doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Re-cutting old checkering

I may get up the nerve to try to freshen up some old checkering but I don't want to make a mess of it. I'd appreciate any advice from those with successful experiences.
TIA,

You will need a fine single line cutter, a short cutter, and a magnifier hood; recommended - a jointer may prove useful and a carbide cutter works some places. A vise or stock holding fixture that has a lot of adjustments and is bedrock solid will be needed - don't even consider trying to hold the stock with one hand while you cut with the other. You will also need a strong "point source" light (high intensity or similar - never a floresecnt tube) that can be moved into various positions that will sidelight the checkering in a section. This throws one side into deep shadow so you can really see the lines. Patience - mucho patience and care going forward. If you can't/won't get these things and do it this way, then don't do it at all. It isn't hard. The most common mistakes are to try to hand hold without magnification and/or sidelight and to shortchange the tools. Oh, yeah, you can fix al/most misteaks without undue trouble as long as you catch them early. Don't be surprised to find misteaks already in the patern, too.

Buy single line tools in 60 and 90 degrees, fine teeth.
Get the 90 degree in both short and long cutting heads. The short head is for working in the tight corners, use the long heads hvery where they will fit.

Set up a light at an angle to the work, to cast shadows and make the lines more apparent. I assume you won't have a stock cradle so use a couple of bags of shot like bean bags to suport your work. If you don't load buy or borrow some.

Use the 60 degree to chase the line and clean out the groove, use the 90 to widen the groove and point up the diamonds.

Cut on the pull stroke, no real pressure. Let the tool do the cutting. Turn the wood as you cut so the head stays perpendicular to the wood on all 3 axis.

Concentrate on cutting to a uniform depth, making a light pass over all the lines then going over them again, each time getting a little deeper.

Pick a gun that you don't care if (make that when) you mess it up. A gun with 18 or 20 LPI of checkering is best for starters. Don't pick one with pressed in checkering, that the checkering is worn badly on or has oil soaked punky wood. Both will make you feel like it's an impossible task.

Patience is the most important ingredient. Checker for a short time and walk away when things start to go bad, come back to it.

Jeff

Not much to add to RM's and Jeff's stuff.
I like using dymo tape at the edges of the pattern to help avoid runovers. Buy about 3 of the fine tooth cutters, the old checkering usually has a lot of crap in the pores that will dull the cutters pretty fast. Save your dullest fine tooth cutter - it's good for a final burnishing.

Best advice: "walk away when things start to go bad" , I don't know why it's better 2 days later but it is.

Jeff, if you are redoing checkering in old guns, please don't suggest "pointing up the diamonds". Most older guns had flat checkering, unlike what we consider "good" on modern guns. The pointed up diamonds on old guns just ruins them as far as I am concerned. A 60 degree tool is the "broadest" I would use and even better is one made much finer. I can't think of a vintage gun with the checkering made with a 90 degree tool.

Daryl has it....thats the first thing that jumps out at me, next is color, two easy ways to spot a re-do.
Steve

Isn't a 60 degree tool narrower than a 90 degree tool? It will leave 60 degree peaks which are steeper than 90 degrees peaks.

I don't know of any ready made tools that will cut broader than 90 degrees. I imagine you could make 120's or so but they'd be very hard to keep in a groove.

I agree, stop when you begin to get tired and make mistakes. Go back to it after a nap.

Roughly speaking, about when do we start seeing pointed checking on American guns? I have 2 mid '30's guns that are pointed up.

A long time ago, I thought about checkering. It seemed to me that this was supposed to make a more solid control of a gun. Then I moved to these very cold mountains where it was not possible to go hunting in the winter without heavy gloves.
The thought that checkering was not very important in controlling a gun seemed to be rational.Extending this thinking led me to think that it was mostly decoration.
Then I thought some more about this.
The checkering certainly did not denigrate the control when clothed as Nanuk. But, the sharpness of said checkering did seen to have a purpose.
Northern America is far colder than Europe. More protection is necessary here than there. Sharper pointed checkering is sensible.
It seems plausible that pointed checkering evolved here when flat checkering was the norm elsewhere.
Does this make sense to you?
Best,
John

I have used one of Brownells bent files for years, it may not be the best thing but it's what I learned on and I find everything else a poor second choice. My eyes are getting a bit weak but I would not hesitate to do anything in the 20's, 30's I pass on.
bill