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How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:22 am
by RFC
Ive got the Izzy and I've got the Dremel, however, my woodworking skills were drawn into question during 8th grade shop.

Is there any kind of a tutorial - written or video - on how to go about carving my Izzy grips to properly fit my hand?

Edit -- OK, I'm going to get out the Dremel and go for this. Worst case, I'm out $36.

Here is my question. As it stands with the unmodified grips, when I allow my wrist to go to full break and lock, the front sight is too low. So, I think I want to increase the rake angle to raise the front sight. Tonight, while watching "The Man in the Machine," a great Steve Jobs documentary, I took off grips to see what I had to work with. I have smallest hands (medium glove), so there is plenty of wood to work with. So, to increase the rake, how do I cut? From top diagonally to bottom?

Thanks!

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:56 am
by spektr
go to the toz35 blogspot, Igors Blog.... He made some very nicr grips from blocks of wood. You dshould be able to get a grasp of the process there.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:29 am
by Tycho
And use the search function here, this must have been discussed twenty times.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:11 pm
by Rover
Home Depot sells a rasp that is about the size and shape of the last two joints of my little finger. It fits any cordless or 1/4" drill. It works great when you want to hog out a lot of wood and it's cheap.

Of course, if you're not a master craftsman like Conradin, they also sell a kneadable epoxy to fill in the monster holes you've gouged into your grips. All together, a fraction of the price of new grips that you will still have to chance buggering up (with helpful advice from your pals at TT).

First rule of grip fitting: If it hurts, remove it.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:02 pm
by Barry G
Google Nygords notes or maybe someone here has copy and can post link. the notes have some grip fitting advice.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:43 pm
by Rover

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:45 pm
by william
Barry G wrote:Google Nygords notes or maybe someone here has copy and can post link. the notes have some grip fitting advice.
I'm guessing I've posted links to Nygord's Notes at least half a dozen times since Don's death, most recently no more than a month or 2 ago. Everything you need to fit the grips and, equally important, to understand what you're doing and why is to be found in this forum. Go find it; the seeking is good for the soul.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:35 pm
by RFC
william wrote:
Barry G wrote:Google Nygords notes or maybe someone here has copy and can post link. the notes have some grip fitting advice.
I'm guessing I've posted links to Nygord's Notes at least half a dozen times since Don's death, most recently no more than a month or 2 ago. Everything you need to fit the grips and, equally important, to understand what you're doing and why is to be found in this forum. Go find it; the seeking is good for the soul.
Thanks, I did find a short Nygord discussion of grips. I'll look for others.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:10 am
by rmca
Have a look at this from the ISSF website:

http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/acad ... istol.ashx

Read the "Right Hand Position" part.

Hope this helps

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:36 am
by RFC
Thanks!

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 2:02 pm
by Owl
rmca wrote:Have a look at this from the ISSF website:
http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/acad ... istol.ashx

Hadn't seen that. It looks like a useful overview. Thanks.
-Marty-

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:38 pm
by mikeyj
I'm in the process of shaping the grips on my 46m, and I found Nygord's Notes to be exactly what I needed. I'm not using my Dremel, though. I'm using an older hand-cut rasp I bought years ago for shaping airgun stocks for field target. Rasps are slower, but that's a good thing. Take a couple of strokes, check the fit, etc.

Finding a good rasp is the difficult part. Nicholson moved production to Brazil and their current #49 and #50 rasps are worthless. Find a good hand cut rasp from Auriou or Liogier of France. I've heard good things about the hand cut rasps Lee Valley sells but I have not tried them. A good hand cut rasp cuts quickly and smoothly. A machine cut rasp gouges and leaves deep scratches.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:27 pm
by mikeyj
Almost there.

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:19 pm
by mikeyj
Good piece on modifying IZH-46 grips:

http://www.starreloaders.com/izh/larry/IzhGrip.htm

Re: How to modify IZH-46M grips

Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 4:00 pm
by GaryN
Dremel with a sanding disk, couple round files, sand paper.
I now use kneadable epoxy (to add bulk/fill depressions). It does not smell like the plastic wood that I first used, that stuff STUNK for months, and took a rather long time to fully cure.
Cover the metal part of the pistol with plastic wrap (like Saran wrap), to keep as much of the sanding dust out of the pistol, as you can.

If you grind off too much, you can fill back with the kneadable epoxy.

gud luk