Checkering

[Griff]

Has anyone ever done their own checkering? I'm thinking of doing the wood on my Marlin project... and was wondering if there's any secrets... things to avoid, or simple tricks to making it look right?

I'm going to have so much tied up in this little rifle, both labor and money... I sure want it to turn out to be a stunner!

[rbertalotto]

I bought all the stuff............I tried it on scrap wood...........came out terrible.............I decided I'm not a checkererer!

Some things are best left to others! Metal work, I'm there! Cabinet work, I'm your man! Even simple stock work...yesereebob!

But Checkering.........No way Jose!

[bgmkithaca]

I have checkered for a good many years and will suggest that you practice on a scrap gun stock and see what it takes first.
This is a skill that has to be "grown". Unless you really have a knack for it the results will likely be less than stellar. Build you confidence on fairly flat surfaces first, then move to curved contours. Practice, practice, practice before working on your pet.

[M. M. Wright]

Kinda like me doing body work on one of my projects; very slow and I'm never satisfied with the results. Re-cut the checkering on my Baretta shotgun and it's OK but still not good enough. Probably need more practice.

[jdad]

I had a thought, for a second, that I could do it myself . I came back to reality and decided that it was well worth the money, time, & frustration to have a pro (Sherry Abraham) do it right the first time.

http://www.checkering.com Marlin checkering is 22lpi

[gamekeeper]

I was asked to learn checkering when I worked for Westley Richards, I soon found out it looks easier than it is and I would have used every scrap stock they had before I even got close to touching a decent piece of Walnut!! I stuck to being a Barrel Filer.

[Griff]

Thanks guys... every once in a while I think one needs to challenge oneself... then there's reality!

[FatJackDurham]

Well, do like they said, try it on something else first and see if you have a knack? Me, I have no patience or attention to detail. I can only do sort of wide, ham handed work like sanding, and apparently cold bluing. But shaping, etching, I shudder to thing.

[Sixgun]

Griff,
Like rbertalotto, I bought a mess of stuff, about a hundred dollars worth. I even had a guy give me some pointers. Most of it is still in my gunroom, still sealed in little brown envelopes. I found I could not even redo old checkering. I tried and tried, probably on a dozen sets of old 'Smith and Colt grips.

I did amaze myself on redoing the right side of a set of grips from a real nice Colt New Service. It used to be a New Yorks state troopers gun, like new, made towards the end of production. The cop must had used some kind of a holster that let the gun swing out as the checkering was all buggered up on the right side.

On finishing up the job, (they looked good with the naked eye) I looked at it with a magnifying glass and threw the grips in the trash. Runovers, extra lines, etc. A drunken Polock could have done better.

Checkering is one of those jobs that require patience. --------------Sixgun

[adirondakjack]

I have checkered for a good many years and will suggest that you practice on a scrap gun stock and see what it takes first.
This is a skill that has to be "grown". Unless you really have a knack for it the results will likely be less than stellar. Build you confidence on fairly flat surfaces first, then move to curved contours. Practice, practice, practice before working on your pet.

Kinda what I was thinkin. Get book, the tools, and a junker stock. When ya got dead time in the truck, scratch the old wood a little (not that, you know what I mean) until ya figure it out.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have done quite a bit of checkering. I find it not at all difficult to do . Checkering is done after the final stock finish is dry.
It is hard to bring yourself to make that first layout line in a pretty stock. The layout lines are the ones that all the rest ov the lines are guided from. The border lines are the second most important part depending on the pattern.
The hardest one I did was this wrap around grip on my 870 20ga. It came out perfect.

I cut the master lines right on top of the wrist and followed the curve down and used the checkering lines as the border.
Simple design but tedious to do and keep all the lines straight so it comes out good.

[gamekeeper]

That sure looks like a very neat job..

[marlinman93]

I got some free tools, and I have lots of old junk Marlin stocks, so I tried, and tried, and tried, and now I don't have any more junk stocks! And I still can't checker!

[kimwcook]

I have exactly zero experience checkering stocks and I don't think I'll ever try. I second Sherry Abraham. Some of her stuff on her website brings out the drool rag.