Checkering

[musketman]

Robin G. Hewitt posted this picture in the Percussion section "squeezing caps" post...

Now, I have seen some great talent here in the builder's bench section, but I don't recall ever seeing any checkering...

Do any of you builders checker gun stocks?

 

[robinghewitt]

Lots of places sell chequering files so someone must be buying them. Not me though ::

 

[Zonie]

Mooskeetman:
You were probably blinded by the glare of the inlays when you saw my posting in the Photo section titled Late Lancaster.
Here is one of the photos:

This gun was inspired by M Fordney, and it's checkering is far from being as well done as in the post above (or as M. Fordney could do).
From what I have read, checkering on many original rifles was done for decoration, not for function as we typically think of it and many of the photos of Fordneys guns show his use of it for this purpose.

Sorry about the size of the picture (it was my first posting) but on this Franklin County rifle (also in the photo section), you will notice I used checkering for a background effect in the C Scrolls:

 

[Primer]

Zonie, Thanks for the pics. Maybe you would be so kind as to elaborate on the method(s)used for checkering?...(ie: Layout,tools needed,etc ).

I have been wanting to try checkering, but can't envision how one keeps the lines so straight,exact and depth control of cuts on curved wood... such as found on the wrist area of the gun stock!
My worry is that the further I went,the more nervous I would get...realizing that each cut almost becomes more critical than the last,...for fear of ruining/botching the whole effort. :shake:

 

[robinghewitt]

I believe a chequering cutter does 2 grooves at the same time so the previous cut acts as guide for the next, which is why they are sold by pitch.
:m2c:

 

[LSU TIGER]

I use a checkering cutter for cleaning up incised carving and cutting moldings. :m2c:

 

[Primer]

Thank's for that info,and It would make sense for the tool to trace the prior groove.
I have seen small catalog pics but never a cutting tool in real life. Are files used for clean up of the cut? No clue.

 

[Zonie]

Primer: There are several different checkering cutters.
First, there are several spacings that are standard like 16, 20, 24 and 32 lines per inch. The tool is more like a v file and the grooves are basically filed into the wood.

Within each of the spacing groups, there are cutters which have just one "file". This is used to start the first line. It is also handy for cleaning up areas where you only want to work on one groove.

A second type of cutter is a "double" which has one "file" blade and one blade without file teeth. This uses an existing groove as a pilot to start the next groove at the proper spacing. These come in right and left which allows you to work in either direction from your guide groove.

A third type is a double with file teeth on both blades. This is used to deepen the grooves while maintaining the proper spacing.

There are also boarder cutters to create little beads, and skip line cutters to allow you to create that style of checkering.

The cutters I bought are DEM-BART brand and work rather well.
The cost of each cutter is about $4 each. If you buy this brand, you also need to buy a handle for each cutter so that adds another $5 so we're talking about $27 for the minimum starter, spacer and finishing tool set.

To create the starter line I use a plastic drafting template but any straightedge you can easily bend to wrap around the curves of the stock will work. You can either draw the line with a pencil or scribe it into the wood.

Walnut is pretty good to work on. Curly Maple is a lot more challenging because your cutting thru twisted wood grains and they make the cutter want to "jump" or "walk off line" until you have a good deep groove to follow.

As with a lot of these gunsmithing things, they take practice to get good at, and just when you think your doing well, the wood will teach you something else you didn't know.

 

[Primer]

Zonie: Thanks for taking the time and thought needed to answer my question(s). I didn't have much of a "clue" on how one went about doing such artistic work, but the thought of it,like building a gun,has always appealed to me.
Seems kind of like one of the "ultimate" challenges. ::

I have looked in various supplier catalogs ( TOTW,Midsouth,Cabela's,MuzBuildSupp,etc),but have not had any luck finding any of the checkering tools. If you or others know a source,...info would be appreciated.

Thanks again to you and the others!....Primer

 

[swquiro]

Primer, Jantz Supply and Brownells both carry Dem-Bart and other checkering tools. Go real slow at first. Good luck.

 

[Zonie]

I got mine at Dixie Gun Works.

 

[Primer]

THANK YOU,..both,..for the information! :applause:

 

[Herb]

Musketman- I've done a lot of checkering on double barrel shotgun stocks, and centerfire rifle stocks I made. Always 20 lines per inch without borders. Zonie explained it very well. A very good reference for the subject is "Checkering and Carving Gunstocks" by Monte Kennedy.

 

[Herb]

I just remembered I did checker a muzzleloader. I ain't as smart as I am handsome. (Pause for sharp gasp of disbelief).
This is a copy of a J. H. Johnston rifle, page 78 of "The Longrifles of Western Pennsylvania" by Rosenberger and Kaufmann. .50 cal Green Mtn barrel, L&R Dimick lock. Stock blank of Iowa walnut. Pictured with it is a John Fleeger, modified from page 46 and 47 of same book. .50 cal. Green Mtn bbl, left handed Siler Mountain caplock. Grade 3 hard maple Hawken stock. Both have German silver inlays.

 

[Randal Zartman]

WOW Herb, those are some really nice guns. It is hard to imagine someone making a gun with more silver inlays than Zonie. But the neat thing like I told Zonie is that seeing guns like this gives beginners like me inspiration on things to try. Thanks guys. :master:
Zman

 

[RussB]

Zonie...Ref. your post a couple weeks back..........

"Mooskeetman:
You were probably blinded by the glare of the inlays when you saw my posting in the Photo section titled Late Lancaster."

I dabble a bit in checkering, but this particular gun has some of the most beautiful Skip-Line checkering I've ever seen. A REAL piece of work!
The inlays are nice, but that checkering is outta this world! I would lay odds on that being 22LPI, or better!
I must've been asleep when you posted that! It's beautiful!
Is this your gun?
(Sometimes I'm asked to "clean-up" some checkering, and more often that not, I have to turn it down. I wouldn't touch this particular gun with a 10' pole.)
Respectfully, Russ

 

[Zonie]

Well Russ, I hate to be the bearer of bad news after such glowing praise, but the checkering is 18 lines/inch.
My thanks to you for your kind words.

As some of my posts dealing with this rifle indicated, Melchior Fordney seemed to love skip line checkering. Many of his guns use it, often with small round headed pins located in the center of each clear diamond.
As big of a pain as it was to get what I had, I didn't want to risk driving pins into it like he did.

This checkering is a 3 line/skip 3 pattern and does not cross over the top of the wrist. Instead, there is a clear 1/4 inch wide zone in line with the barrel tang at the top.

I don't have a skip line tool for layout, so my method was to lightly lay out a full checkered pattern from my base line with a single spaceing tool and then deepen the light marks in sets of 3.
Light sanding before finishing the grooves to the full depth removed the unused lines.

This checkering is not quite like modern checkering.
Although the adjacent grooves do form diamonds, the diamonds do not have the sharp points modern checkering requires. Instead, there are tiny little flats where the points would be.
Not having an original Fordney, I'm not sure if this is correct or not, but from what I have read, much of the American checkering done in the early 19th Century was done this way so I just say "this is the way Zonie did it".
It was more for decoration than function.
Again, my thanks for your kind words.

 

[RussB]

Zonie............

Just Jim, eh?.... Even your name is modest.

If I had those skills, I'd still be in the business. Not necessarily for the money, but for the pure joy of creating the product. :m2c:
Respectfully, Russ