My brother has a Win M70 in 270 WSM that came with a brown laminate stock and no checkering. My local gunsmith declined the checkering job because he was afraid the job would look rough as some laminates don't cut clean points and he was afraid the job would look half assed.
Anybody out there that has a great trick to checker these?
Any good alternatives to checkering?

Your local guy is right. Checkering laminates is tough and you have to expect a few points to fall off. If you manage to get it done without any falling off you got lucky. One thing that can help is to to harden the wood with a sealer that soaks in before you begin but that won't guarantee anything.

There are other ways to add gription but IMO none of the look very nice.

If checkering a laminate, are you better off with course or fine checkering? For instance, 18 lpi or 22 lpi?

Clemson

I haven't seen a good basketweave job in a long time. I don't mean skip-line checkering, but the basket weave that is carved into the stock.

Just a thought...

He is right-it is a brutal experience, and checkering is literally one of my favorite things to do.

It can be done and look OK, but will not look as nice a the same job on a solid piece of wood. As long as you are OK with a few points missing, then go for it. Due to the way the layers are on the stock, you will not see the missing diamonds as easily as you would on a solid wood stock. Definitely gives your hands more traction.

Stick with coarse checkering on the laminates.

And I guess I should say that most folks will charge more IF they will do a laminate. It really is a lot more work and they will urn the premium rate. But I still say definitely do it.

16 lines per inch, on my .416 taylor..boyd's pepper laminate....

Thanks, Jimatcat. That helps.

Clemson

My suggestion would be to do semi-flat checkering using 60 degree checkering tools. This might illiminate chipping the diamond tips, give you more grip without that "rasp" affect on your hands and look great IMHO. --- John 303.

Jimatcat, who did your laminate checkering?
John303,who do you know that would do the job as you describe?
This is a hunting rifle, not a showpiece, nice would be nice but a blemish or imperfection would be tolerable.
Thanks

Ss; Anyone who does checkering should be capable of doing "flat top" checkering, preferably with 60o tools. I have accomplished the same with 90o tools, the object in either is to keep to tops the same, which is easier to do with the 60o. The other "advantage" to flat top is you can easily go all the way to "sharp" checkering (60 / 90o) should you not like the flat.---John303.

i have one plywood stock thats checkered in 18 line, but i sort of like another that is stippled

john valicek in canyon lake tx did the checkering and finish on my .416 after tip burns got thru with it....it's definitely a "using" rifle... not a wall-hanging showpiece...