Norville-
I can tell you my reccomendations but remember they are mine. I freely admit to have personnal preferences. I do quite a bit of checkering and love the work.. I have said that I do metal work so that I CAN do the stock work!! I have come to use a powered checkering machine for the bulk of the wood removal but still finish with hand tools. Reccomendations
--First--Buy the Monte Kennedy book 'Checkering and Carving Gunstocks'. There is no substitute for knowledge and that book is one of the very best if not THE best... I too use the DemBart tools but have also used the GunLine tools and for some jobs prefer them. To get started you will need spacers, left and right, in the desired pitch. I would advise starting with 20 lines per inch. That's fine enough to look good and course enough to stay put on less that wonderful wood. Use DemBart spacers on the DemBart handles. Single line cutters are used to deepen the pattern once it's layed out on the stock. I use 3. A DemBart (file like teeth) which does the final pointing up, a GunLine(uses courser teeth cut into the 'V') for the bulk of the removal because it is resharpenable. These tools are used in 'push' mode but the 3rd is used in 'pull' mode. DemBart calls theirs the 'S-1' tool. The blade is 3/16 inch long and in use it is set down on at the edge of the pattern, in a groove and pulled toward the center of the pattern. This allows the lines to run up to the very edge of the pattern with absolutely no chance of a runover. I much prefer the 2 single line cutters(push) to be set in Brownells 'fullview' handles. These handles have 2 small shanks connecting the cutter holder to the handle and greatly add to the control I have over the cutter. This leads to many fewer runovers. Bordering tools (mullering tools) and other specialty cutters are not really mandatory. The use of border tools was once looked down on as a way to hide runovers. It has of late become a fad, one I do NOT care for, you of course can choose for yourself. The one special tool I can reccomend is a 'joiner'. These can be made or Brownells sells a Monte Kennedy design that works well. They are long fairly fine cutters used to straighten lines gone astray,,,,and that most certainly WILL happen... I use a very small thin bladed Exacto knife to transfer patterns to the wood and a flexable straight edge to take a line around the curve of the stock. These staight edges I make from discarded steel tape measure blades. A carpenter should have one or a replacement blade can be cut.. 1/2 in width is about right. I have several in different lengths. I also have in my 'kit' vieners (60 and 90 degree), bent needle files (several pitches), carving tools (to cut concave ribbons and relieve fleurdelies patterns), skip line spacers, and an old tooth brush to clean the filing dust from the pattern.. I guess the skipline spacers sort of date me, huh? The key is to learn about the process, the styles, and how they were achieved. Then go slowly. Patience! Speed will come. One must craw, then stand, then walk before we attempt running. If you have any questions please just ask... I believe I have made all the errors possible, I just have forgotten most in the interest of personnal sanity! But formost, buy the book first. I have seen them on Ebay and other auction sites at quite reasonable prices. Good luck!!
