Checkering pattern

[smylee grouch]

I'm getting closer to the finish line on a 1740 ish  English influenced rifle. Curious what style pattern would be most common for the wrist. Flat top about 10 lines per inch is what I was thinking but in what style of layout?

[Mike Brooks]

English 1740s? No checkering

[Mike Brooks]

It was sometimes added as a modernization update. So. Anything would be appropriate.  I wouldn't go any tighter than 6 or 8 lines per inch.

[smylee grouch]

Ok, I did think 10 would be on th fine side but that was a spacer I had on hand. Will check out some wider options.

[smart dog]

Hi,
As Mike wrote, that gun would not have checkering unless added later.  Most likely if any was added it would be early coarse checkering.  That is cut with a little saw-like cutter so there is no bevel to the lines.  On this gun, representing work from the 1770s, I layed out the angles using plastic templates and pin striping tape.  Then I used a Gunline single line 60 degree cutter to lay out the primary lines.  Then I used a double line cutter spaced 16 lines per inch to lightly scribe all of the lines, major and minor.  Next I used my little single line saw cutter to deepen the main lines at 8 lines per inch.  Essentially, that meant deepening every other line cut by the double line cutter.  Finally, I used a checkering riffler file to really accent the primary lines.  My design divided each large diamond into 4 quarters, each with a dot.  You don't have to go that far and a single dot in the coarse diamonds is fine and authentic. In my case I punched 1020 dots.  That is a lot of dots.  Keep in mind, checkering on English guns did not show up until the 1770s.




























dave

[smylee grouch]

Thanks for the reply Dave and tips. When you got down to the wrist area with  the  pattern did you cut right up to the edge of the wrist or did you have a border line cut along the bottom of the wrist?

[Daryl]

Here is some checkering Taylor did on a Ferguson.

[flatsguide]

Nice work Dave! Also on those early English guns there was no border just equal what appears to be over runs.
Cheers Richard

[Mike Brooks]

My stuff isn't near as nifty as the other guys, but I ave done some checkering in the past. There might be a wide line or two. This is what I'd call "early" style english checkering.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Nice work Mike and Taylor!   Richard, you are right they did not really care about over runs at the edges.  I stop just short of the border and then cut backward from the border.  Mike's work is much more representative of the checkering done at the time.

dave

[smylee grouch]

I like it Mike. Curious what the pattern looks like as you get to the toe line. My rifle has a flat toe line so am wondering if I should have a cut line right at that transition from rounded wrist to flat toe line or should the checkering cuts just " go past " that transition?

[Mike Brooks]

I like it Mike. Curious what the pattern looks like as you get to the toe line. My rifle has a flat toe line so am wondering if I should have a cut line right at that transition from rounded wrist to flat toe line or should the checkering cuts just " go past " that transition?

I wouldn't put a stop line. I'd just run it off the wrist. I did one  with a flat wrist, I'll see if I fan find pictures of it.

[flatsguide]

Nice work Mike. When I checker I do the same as you do Dave, I get close to the border the the foreword end of the checkering tool is placed on the border and pulled back to the depth I need. Here are a few checkering patterns of English guns around the time when checkering started or is that chequering…
Cheers Richard

[smylee grouch]

THANK YOU Mike, Dave, Daryl and Richard for posting all those photos. Lots of options, food for thought and tips. Plenty to pic from when and if I get to the checkering phase. Hope you all have a great Holiday. 🎅

[alacran]

Schipper's book on engraving has lots of color photos showing this type of checkering.

[smylee grouch]

Thanks for the reminder buddy. I have that book and will checker it out. 

[delivered]

I though I recognized the fowler that Mike posted the picture of as the  one he built for me back in 2009 #280
Its taken many pheasants and squirrels!
Love the gun!!!