doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Checkering Cradle Head and Tail Stock

Pretty cool, but I don’t think a cradle that has to be locked in a vise or is limited to working height would be something I’d want to use. I move around the work when I checker so having the cradle attached to a ball socket that can be locked or adjusted with ease works better. A cradle that is adjustable for different working heights is super nice too.
A ball and socket like the Wilton Power arm comes to mind, that’s how my cradle is set up anyways.

Not a critique, just a suggestion or an idea for you as you fine tune your cradle.

Dustin

swapping the end takes 30s

one more because I realized I modified the head end as well since my original design. these are the parts

(This is an edited post because it took me a while to figure out what Dustin was saying, and in originally posted a response that I now see was missing the point):

I can see that the power arm gives an advantage over a swivel base vise due to a slightly faster adjustment of the angle, and....

Upon further reflection, I think I understand what you are saying about the height: You can make small adjustments of the height essentially by changing the angle with the gun held to the side of the cradle, right?

I'm still not sure what you mean by moving around the work? Using a standard swivel base vise, you could always turn the work perpendicular to the bench (and walk around it, sit it the end of it, etc A corner mounted vise would give 270 degrees of access.

I have a feeling I was missing your point here too though...

Dustin-- I've been mulling over what you recommended, and also used my cradle this weekend. it was good enough and I wouldn't have thought about the ball swivel if it hadn't been for your post... but alas, I had it in mind while using the cradle and could definitely imagine how it would have been useful.

So I have a couple of new ideas:
1. I have an old heavy duty tripod ball head (slik ball head 800) that I rarely use for photography. So I put a threaded insert into the edge of my bench to mount it. I ordered the heavy duty (3/8-16) base plate for $20 and will be picking up a coupling nut from Lowe's later today. I'll attach the nut to the plate then use a long bolt through the center slot of the cradle to make a sliding attachment to the ball head. since there is not a lot of force used in checkering, I'm thinking the setup will be stout enough, though not as stout as your power arm (of course, this cost me a fraction of what a power arm would cost)



2. I saw a post from the furniture maker Peter Follansbee this morning about an alternative to a shave horse for draw knife work. The design is by J Alexander and involves a modified pipe clamp. It is a modern version of the wheelwrights fiddle. I think this idea could be used to create a cheap, lightweight cradle that could be rotated along the z axis as well as horizontal and vertical. I'm thinking about ways that it could be held securely to the bench.

Update:
While waiting for the hd plate with 3/8" screw, I made a version with the standard 1/4" screw.

once the 3/8 plate arrives I'll make an oak block insert for the nut and bolt to pass through to make the whole setup more solid. But even with the free floating bolt setup, it is solid enough to do the job.

One nice touch is that the base plate is quick release so that it can be set aside easily. If the ball mount were setup somewhere more out of the way, it would make for a very quick setup and takedown.

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Dustin-- I took your advice and am almost done upgrading the cradle.

I decided the tripod head was a little too unstable, but I couldn't justify the price of a wilton powrarm. I found the panavise 400 from Adorama for $40. I also bought the fixturing head for another $25. It's not the smoothest ball head, but the working weight is 70# (at 45degrees) which is more than double the powrarm jr working weight and a fraction of the cost. All in all, I think it's great especially for the price.

To attach the cradle, I attached a piece of oak to the fixturing head, using threaded inserts and screws. This goes between the rails of the cradle and (at least for now), thumb screws and washers tighten or loosen the joint to allow the cradle to slide. I haven't totally decided how to attach the cradle to the bench, but for now I have a board attached to the bench by a single bolt so that it can swing side to side as needed.

Thanks for the input and insight. I think this will prove to be useful improvement. and I'm sure I'll find other used for the panavise as well

A good cradle really comes down to secure support without stressing the stock and smooth, controllable movement. Most proven designs use padded “cups” or jaws at both ends—leather or similar—to prevent marring and slipping while still holding firmly.

For the headstock, adjustable jaws with some compliance are ideal so you can center different stock shapes. The tailstock can be simpler—a padded cup or dowel support works fine.

I would find checkering from a vice-held cradle very hard on my back. My set up is like Woodreaux's cradle but mounted on a Wilton Power Arm attached to a bench I can sit at. The Power arm allows full motion to the cradle, and the padded bench lets me near the work without the strain of standing. Working from a sitting position steadies the hands.