Is so incredibly relaxing? I just came up from working on a AAA fancy mauser stock that needed a little decoration. And I feel great!!! All the stress created by those straight-from-the-depths-of-Hell inusrance companies, just disappears as a stock comes together. And its a lot cheaper than a therapist. ;-)
c'ya
Doc

Heh Heh.....

Well, I have some checkering-induced stress stories that I could relate to you.



GV

Your my kind of disturbed individual Doc.

Doc, what I find is that to do a good job, I can not operate (okay I am using that term metaphorically) with any stress. If I had to much coffee in the morning, within cutting two lines I know I am done. Checkering will make you concentrate and you can't think of those situations that give you fits mentally. You HAVE to be concentrating on what you are doing. I can get into a zone and think somewhat about other things but foremost in my mind is where that MMC is going and how it is laid over, what the RPM's sound like and if there is even a glimmer of a wiggle in a line. But throw in chewimg gum at the same time and I am toast.

[ 04-20-2003, 06:34: Message edited by: Customstox ]

All of ya'll are sick!!

All I can think of with an MMC in my hand is, 'where's that sumbitch gonna go NEXT ??!!'

I'd rather do my checkering with a file on something cheap enough to throw (again) in the pond when everything runs together in a corner.

[ 04-20-2003, 09:46: Message edited by: JBelk ]

JBelk - many thanks for saying that you use a file.

I started with a set of those Brownell's things and now just buy another small needle file, heat it, bend it, quench it, circumcise it,grind the tip to a chisel point, fit a man sized handle and go for it. They last much longer than those little inserts.

Mind you after about 10 -15 minutes I must break otherwise the pesky thing lane hops!

cheers edi

Since Jack & Chic have mentioned the MMC tool, I need to ask a couple of questions about using one. I'm fairly skilled at checkering with hand tools and recently bought a MMC outfit from another gunsmith. After using it on a couple of test pieces, it appears to be more chainsaw art than checkering.

I've found that the cut is better when pulling the tool towards me (conventional milling) instead of pushing away (climb milling). Is that the accepted practice? The only problem with that method is seeing while backing into a border. I end up with a quick series of shorter and shorter lines that I have to stop and extend by hand. So far, it hasn't sped up my checkering except for getting me into a wreck quicker.

Any help or tips on the technique differences between hand and power checkering would be appreciated.

I have found that power checkering significantly reduces the start to finish time of a checkering job. The big thing is to relax. Most people get to focused on the job that they forget to let the tool do the work. When you checker with hand tools, you have to be real careful of roling your wrist, depth of cut, follow, etc. With the power tool, its completely different, just follow the line and rotate the stock, your hand should barely move, the guide does the work. In my experience, the powertoolds cuts the checkering time by 50-75%. I have found that you should be able to do a basic checkering 4 pannel pattern, similar to a ruger/winchester/rem factory pattern, in 2.5 hours or less. In the people I have taught, the biggest factor is tension. If you are tense, you'll bugger it up for sure. Get relaxed, hold the tool gently, (like you would if tracing something) As you pull the tool towards you, focus only on maintaining a good contact with the guide in the groove, let the tool do the work, it should float down the groove at its own pace, if you torque it, you'll go haywire. Feel free to email me if you like. dcwc@mindspring.com

Doc

PS. Here's a real gift as for tips and tricks.
Use a 60 degree cutting head and you can make your first pass to nearly an 80% depth. Then, when you touch up with a 90 degree fine cut, single line cutter, you will get nearly perfect lines in no time flat.

Doc

Doc, I think of myself as fairly fast but not near as fast as you. I pull and push the tool. Pat Taylor gave me a 5 hour, one on one checkering seminar some years ago and it was invaluable. I don't do any 4 panel patterns as I always do a wraparound on the forearm. I usually cut 22 oto 26 lpi anymore also. The other thing she told me to do was to recontour the spacing guide. I got mine used from Maurice Ottmar and it was already done. Pat uses hers with the stop removed and she uses her fingers to set the depth. She is in another univers as far as handling these tools.

M Pursell, you will have to extend those lines to the border by hand. In some instances the tool can cut to the border and in some in can't. My cradle swivels fast to 180 degress so I can make those hand cuts. You also have to rotate the piece in a smooth motion to make sure the line width remains constant. I know an old stockmaker named Bill McGuire who was one of the founders of Dembart and he uses one of their old electric checkering tools. He does not use a cradle but holds the work in his hand resting it on an old cigar box (his hand tool box) that is covered with a sheepskin. He literally flies when checkering. It is amazing to see. Age has slowed him down considerably but in his prime he had to be something to behold.

Jack, I will tell you one of those things that my MMC sumbitch did when I first got it. I had not used it long and I held it up and hit the foot control all the way down so it was screaming and the touched my off hand thumb to the wheel. It ranks right up there as one of the dumbest things I ever did. No blood though, I think the speed of the cutter cauterized the groove it dug in my finger. My screaming however, was way above that of the machine.

To address the original question:

You already know the answer... anything that you do that is a passion, and requires concentration, is very relaxing in the end.

To be able to do it well is most satisfactory, but you already know that....

Doc & Chic, thanks for the tips. I'm going to practice with it a little more before using it on anything valuable. It makes me feel like I'm starting all over again.

It's 3:15am here. Just finished breakfast. Coffee should be done. Turkey season starts today. Gotta go.

Actually it is easier to do with the stop removed. A friend in Ohio taught me that trick. Essentially what happens with the stop is you run into rolling problems going around curved surfaces, gives you more control over the cutter. I totally forgot about that. Another one worth keeping and using.

For what its worth, here's is my general method of layout and checkering. Its kind of generic but I hope it helps.

I don't have any complet pattern sets, because I never see 2 stocks that are the same. Instead, I use a flexible curves set that I cut onto x-ray film, I also have some fluers and radius cuts as well. These are primarily for the back line of the pistol grip. If you do it this way, its easy to put in ribbons separating pannels as well. If there is scrolling or fluers, just use the individual pattern and doesn't ad much time. I then cut my borders pretty close to depth.

I like my diamonds to run parallel to the bore, and as a note, the pistol grip and the forarm diamonds should be parallel, not different angles/slopes. Anyhow, with the stock flat my first master line lays out easy, just run a parallet line with the bore. Then pick a diamond ratio that's been requested, I personally prefer a more oblong diamond, say 3x7. I center it on the first parallel master line, fasten it with electrical tape that extends the length of the pattern and cut it. Its layed out and ready for the power tool. I can usually layout a pistol grip on both sides, cut in with master lines in about 15 minutes give or take few.

For the forarm, I have a edge score that lets me lay out the top lines of the forend in about 30 seconds, find the center line in the stock for 2 panels, or just run my diagonals for a wrap. I run my diagonals from from the back point on the forend. If you lay it out this way the diamonds of the pistol grip and the forend are all level and parallel. If you need to do a curved pattern, you are probably pass these tips anyway, but the curves on the x-ray film are unbelievably handy. I used to make an impression of the forend, trace a pattern, cut it out, fix it to the stock, trace it into the wood. WAY TOO MUCH TIME. The xray film lets you do the left, then the right, transfers real easy.

Then go to town with the power, I prefer the NSK, as it lets me get right up next to the border fairly easy. Once all your border lines are in, its pretty much just a quick fill in. I spend very little time on it. Most of my time is in pointing stuff up right at the border and then making all the finish cuts on the diamonds.

The only hand tools I really use are a bent angle single point fine cut, for tight radius cuts. I have a long single point carbide fine cutter(worth its weight in gold), the typical a standard fine cut single point finisher, and a venier. I have the exact same setup in 60 degree and 90 degree. My power tool wears a 60 cutter only.

I hope this helps, Anybody is welcome to email me or call me and I'll be glad to sit and talk shop. Its how I learned most of my stuff.

Doc

Doc I have the perfect prescription for you at an unbelievable price....I will send at my own cost several nice pieces of "wood" that look something like a gunstock with out checkering, and as your therapy you will put a peacfully beautiful checkering job on them......and you dont even have to say thank you!!!!!!!!!!24 LPI preferred please.....bob

I've found checkering stocks fully as relaxing as high wire walking in a high wind..........and avoid both.

The least relaxing thing I have experienced is the screaming of an MMC tool and wood dust a flying around my ears...Jeeeez Loouise!! I borrowed Jack Belks for 24 hours and I'm still cussing him for that one.

I'll take a old fashion checkering tool that I push around by hand that takes me 40 hours to complete a checkering job.

checkering is my least liked part of stock making, headaches and slow motion is my style, and an hour at a time...

Give me a cabinet rasp and a stick of wood, a handfull of inletting tools that I make for myself, and I am a happy camper, that is relaxing and I can't quit until I get to the checkering, then I want to go hide...but Pilgrim, a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do!!!