Time to Checker My Stock

wachtelhund1

wachtelhund1

Member
Earlier this year I made a walnut stock for my Ruger American Rimfire. See post New Walnut Stock for Ruger American Rimfire .

Winter time in northern WI is the best time for stock checkering. This is the fourth stock that I have checkered over the last ten years, so I'm not perfect when it comes to checkering.

Here is my progress on the stock and pictures. Not quite done, still have one panel, lest that is what I call them. First I made my patterns and taped them to the stock. Then used an X-actor knife to cut along the edge of the plastic patterns. As I traced the pattern to the stock, I added more tape to kept them in place. As i cut the patterns into the wood, I turned the knife blade over to widen the outline. Stock in cradle that I made, with one finished panel and one panel to an outline only. I'm using 20 LPI checkering.

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The panel with outline only.

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The other side with two completed panels.

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It has taken me about four weeks to complete the three panel. I know I'm slow. I work about two hours at a time and two may be three times a day. Still have to seal the checkered panels.






 
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Very well done..!!

Years ago, after a lot of playing and practicing with hand cutters, I hand checkered a stock. Like you I worked on it a little bit at a time and it came out very well. I still have Monty Kennedy's book "Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks" which was my personal Bible on the subject while I was doing it.

Hand checkering without an electric rotor tool like the big boys use is extremely time consuming. But, when its all done, its something that you can have pride in having done for a long time.
 
Originally Posted By: Brad PhillipsVery nice work ! I have never been confident enough to even gather the tools, let alone start cutting wood.

I must admit it took me a long time to start. I was nervous about screwing up the stock. But then I've always taken on new and tough project in life.
 
yes checkering is a lot of work. I've done a few of my own rifles. I learned "it is the last thing you can do to screw up the stock".
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Checkering is finished. Now just need to build up a sheen again. After finishing the checkering I had a number of small scratches in the finish from hold several cutters in my hand. So I lightly sanded the whole stock with finish and 1000 grit paper. Now just need a number of rubbings with my mix of bees wax, turpentine and BLO.

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