I bought and tried a Brownell's Full View Checkering Tool with less than satisfactory results. While I like the view in both directions and the adjustability of the angle of the cutter, I find that it almost always seems to squeak or micro-chatter and not feel like it's cutting smoothly. Each time this has happened, I immediately switched the same cutter back to one of my Dem-Bart handles and went back to the same line in the same direction. Each time, the D-B tool produced a smooth, quiet cut.

I'm guessing that the "loop" wire on the Full View just isn't heavy enough to damp the vibrations or is subject to harmonics. Anybody else notice this? Maybe the particular piece of wood I'm into (Claro)?

Yeah Schiller, thats your problem. I always liked the clear view and had a similar problem. To solve the problem, I applied a drop of epoxy on top of the cutter and worked it onto the supporting pieces/legs. The next morning it was fine and when the cutter got dull, I heated it with a torch, removed pin & installed another cutter & repeated process again ---- no more chatter. FWIW, Ken

Well Dave, since you don't like those Full-View's you may as well send them to me and I'll put them to use. I personally do not like the Dembart handles and cutters at all and haven't used one in years for the very reason that you don't like the Full-Views - VIBRATION. I did make a nice little foot chisel out of one of the Dembart handles though.

While the Gunline is not nearly as good a cutter as the old W.E. Brownell it can be sharpened to work pretty well. It also fits the Full View handle. For final pointing up and making really crisp diamonds the Doiron carbides are, IMHO, the best. The Doirons actually get better after a little use when they aren't quite as sharp as new.

Doug

Interesting responses from the very two people I started to address this post to in the first place; Doug and Ken.

Ken, I'm going to try the epoxy thing tonight and see what happens before sending the handle to Doug. BTW, the superglue on the checkering definitely makes for smoother diamonds. Thanks for the advice.

Doug, I haven't had any noticeable vibration with the Dem-Bart handles and cutters. Whenever I did detect it, I just switched direction and the problem went away. I remember Joe Balickie saying the same thing about the carbide cutters; too sharp at first. He said they definitely got better with some wear on them and they lasted forever. If Ken's suggestion doesn't solve the problem, I'll send you my clear view handle.