# My checkering bench...



## Derek Edge (Jan 8, 2010)

Well, some of you know that I'm beginning to learn checkering and wood carving.  I've ordered most of my tools and books, but in the mean time I decided to build me another workbench dedicated soley to carving.  Just thought I would post up some pics.  I have learned from my late papa, that a good workbench is worth it's weight in gold (I'd be rich if that were true, this thing is heavy) and true you can go out and buy a worthy workbench, but nothing compares to the ones you build by hand.  True this isn't a piece of art or anything to be impressed about, but I am truely proud of it.  The top is two pieces of 3/4" of plywood and a piece of hardboard, all glued and screwed.  I'm especially proud of the shelves, as I built them out of cheap 1x10 and 1x8 pine boards.  Hope you enjoy.


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## Derek Edge (Jan 8, 2010)

Oh, the thing on the workbench is a checkering cradle that I am working on.  I still got some kinks to work out, but it should turn out ok.


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## olchevy (Jan 8, 2010)

very nice....yep making level shelves out of cheap pine can be a pain sometimes because its rarely straight flat wood...lol 

Good luck with itand take your time.

 Those that rush into it, usually rush right back out.


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## Cknerr (Jan 8, 2010)

Now that looks like it would hurt if you walked into it! Very solid and not likely to move around.

Did you give yourself a way to rotate the checkering cradle around? To reach some of the corners, I have to swivel it in addition to rotating the wood in the cradle. Mine is held in a carver's vice that allows me to do this. It does place the cradle kinda high. Thought it might be a problem in the beginning, but turns out to be the opposite. I don't lean over so much so neck and shoulders are not cramped so badly. It is placed so I can easily reach over the top and can easily tuck some of it under my arm and lean against it.

I'll try to send you some pics of my arrangement. Gotta admit your cradle sure looks a lot better then mine!  It is made from some old barn beams from the farm and a 2x4 back in the late 1970's.  

Now to making wood dust!
Chris


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## gtparts (Jan 8, 2010)

Would you guys be so kind as to post a short list of the books on this subject that you have and use....with, perhaps, a ranking of their overall usefulness ..... i.e. student friendly?


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## Derek Edge (Jan 8, 2010)

Hey Chris, yes, it will swivel a full 360 degrees.  I will post pics of it in a few minutes.  I finished it a little bit ago and I think it will work out great.  I had worried that perhaps it was going to be a little too high, but maybe it will work.  I gouged out a 1/2" channel completely through the 2x4, so that it the front block adjusts horizontally.  It has a piece of 3/8ths all thread installed in the bottom to allow it to be tightened down.  It's not pretty as all I had to work with was a drill bit, a hammer and a set of chiesels.  Inside the holding block (rear piece), I have a piece of 3/8" all thread that will adjust the rear cradle horizontally and will allow the gun to swivel as well.  I built a chuck (well, it's just a piece of 1 1/2" pvc pipe cap to hold the forend, and it too swivels.  I have to admit though, I just looked at Brownells cradle and built one that resembles it.


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## Derek Edge (Jan 8, 2010)

GT,
Mr. Chris recommended M. Kennedy's book, Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks , so that's the one that I ordered.  I would have liked to have ordered Bill Haney's book also, but he shows power tool techniques, which I'm sure is ok, but I would rather learn to do it by hand.


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## Cknerr (Jan 8, 2010)

uhoh, I only know one reference book. That is the Kennedy book everyone talks about.  The few others I have looked at don't add anything and mostly are there as a revenue stream for the author. 

There really isn't much to checkering. Most of Kennedy's book is patterns and carving scenes, not checkering. All you are doing is cutting a straight "V" shaped grooves in the surface of a chunk of  wood that is suppose to stop at a particular location. The stopping is the hardest part actually.

When it comes to styles for modern firearms and muzzle loaders, there are restrictions as to what you should do. You can do whatever you want of course, but don't expect many compliments.  Aesthetics do have a reason for existing!  ML's pretty much are open season. Just about anything goes. Modern rifles look very campy when they have a lot of embellishments done to them like you can with a ML. There is a reason why styles have developed the way the have over the years. Aesthetics will certainly vary from person to person.  You will also occasionally run into some one way out in left field. Maybe I am getting too set in my ways, but I would prefer not dealing with them. 

Beyond Monty's book, I just looked at pictures for pattern ideas and try them out. Now that the Internet is here, there are hours and hours of picture gazing available. There are only so many major options. Ribbons, skip checkering, fleur-de-lea (speeling?), etc. You can add things that are not main stream like stippling, scenes, metal and wood inlays to your checkering pattern and Monty's book has a few nice ones. I try to stay away from things in the last category. Just not my style. I don't do it well and very uncomfortable trying to do it. 

After you have done a few, you will settle on something that is comfortable and familiar to you. This will always form the base of what you do and how people can pick out who did it. Customers will have their own ideas of course, but they can usually be integrated with your style.

If there are some people interested in trying it. Be glad to show how I do it. There are a lot of shortcuts, "be aware of" and "gotchas"  that my wordsmith skills just can't convey.  It would be best if I just show you.  If you don't mind driving up here - be glad to.


Hope this helps.
Chris


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## 99Tarbox (Jan 8, 2010)

Nice.  All of my benches are hand made.  They are certainly the best!


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