[ripdog28]

So a few years back I decided to start a side business with the hopes of becoming a post retirement job from my house. I love smoking cigars and hate shitty cutters. My love for knives and 1911s, I am make high end Cigar cutters. I also love tooling and machinery. So I filled my garage with some key machines. Index 645 mill, Harig 612 Surface grinder, Atlas 618 Lathe, and the tooling to go with them.

I have had a L10-2011 frame C/P cut with a full rail for a few years and have a Caspian Bald slide in .40S&W with Novak front sight and Bomar Delux rear. I plan on cutting my own vertical serrations. I am debating on getting a 9mm slide instead as I really have no interest in shooting Limited division. more of a training gun.

Today I got looking around and decided to measure up the frame/slide and test fit the frame on the Surface Grinder. No cuts were made today. I am getting the planning done for now. In preparation, I planned the Frame rail width to be cut. I measured the widest part of the frame at the grip area then the rail width and divided by 2 which gave me .0835. Made a shim on the Surface Grinder @.0839 with the plan to check level as I took off the last .0004. Well, It worked out and was dead level.

I will likely do something similar to for the top of the rails or figure out something on the mill. My Mill is dead level with the same Mitutoyo Dial indicator to .0000 over a 20" swing on the X so it will work.

This will be a slow build update as most of my money is going to getting my hobby/business up and running but I always find gun money.​

 

[ripdog28]

So the inside of the rails measured .7505 and I got antsy today so ground the frame down. In my initial skim pass, I noticed I took a little more off the front than the back so I redressed my wheel, took .004 off of the shim I made and did another pass. I think this will turn out quit well. As you can see by the marker, the rails were not square initially. Measured at the front and back of each rail section. Well they at least appear square now.

 

[Babboonbobo]

So the inside of the rails measured .7505 and I got antsy today so ground the frame down. In my initial skim pass, I noticed I took a little more off the front than the back so I redressed my wheel, took .004 off of the shim I made and did another pass. I think this will turn out quit well. As you can see by the marker, the rails were not square initially. Measured at the front and back of each rail section. Well they at View attachment 467075 View attachment 467077 View attachment 467079 View attachment 467081 least appear square now.

I love those precision C-clamps!

 

[psafety]

5 decimal places should suffice.

 

[Justin_Pelletier]

Hmm. Make it a 10mm.


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[ripdog28]

Hmm. Make it a 10mm.


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but I get so much .40 and 9 for free.
This is my plan for the rail to match the frame. I’ll wait to chop it until I have a barrel fit.

 

[jcc7x7]

Got your plan , work the plan!
Sure you did but check parallel's of the frt and rear rail to each other. FWIW
Keep us up on your build, always good to watch them come together.

 

[ripdog28]

Got your plan , work the plan!
Sure you did but check parallel's of the frt and rear rail to each other. FWIW
Keep us up on your build, always good to watch them come together.

So the right side (looking from the back of the gun) was .001 out of parallel at the front. I felt this margin was ok to test fit and see how it felt.

 

[ripdog28]

I got ballsy today and checked the frame. Measurements had the slide rail .0065 oversized. Stuck it in my Vise and leveled it.

Grabbed a new 7/16 Endmill and set zero. went straight to .0065 cut, started at the spring tunnel and walked right up to it. Power fed to the rear then worked around the other side with
just a little oil. Worked around each side of the tunnel also.

It slid right on. I am actually impressed at this being my first fitting of any gun. It has extremely little play at the back and just a smidge more up front. It has far less slop than my SACS build for sure. A .004 feeler gauge will not allow the slide onto the rails.

Pushing the slide to each side appears to have the same amount of clearance.

Thanks for checking it out guys. Any input is appreciated.

 

[FWoo45]

Very cool! Let's see these cigar cutters too.

 

[ripdog28]

After doing some searching, it appears a .40 breach face can reliable run a 9mm with a tuned extractor. I may grab a 9mm gunsmith first barrel and do that over a .40. Still going to read a bit more on it but leaning that way.

 

[ripdog28]

After more searching and reading a post by @Joe C I will be sticking with a .40. Now just deciding on a Gunsmith fit or Xact Fit Kart. I have a great mill and can grab some .195-.197 End Mills. Not sure yet.

 

[Mike D]

Yeah, I stopped reading after cigar cutter and started scrolling and looking for the holy grail of said cutter. Show us the cutter!

Nice work BTW.

 

[ripdog28]

Yeah, I stopped reading after cigar cutter and started scrolling and looking for the holy grail of said cutter. Show us the cutter!

Nice work BTW.

Ok guys, Ill toss up a few. This is a build and not a sale post.... don't get me into trouble guys.
A short back story, several years back, I bought a pricy stick while at Casa Fuente in Vegas and they used a $3 guillotine cutter that did a horrible job. Didn't ruin the smoke but I was not very happy. So knowing I could do better, began making my own. Several versions later, I am very happy with the way they cut. If you know about Les Fines Lames, No I did not copy him as I came out with the knife when he was doing the knife hole. He is a decent size company and has marketing.

This first one is a nipper. Great for Pyramid/Belocoso/Torpedo sticks. I keep this in a smaller Travelador. Doesn't take up much space. Works good on Corona type sticks also. CPM154CM blade and Ti 6Al4V back side with Ti hardware.

The next one is the knife I made. New take on an old design. Slip joint knife but with the Titanium scales being the spring.

 

[zChambers]

i'll take it

 

[DSTallguy]

Knife cutter...dibs!

 

[Mike D]

Bravo on the cigar cutters. I do like the nipper, well done sir.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[ripdog28]

Finally ordered a Kart Gunsmith fit barrel in .40S&W and got it in today with a link package and pins. Made a barrel centering jig with a 3/8" ball mill. Barrel feet measured just over .366 so a .375 channel with a press fit on the bottom didn't seem to bad. Got some numbers written down before I cut the hood. Plan to order a Bunker Arms Radial bushing. Have all the numbers in the garage and a little lazy right now.

 

[dclevinger]

Great work!!! The cutters are amazing as well, been following on IG for a long time.

 

[Jollyroger1]

Ok guys, Ill toss up a few. This is a build and not a sale post.... don't get me into trouble guys.
A short back story, several years back, I bought a pricy stick while at Casa Fuente in Vegas and they used a $3 guillotine cutter that did a horrible job. Didn't ruin the smoke but I was not very happy. So knowing I could do better, began making my own. Several versions later, I am very happy with the way they cut. If you know about Les Fines Lames, No I did not copy him as I came out with the knife when he was doing the knife hole. He is a decent size company and has marketing.

This first one is a nipper. Great for Pyramid/Belocoso/Torpedo sticks. I keep this in a smaller Travelador. Doesn't take up much space. Works good on Corona type sticks also. CPM154CM blade and Ti 6Al4V back side with Ti hardware.
View attachment 471213 View attachment 471215 View attachment 471217 View attachment 471223
View attachment 471233
The next one is the knife I made. New take on an old design. Slip joint knife but with the Titanium scales being the spring.
View attachment 471237 View attachment 471239 View attachment 471241

I need one!