some ivory or stag though.

Id go mammoth...that is purdy, Id be afraid to scratch it.

Quoted: forgive me if I sound like an idiot, but I thought a "BBQ Gun" was one that had been case hardened in the old way, giving a mottled look.

We have always refered to a BBQ gun as a gun for light duty social occasions such as a BBQ.  In other words, a purty gun that ain't gonna get beat up at the BBQ.

BBQ guns are cool

Looks nice. I am not a shiny pistol guy but it looks nice and not realy pimped to me. Maybe that is why I like it.

I Like It

Hobbs with all of the fine 1911s you own and/or handle, let me know when you get tired of this one
that is one fine piece.

Thanks for all the kind words.  I blasted it at my friend's shop.  It's a combination of Brownells #60 - 100 and #270+ glass beads.  It's a 50/50 mix.  I agree Ivory would look good.  I have another Commander almost done with ivory on it, though it's probably going to be chromed.  

John,  Great looking gun.  Those Grips are pimpin'.  If I didn't know any better I would say that gun belongs to the Archbishop Don "Magic" Juan.  You are an artist my friend.

Thanks my friend.  Wait 'til you see your gun though.  I think it will be the nicest looking gun I've ever built.  I'll post pics of your next weekend if I get the chance.  I'll be doing your beavertail, sights, etc. next weekend if all goes as planned.

How was the polishing on the flats done?

I bought a SS Springfield Armory 1911, and I was wondering what the steps you took were.


Thanks.

Real purdy, for sure

Gotta like the reflection of you and your digi-cam in a couple of those pix....

Quoted: How was the polishing on the flats done? I bought a SS Springfield Armory 1911, and I was wondering what the steps you took were. Thanks.

Let me warn you, a finish like this shows scratches.  Most stainless guns have a brushed finish on the flats, bead blasted on the rounds.  Whenever your pistol goes into a holster or is handled with gloves or dirty hands, you're probably putting extremely small scratches in the finish.  However, the brushed finish is actually more coarse than the small scratches guns get everyday, even if you can see your reflection in the slide.  Due to the "coarseness" of factory finishes, you don't see the small scratches.  With a polish at this level, you will be constantly having to polish out small scratches.  

Here's what was done.  You need a sanding block, which you can get at any hardware or home improvement store.  You will also need a small supply of sanding paper.  You need to start with 400 or 600 grit, depending on how rough the machining is underneath.  You will need to go progressively finer, so you'll need 1000, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grit sandpaper, which you can get at automotive paint shops.  Finally, you'll need the proper polish, and the ability to remove the grip screw bushings from the frame.

The grip screw bushings are staked in on Springfields.  To remove them, you can use a screwdriver if you're careful enough to keep the balde perfectly square to the bushing, but that's very hard to do.  Even so, it's highly possible that you will ruin the bushings.  You might as well just order new ones.  There are dedicated bushing bits, but you will still probably ruin the bushings.  Also, after you reinstall the bushings, you should at the very least loctite them, though I re-stake them.  

As for polish, here's the secret on this gun.  My neighbor used to have show bikes, with lots of polished billet, chrome, etc.  He used a product called Wenol.  I had used Simichrome, Flitz, and about a half dozen less known products, and until Wenol, Simichrome was the best for this type of finish.  Wenol is even better.  It comes in two grades in the U.S., red and blue.  Once you get the block sanding done, take some red Wenol and put it on the 2000 grit sandpaper.  This will bring out a high polish.  After that, use a soft non synthetic cloth with red Wenol, then blue.  Be careful not to hit the rounds.  That's it.  It takes around 40 hours of sanding/polishing to get to this level, if I had to take a guess.  

Quoted: Thanks my friend.  Wait 'til you see your gun though.  I think it will be the nicest looking gun I've ever built.  I'll post pics of your next weekend if I get the chance.  I'll be doing your beavertail, sights, etc. next weekend if all goes as planned.

(with an Austin Powers....) YEAH, BABY!!   Cant wait to see pics of the work in progress, even the ones you don't post here.  I'm going to be getting some tri wing grips screws from brownells today which I'll get over to you when they come in along with the Hammer Strut and Pimp Grips.   Still waiting on my project gun from Impact.......still on backorder

All I can say is don't lose that tri wing wrench.

ETA:  Who am I kidding?  Having that Springfield in hand, your Colt will be a safe queen.

Quoted: Quoted: forgive me if I sound like an idiot, but I thought a "BBQ Gun" was one that had been case hardened in the old way, giving a mottled look. We have always refered to a BBQ gun as a gun for light duty social occasions such as a BBQ.  In other words, a purty gun that ain't gonna get beat up at the BBQ. BBQ guns are cool

+1
i like it

Quoted: All I can say is don't lose that tri wing wrench. ETA:  Who am I kidding?  Having that Springfield in hand, your Colt will be a safe queen.

Gonna get a set for the springer as well, just doing it a little by little.  The colt is going to be my off-duty carry which will be shot at the range every so often to keep it limber.  The springer is going to be my learning curve gun that I hack up trying to learn how to smith a 1911. It will also get the shit shot our of it.  So the colt will be more like a princess than a safe queen.  but, the little tramp will still get used!

Adam, let me know when you get that Springer.  Bring it over and we'll hack on it.  It will be a nice excuse to have a barbeque and let our wive's meet.  I'll cut the sights for you, and you can do the rest.

BTW, my neighbor and I have you to thank for turning us on to those grips!

Sounds like a plan

that thing is the shinitz. All that I can see that it needs is a pollished gold trigger and it will be P I M P. BTW i'm not kidding, i like it.