Hey guys, wondering if any of you that do checkering could post some pictures of your setup, and recommendations on how to put it together?

I have a cradle I got from brownells, the cheaper one, but showed the picture from the catalog to my stepfather and he said he could get his metal fabricator to put one together for me like that. I only have a workbench right now and do most of my cleaning and such on a rolling table in my shop (very limited space), but it isn't stable enough for doing the checkering and I have a hard time getting to the work if I clamp it to the workbench.

there is a picture in the book by Kennedy, but I thought any other pics and ideas would help. My uncle is getting back from the Philippines saturday and since he is retired I thought he could use a project to keep busy. :-) (he has the equipment and expertise to build it, I don't)

Thanks everyone.

Red

[ 11-18-2003, 08:17: Message edited by: Dago Red ]

BTT

Red,
I clamp my cradle in a vise that has a swivel base, I also use a lamp on a flexable arm so I can also change the lighting angle.
Best

Thanks Kboom, I think I have a vise somewhere under the bench that has a swivel base that can be locked down once rotated to the position you want.

Aren't there vises that will swivel in more than one axis, so you can tilt the work to a different angle?

Red

I use my swivel base vise for most everything, saves clutter on the bench, and they are ridged. You clamp the cradle any way you need to, to get the right height, angle, ect. The base swivels, and the stock can be rotated on the cradles centers.

[ 11-18-2003, 21:45: Message edited by: Kboom ]

get a large/cheap pipe vise... it has a swivle base AND rotates 360degree... 45 bucks

jeffe

Mine is a home made job. I used 2 hard wood 1x4s with 4 short sections of 1x4 spaced in the middle to make an h-beam assembly. To attach it to the bench I use a short section of 4x4. The top of the 4x4 is cut at a 45 degree angle. There is a piece of all thread coming out of the 4x4 top and bottom. The bottom one goes through a hole in the bench and the top one holds the cradle, with wing nuts on each. By turning the angled 4x4, you can change the angle of the cradle, the overhang or rotate the whole thing.

I could have avoided that long winded desciption if I knew how to post a picture. I have no idea how to describe how I made the spindle towers in 10 words or less.