checkering

[KEN K]

I just finished anew stock for my old military 8MM Mauser. Looks good with the addition of a rattlesnake sling, the only thing I would like to add is some hand checkering, any one have any checkering tools they want to sell? The stock is oak and made from scratch even killed the snake myself and tanned it. Any tips? I want to do this entire project myself but know nothing about checkering although Ive worked with wood a long time. any help will be gratefully appreciated.

[Clemson]

I don't think I have ever seen an oak gunstock. Please post a photo.

Brownells and Midway sell checkering starter kits. One of those should get you going. I think I would choose a coarse line spacing like 16-18 lines per inch for an open-grained wood like oak.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=5703&title=CHECKERING+SETS

Clemson

[Harry Bonar]

Sig:
Welcome to the forum and your moxie!
I have never checkered and wish I had, but I always thought it was too complicated for me. I can't draw a straight line!
You can buy tools from Brownells and I'll just bet you can and will do it!
Harry B.

[Ruger4570]

Well , I have checkered sever stocks, but never in oak, I would have to agree that you might want to use a coarse checkering pattern like 16 LPI.

[johnbt]

www.checkering.com/index.html

"I was trained by Pat Taylor in the Kimber shop"

Scroll down the left side to "LEARN TO CHECKER YOURSELF"

Then scroll down the right side to "I can fix just about anything" :)

[srtrax]

I say go for it! But before you do please use another stock as a practice peice. I can do just about anything with a gunstock that i want to do. When it comes to checkering i'll pass. It drives me crazy and being a perfectionist doesnt help any. Checkering not done right (perfect) sticks out like a sore thumb. Now that given it may be just up your alley and you may become the finest checker of all time, so by all means give it a try, i gave up , and have a friend who thinks its the most enjoyable part of stock building, i think he's sick in the head and told him a few time to get professional help, but then who would do my checkering for me.:D Hope you have fun with it, i still get my tools out every now and then and screw up a practice peice, one day maybe it'll hit me in the head and i'll get the hang of it. :eek:

[James K]

I am no wood worker, but folks I know who are say that oak is not a good stock wood to work with. It is very hard and uneven, and tends to splinter, and is also very heavy. But I have to give kudos to anyone who has made a stock out of oak. Checkering tools will wear quickly and you might have problems with the grain, but good luck. After that, walnut should be a piece of cake.

Jim

[KEN K]

I'm a bit worried about splintering too so will definitely try a test piece first, Ill have to do some practice stuff anyway before I go to the stock. If the oak doesn't work out I've got another one made out of some stuff called purple heart that is much finer grained that I'm sure will take to checkering very well, at any rate, it should keep me ocupied and off the streets for a good while, nothing prettier than a piece of wood with a good finish on it unless it's an eight pointer through a scope.