I find myself with a beautiful piece of walnut on a rifle that I truly enjoy shooting. It is walnut with lots of figure. I have more in the rifle than I want to say now and the checkering I have priced is in the 6-700 ballpark. I have worked with wood some but am still a novice. I have some walnut scraps laying around from previous projects that I could practice on. What tools would one need and how best to learn(Obviously practice before I take on the nice wood) ? Are the tools expensive enough that the 6-700 to let some one else do it becomes cheap by comparison? Thanks "D"

D

First get yourself a copy of the book Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks by Monty Kennedy. Amazon has it new ($28) and used. Second buy a set of checkering tools. Gunline is a good starter set of tools ( Gunline Tools ). They will run you anywhere from $40-100 from Brownells. Third read the book and practice, practice, practice. You find you will never stop learning.



Checkering is always done on finished wood since it is easier to cut straight lines in the finish (which is homogeneous), then down into the wood. Trying to checker on bare wood you will find that the cutters go astray to follow the grain. You might also want to order a copy of the Brownells catalog ( Brownells Gunsmithing) since they have a wide selection of tools etc. In fact you can order everything you need from them.

Good luck, it is a great hobby.

Paul

as someone here once said "checkering is your least and best chance to ruin a stock"

I have very LITTLE talent for this, and I even have the power checkering tool... and I STILL suck, but i practice a little every week... and it gets a little better.


best way to practice is to get some junker stocks, convert their pressed checkering to cut.... then sand off the checkering and recreate those simple patterns... and sand it off and recreate... repeat... I think you get the point...

if you are planning on doing a simple pattern, say a 100-150$ job, I think most guys can learn to do that... If you think you'll save money for a single 600$ job... what's your time worth to you, as these are master craftsmen level jobs?

jeffe

All I can add to the excellent advice given in the above posts is practice,practice,practice. Checker some junk stocks over and over until they are the size of toothpicks. Also, buy or make a cradle, you can't do a good job checkering on your lap or holding the stock in a vise. You need to be able to turn the stock to follow the curved surfaces.

DHunter, I'm still learning too. I started by buying a gunline set from Brownells and still use a lot of them.
I started by ruining a couple of old throw away stocks, and then moved up to checkering semi-inlet stocks on a couple other rifles.
Were I starting over I would buy the brownells clear-veiw handles (3 of them) a 90 deg v, a 2 row, a 3 row cutter, and a Jointer. Use the 3 row cutter to follow 2 lines and cut 1 new row at a time. Use scotch tape to help you follow your original guide lines around a curve. There is a good video brownells has on checkering but I can't remember who the gunsmith from South Carolina was, he's very helpfull on the video.
If you have a lot of time, patience and want a new hobby checkering can be very rewarding, but if you are just wanting 1 stock done pay the $800 to have one of the masters do it. They earn every penny, if you start checkering you will see why.
Here's a couple of my learning exercises:



Project 3:



Project 4:







-I've never used a checkering cradle but probably should!
Good Luck.......DJ

I think everbody should have one of these, I ran across this the other night. Thought some my find it interesting.

DJ

I believe the fellow you are referring to that did a video on checkering is named Joe Balakie or something close to that. I think he also did one on finishing stocks, and I think both are still available from Brownells.

Blue

The video done by Joe Balickie is excellent. One of my friends has had that video now for about 3 months and I need to hound his ass to get it back sometime soon here



http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=100&title=GUNSTOCK+FINISHING+%26+CHECKERING



It's not cheap, but well worth the money.



-Mike

dj, you are doing that quality work without a cradle??? I am very impressed and equally amazed. An old local gunsmith named Bill McGuire does not use a cradle. He was a former partner in Dembart and helped design their electric checkering tool. He rests the stock on a sheepskin covered stool and sits behind it an he just flies.

Chic, Thanks for the kind words. I've been trying to work out a cradle mount that is sturdy enough but rotates easily enough to keep the stock at an angle I like. I like to try and maintain as natural of a cutting stroke as possible with my arm and the first cradle it had didn't allow for it.
Blue, Joe Baleki was the video I was thinking of - thanks. I highly reccomend it to a beginning checkerer. Now if I can only get mine back from the guy I loaned it too........
Gringo, your cradle looks awesome! Do mind sharing some more details on it's construction and how the ball rotates etc........DJ

dj, awsome job, my first tries are not pretty. I will be in Oklahoma on vac in July (grew up in Midwest City) any chance we could get together, I could sure use some pointers.

Whistler, My work requires travel at unkown intervals, but If I'm home I'd be glad to get together. PM me a few days before your coming and well see if we can get together......DJ

DJ,

I was surfing and found the page with a pic of the bowling ball checkering cradle the other night thought it was interesting. I'm still trying to get my courage up to even learn to checker.

http://members.aol.com/jackcrawf/Index.html#Jack

Hey ya'll..
don't bother with the brownells piece.. it's a fair cradle, but it's just a 2x4, some holes, and some books ends...

jeffe

Jeffe has it right, don't bother with the cheaper of the two cradles sold by brownells, I have it and it isn't rigid enough.

Dj, very very good for the experience lever you say you have, better than I have seen on paid for jobs.

to the original question, you can get good patterns done for less than you are saying, and if you are wanting it done soon and the wood is that good then you might consider contacting somebody like Sherry Abraham. In discussing with Chic whether or not I should do the checkering and other wood work on my rifle when it gets back in the future from mucho worko on the metal he told me something very good. Do it as good as I can at the time, then later as I get better I can always replace it.

If you want an amazing checkering job, the best in the business perhaps, you can go to the ACGG show in Reno in January and hope that Gary Goudy once again has a checkering job up for auction. This year it went for 800 I think, but that was full blown ribbons, fancyness type stuff, and even other stockmakers say that he is the best checkerer in the biz.

One thing I recommend, and I am still in the earliest stages, get the cutters that are open tooth rather than the files, don't remember which are which off hand brand wise, but I tried the file ones first, they not only cut just in one direction, but they also fill up with finish faster. Just my first experiences.

Red

D Hunter .. I purchased the tools, borrowed a cradle,.. practiced alot for the past 6 months .. made a semi-poor job on the forend of a Manlicher style stock .. didn't attack the grip because I knew I would mess it up .. If you have lots of patience and a knack for this kind of stuff, go for it ..it's kind of like gymnastics ...looks easy when the guy that knows how is doing it .. I think if you only need one job done, call the pro, pay the price then enjoy the gun and shoot the thing .. MPB

I know a couple of really good checkerers who do not use cradles and one poor one (me). Klaus Hiptmayer did not use a cradle that I ever saw and did fine checkering. Fast too.
Martin Hagn uses a cradle and handtools he makes himself. Again, very good checkering and very fast.
I have started using a cradle and, recently, a Foredom tool and may some day be able to do a job I dont have to hide when out in public.
DJ,
That looks pretty darn good to me. Regards, Bill.

Howdy, I have a set of Gunline checkering tools {4} with
all the paperwork. I don't have a clue as to where I
got them , I suspect at a garage sale many moons ago.
Send me a pm with your address.... and they are yours !
hysider

dj,
Here is a photo of a cradle that I acquired a short while ago. It will soon be on it's way to California. I thought it would be better in Red's hands as I have one that I like already. This cradle was made by Lt. Col William Brophy. Brophy wrote a number of books on the L C Smith among others. He built this cradle and gave it to the gentleman who gave it to me. The first 2 photos are of that cradle. The last one was used by Maurice Ottmar and I now use it. It is very simple as the swivel is a trailer hitch ball and the clamp is old style hitch.

Here is a rotating head for my checkering cradle. I have had cradles that would take two good men to move and found that this simple cradle works just fine. I use a heavy bench vise to hold the rotating head that will slide to adjust to any place along the cradle. The cradle has ends that can be turned around to make adjustment for any length of projects. 2 X 4 X 26 inches oak. I find that carbide cutters are the best tools for me. I have found a way to sharpen the cutter after many checkering jobs. It costs more, but will last forever. MMC electric tool also.
The rotating head is also used for engraving with a drill press vise held in place by the set screws. 2 X 2 X 4 Inches, 3/4 in shaft, 3 X 6 in channel iron welded to shaft

Les,
I can't epxress how happy I am we talked and you are now on this site.

Chic,
as with nearly everything you have... that's a nifty cradle

jeffe

DJ. Will do, should be there the week of 7-12.

DJ,

I looked in brownells for checking cutters, but not sure about the ones you listed, can you expound a little I want to buy the see though handles, but not sure on which cutter is which. I saw a pic of one that looked like it was 90 degree but had different discription.

Gringo, If I lost all my tools here is what I would buy first to start all over again.

In 22 LPI

364-000-012 Gunline Jointer $20.50
364-300-322 Gunline S-3 Three Edge Spacer $5.45
364-200-222 Gunline S-2 Two Edge Spacer $5.90
364-100-090 Gunline No. V-Edger 90 $5.45
364-101-901 Gunline PL-90F Pointer $5.45
241-001-000 S-1 Checkering tool (short cutter for tight spots) $7.70
125-001-000 Full-View Checkering Handle -$10.25 (4 of them)
Make a 3-1 and a 3&1/2-1 diamond out of flexible translucent plastic. I have a line with a scale marked on one side to use in laying out patterns.

If you want to do Mullered Borders you need a couple different cutters.
The 2 and 3 line finishers -Gunline F2 and F3- are very nice but not totally required.
For complex borders most people like to cut them with a fine veining gouge.
I like the Checkering Pattern #2 245-100-002, I used variations of it for the 2 rifles in the pictures.
I haven't tried the carbide tools yet so they might be even better than what I listed here. But these are the ones I like the best.
Again I like to space with the 3 line cutter and only cut 1 new line at a time and use the other 2 as guides to keep straight.

Thanks all. DJ that is very nice work. I guess I may just save up and have the man do the job. Now names and contact info? Thanks "D"

This is a timely thread to run across for me as I picked up a boxful of assorted checkering tools from an estate for $50 - 23 tools (Dembart, Herter's & Gunline) + 13 new DemBart cutterheads. Got most everything covered out to 24 LPI but with a few holes. They had many more stock blanks too but only a few really nice ones and priced too high for what they were. I will investigate this Joe Balicke tape. We also have a few stockers out here that would always be worth talking with. I have a copy of Monty's book. Just need to setup some time and get practicing.

As my good friend said to me after picking up a set of 470 NE dies...A boat captain's hat does not make one a boat captain!

Jeff P