doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Checkering a top rib

I have bought a set of 4 checkering files,0, 00, 1 and 2 from riogrande.com https://www.riogrande.com/product/friedrich-dick-checkering-hand-files/114852GP/?code=114847

I know 0, 00, 1 and 2 refer to the amount of lines per inches. In the description:
-2 is Lines per inch: 50, Spacing of teeth: 0.50mm
-1 is Lines per inch: 40, Spacing of teeth: 0.63mm
-0 is Lines per inch: 35, Spacing of teeth: 0.83mm
-00 is Lines per inch: 20. Spacing of teeth: 1.25mm


But the ribs with checkering had a very very very small pattern and I was wondering how are they made.

on this Instagram video, minute 0.40, you can see a tool to make the parallel lines, with a very very little pattern. thinner than 0.50mm I think.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DalIcWVIvB6/?igsh=Zm80aXZ3Nzg0a3hx

Maybe it is a home made tool???

pacomb,
I think the tools you describe are mostly used for "shading" the background in other patterns. Hand checking a rib is a difficult and very time-consuming process. Most ribs are tapered and parallel lines (along the length of the rib) eventually "run- out", giving the look of mistakes. Most factory "matting" of ribs is done by a machine that holds uniform "squiggly" lines. If done by hand, the matting is often done with a common graver by cutting across the rib by a "squiggly" or turning motion, very repetitive, and hard to keep uniform. If he responds, I will gladly defer to "Kutter" since my experience with this ended with failed results.
Mike

Ok, thanks to fab500 for posting that image, now I understand that apart from flat checking files, there also exist gravers with lines to work more like an engraver...

Flat checking files are more like a traditional file, except that it makes just lines instead of removing material.

In any case I like to experiment and learn, so I am sure I will learn with those files I have ordered... Number 2 file has 50 LPI, that is 0,5mm each teeth, small enough to make nice pattern. The gravers will have really small teeth, with distance of 0,2mm!!!

Those Gardon Vallorbe cost a fortune, but I have found a Spanish clone version, very cheap, and I will order 3-4 just to make my tests