Checkering A Gunstock Is Easy

Checkering a wooden gunstock is easy. Whoa, Nellie! What did he say? You read correctly. In my opinion, checkering a gunstock is easy as the proverbial pie. All it takes is a basic knowledge of the process, the right tools and the patience to complete the project.

Notwithstanding the works of art that have been laid down on exquisite grade five walnut by past and present masters of the art, I am not making light of the general reluctance of some in the gunsmithing community to embrace checkering as one of their most basic services. It "looks hard." OK, of course it does, but let’s delve a little further into the ins and outs of hand checkering to understand why I think any gunsmith can become proficient at it.

Checkering is only one thing: The divergence of straight lines in a measurable manner. If the lines of checkering are straight and spaced correctly, all is well. If not, the checkering is ruined. It is as simple as that. There is no room for error here. A bad line of checkering shows up like the omission of a picket in a fence. It’s so easy to spot that an amateur can be run out of town on a rail whereas the professional will be elected mayor. No, just kidding, but you get my point.

The first time I put checkering tool to wood I was shaking with trepidation. Let me tell you how to lose the sinking feeling that goes with messing up a finished stock. The first thing I would advise any would-be checkerer is to read the Bible of this endeavor, Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks by Monty Kennedy. This book was written in the old days when checkering was part of finishing your work and not just an expensive option and this guy was the master. Emulate him and you’ll be OK.

The first part of the book gives tips on the process and the second part has many great patterns to copy. The book also shows in detail how to set your first lines (the master lines) of checkering. This is very important. The cutter is longer than a regular V-shaped tool and it is useful for straightening lines that begin to go crooked. You need the right tools. Kennedy’s book gives instructions on how to make them.

I’m glad we don’t have to go to all that trouble but if you have the skill and prefer to "roll your own," have at it. The author freely admits that he switched to store-bought tools as soon as they were available. You can buy anything you need from Brownells or directly from the manufacturers themselves.

The basic tools are spacers, used to set the distance between the lines of the work, single line cutters to deepen the lines, and an invaluable little gem called a veiner, which is a V-shaped cutter used for just about everything that the others won’t do. You also need a stock-holding cradle, available from Brownells or one made by hand. This tool does not have to be the most expensive but it must hold the stock securely. The one I have is made out of apiece of 2X4 with plastic inserts to clamp and hold the wood.

It is quite suit-

A veiner or singleline cutter can then deepen these. Start the knife edge in the line and then rock it forward in those tight places. able for someone like me who only checkers occasionally. The stock cradle allows you to hold the stock in different positions and to rotate it as you work. This ability to rotate the stock is extremely important when trying to put a straight line on a curved surface. I clamp mine in a steady vise and it works well. Another item needed is a light.

What works best are those cheap lights you can buy at any big-box home improvement stores such as Lowe’s. They have an aluminum collar that directs the glow of an ordinary light bulb and some sort of clamp to hold them in place. I have a jury-rigged affair made from 2X4s that I simply clamp the light on to put it where I want it. I also use several of these lights for photography and the holder as an aid to sanding and finishing gunstocks.

The light must be positioned directly across the work leaving shadows instead of spotlighting the area. This way the checkering shows up best. Another useful tool is a good scribe for laying out a pattern before actually cutting it with a veiner or single-line cutter. A diamond made of a durable, pliant material that can be obtained at hobby stores is a necessity for laying out the master lines.

One can also be purchased It will finish your job and make it look more professional by taking the checkering right to the edges of the pattern. Some are home made. The bent needle riffler is used to take the "fuzz" out of a job and sharpen the diamonds. from some of the manufacturers of checkering tools. It is a simple affair that is three and one half times as long as its width. This will allow you to lay in master lines that will give 90-degree points in the checkering.

While on this subject, there are two different angles of cutters available: 60 and 90 degree. Gunline recommends using a 60-degree spacer to lay in the initial lines and then to

They accept Gunline replaceable cutters. These will give 90-degree diamonds. deepen the lines with the 90-degree tools. The shorter-angled tool spaces the same amount of lines per inch but is more forgiving on the first cuts and won’t "dig in" as much as the 90-degree cutters. A 60-degree tool leaves a base much smaller than a 90-degree cutter and forms a weaker diamond. This is why it is recommended to finish with the sharperangled cutter.

Speaking of tools, there are three major producers of checkering tools: Dem-Bart, Gunline, and Brownells. Dem-Bart makes a nice little set called the Master Set that includes a spacing tool, a single-edge cutter, and a bent shaft short cutter called the S-1 that really comes in handy around the edges. Gunline has a similar tool they call the H-3. Their handles are similar to the Dem-Bart’s and they also have replaceable cutting heads.

Brownells used to supply tools they called "full view" which have an open shaft that allows the user to see behind the cutter more easily. They also use the Gunline head that has knife-like teeth instead of the more grinding teeth of the Dem-Bart. Unfortunately, I can’t find a listing for them at this time. I also like the ability to turn the cutter and use the back side when the front gets dull or breaks.

I have switched to using mainly the Brownells type, but I may use any of the others, even on the same job, if I feel I need to. You can make one by cutting an appropriate template three and one half times longer than wide, or seven by two inches. This one also has a three-inch side for 60 degree diamonds and useful guides to measure lines per inch. The lines must be cleaned as you go along so you can see your work. Note the pencil should be "soft" and beveled so as to lie at the very edge of your pattern.

All of them will do a good job in the right hands. The two other mentioned tools are the bent shaft short cutter and the veiner. The short cutter is invaluable when finishing up a line so as to not get overruns. Setting it down at the end of the line and pulling back will really let you go right to the edge and take out the material you need to make an even cut. This

There is nothing wrong with using the same checkering the major manufacturers use. Sometimes, they fit right into a project. This grip has a Wundhammer swell on the right side. is important since the checkering is done in three steps, each step deepening the line until it is just right. You cannot go to full-depth lines in one pass with hand checkering tools. The other tool is a veiner which is a short plum-handled V-shaped cutter that takes curves like Mario Andretti when laying out patterns.

It also is the last cutter to use when cleaning out the edges of your lines and the ends of your patterns. Look at some of the factory checkering that is being done now. You will see that some of the ends of the pattern are kind of fuzzy and indistinct and the diamonds fail to extend clear to the edge of the pattern. The veiner will correct this showcasing the hallmark of a good job. It is especially useful for making the "points" of the point pattern sharp.

Two other tools needed area toothbrush and a good, sharp knife. You will have the toothbrush in one hand while checkering to keep the sawdust out of the lines. Under magnification it will look like you’ve fired up your own sawmill after a few minutes work. The knife I use is a Barlow knock off with a curved blade. It is very useful for finishing a line to guide the checkering tool over a curved area as in a grip area.

I lay the blade in the checkered line and rock it forward to the end of the pattern in front of the grip following that cut with the single-line cutter. This way your line will always be straight. Notice how the grain can be seen through the checkering. The diamonds are fairly straight in their rows, which is what we are aiming for. It is darn near impossible to checker a stock without a cradle. The good news is that one like this is not very expensive.

Kennedy’s book gives instructions on how to build one and I may take him up on it one day. I mentioned magnification. I use a visor available from Brownells or any of the on-line hardware stores such as Grizzly. I can’t checker without one. How the old masters did it I don’t know. There is a picture of Monty Kennedy in his book holding a large magnifying glass while checkering with one hand. I guess they didn’t have such things when he was working. By the way, it’s unusual for me to hold a tool with one hand.

I need two hands on the

checkering tool to be as steady as possible. One word of caution. I have read where it is best to start checkering on an unfinished stock. I recommend against this because of the damage sandpaper and files can do to the diamonds and also the finish itself will gum up in the lines and be the devil to get out. Let the finish harden for at least a week or two, if you can. Begin with a finished stock and you won’t go wrong. Spacing tools are commonly available in 16-28 lines-per-inch.

I think the beginner is best off using the 18-20 lines-per-inch to start. When you are ready to move on to the closer cutters you’ll know. Also, the quality of wood available these days is such that very few pieces are hard enough to hold such delicate checkering, and the diamonds last much longer if spaced a little larger. To get started I recommend, as does Monty Kennedy, using his number 2 patterns for the grip and forearm.

These are known as simple point patterns and though they may look complicated they are not that difficult to execute. The forearm pattern is started with two straight lines tapering towards each other at the barrel end. The top line is cut parallel to the top of the barrel channel. This is done by measuring the wanted distance at both ends of the line and then holding a straight edge at those two points using a soft pencil to lay it out. I cut out a tracing of these two patterns to help me lay in the pattern lines.

The master lines (where you will begin the checkering) are laid out according to your diamond. By using this tool your points will all be spaced to the front and rear lining up with the lines of the stock and barrel. Take your master lines to the edge of the pattern lines but not all the way to the end. This will leave room for the actual point pattern to emerge as you are checkering. If your lines are straight it will be easy to see where to stop to get the points that give the pattern its name.

The grip is done the same way. Lay in the edges of the pattern and use the diamond to cut the master lines. In laying out the master lines the top of the diamond should parallel the barrel. This will create points that are slightly slanted and give a pleasing effect to the work. Points that end straight up and down look bad and are amateurish. The points of your grip pattern are determined by where the master lines end and how the grip is shaped.

It sounds more difficult than it is, but again, if you are able to keep your lines straight, it will work into place and look professional. I like my grip patterns to curve around the front of the grip with about an inch or so of uncheckered space between both sides. Not extending the checkering this far is OK, but I think it looks much more professional even if more difficult to accomplish. Electrical tape can be used to space this area.

Run apiece or two overlapping to get the desired space vertically along the grip and scribe in the lines. Also, the pattern should be spaced approximately 1/8 inch above the bottom of the grip. Again use the tape to space running it around both sides of the grip. Practicing on an old stock before tackling the first important job is mandatory. Each tool has a "feel" that you will understand as soon as you start to use it. Checkering must be done up the stock.

You can’t do a good job by trying to checker downhill and must position your work accordingly. Go ahead and try on your practice stock and you will see what I mean. You will be working with the stock upside down and at some weird angles, but that is what your stock-holding cradle is for. When practicing, get used to moving your tool straight without bending your wrist even on the curves. As soon as your wrist twists you have a crooked line.

These can sometimes be fixed with a tool called a jointer, which is simply a longer single-line cutter, but bad lines are best avoided. When you lay out a pattern on one side of the stock go ahead and lay it out on the other side before starting any spacing. One old wag said about his work, "Hell, after the pattern is laid out and the spacing done, the rest is just checkering." He’s right. If you lay down the pattern and master lines and space everything correctly, the easy part is deepening the straight lines.

Finish one side before you start the other. I don’t know exactly why this is a good idea but it seems to work best. Also, a right-handed worker should space from right to left and a lefty just the opposite. Kennedy and I agree on this. I like some of the patterns that the major manufacturers use now days. The triangular shape on the Ruger forend can be useful when you have a thin front on your rifle.

I also admire the arrow-like pattern Winchester uses on some of its rifles, even though it requires a border to look right. These are easy to execute and look good if well done. Remember, the purpose of checkering is to allow the hunter a good purchase on his stock. Form follows function, however, and creating a work of art is secondary. Take apiece of typing paper and trace any factory patterns you admire with a lead pencil to make a template.

While I rarely checker the bottom of my forends there is nothing wrong in doing so if that’s the way you want it. I shoot a lot off of sandbags and that will wear down the sharp diamonds so patiently crafted. That being said, some beautiful patterns go all the way around and as long as you understand the limitations you can do as you please. After all, that’s why we are checkering in the first place, to give the gun our special touch.

Keep your first attempts simple while gaining experience to tackle more complex projects. You may find your inner artist coming to the fore and develop a taste for the "hard" stuff. AG