doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Checkering tools

I’m trying my hand at a stock refinish for the first time. Doing a cheap Spanish double shotgun. So no loss if I mess it up a bit.

I’d like to recut the checkering. But I’m a little confused on what tools I need. I think I can do it with a single line checkering tool. But I’m not sure which one to buy. Not sure how good I’m going to be at this or how much I’ll enjoy it so I’m hoping to avoid spending a ton of money on the tools. Brownella and Midway both appear to sell full kits but I don’t see the single tools. And I think the kits have a bunch of stuff I don’t need for a recut. I saw a couple on Amazon but not sure if I’m buying junk.

Any advice on a beginner checking tool that would work for my project? I watched some videos online and it looks like a push cut tool is a little easier to use but who knows.

Thanks in advance.

This will be beginner to beginner advice, so take it for what it's worth.

First I do think you are right that you only need a single line cutter for re-cutting. The angle of the cutter might depend on what kind of points you are trying to cut.

As for tools, I recently bought an Ullman single line cutter and it is outstanding. I also appreciate that you can buy directly from Michael Ullman at this website, and the tool arrives in a simple USPS priority mail box from the manufacturer. His tools are certainly not the cheapest, but i believe they are worth the extra cost.

https://www.ullmanprecision.com/products/

Thanks!

Woodreaux's recommendation of Ullman cutters is good advice. If you limit yourself to one tool, I'd advise a 3/8 " 75 degree. That length is versatile to handle and the more acute blade tracks better than the 90 degree one. If the old checkering has a heavy coat of finish, scrub it with paint remover before you recut. Good luck.

You'll note that all the single line cutters are carbide. Very expensive, but they last,,for yrs.
I have a carbide single line tools that are just becoming noticably dull after 30 yrs of use, especially the shorter length tool. It gets more work-out. Still very usable though.
Both have been used on re-cuts and new work. A couple of replacements purchased at the same time await their use time. I had no idea they would last this long.

Regular hardened steel cutters can wear out in the span of cutting one pattern/stock.
It wasn't so bad when the replaceable cutters were a $1+ a piece. But things have changed.
Using them for doing re-cuts really wears them out with all the grime, dirt, grit down in the grooves that acts like sandpaper on the cutters.
Clean that gunk out of the old checkering as RMBill says before working on the recuts and save wear on the tools.

I still like the older tools,,. The spacer tools are all the Dembart or Gunline type. But the supply is running low and they aren't what they used to be as far as quality.
I use a few very short single point tools of the Dembart type for getting into corners. They are about dulled to death but they still cut OK for the corners. I usually do the corners first with a Viener Tool (chisel), then go over that with the shorty single point.
I should spring for one of the carbide short tools for corner work, but like a lot of things, I just haven't gotten there yet.

The single line cutters are what is generally needed for doing recuts on older guns and foreign stuff anyway.
The patterns are not always exactly a 18, 20, 24, etc LPI. A couple .000" difference (the foreign guns are probably cut to a metric LPI) and if you start in with what seems like a
perfect match, it usually reveals itself not to be once you get a half a dozen lines recut into the pattern.
That's when you start seeing yourself splitting the original checkering spacing. A real headache to fix up especially if you go too far.
If the spacer you use is only .002" too wide in it's LPI spacing, though it appears correct,,by the time you have re-cut 10 lines,,you have over cut .020". That will certainly ruin the existing checkering lines for you.

Using a single line cutter avoids that. One thing the single line tool cannot do for you is correct much misallaignment in the orig pattern. It will follow any wandering lines, wide spacing, etc.
The spacer tools really help to clean up the pattern and straighten any slight misallaignment so all the lines are nice and parallel.
I like to use a 3-line space as a final go over tool, but use it very, very lightly. It really makes a difference in the final appearance.

Excellent advice above. I will say that I've tried, and like best, tools that cut on the pull instead of the push.

Thanks all.

I’m not worried about gunk dulling tool. I’ve stripped the whole stick with citristrip and cleaned it out. Taped off the checkering and have refinished the stick with a hand rubbed oil finish. Just want to make the checkering a little nicer the factory original is very flat points with some over runs. Want to use it as an excuse to learn a bit.

My order from Ullman just arrived. Quick shipping and Michael was great to chat with. Cutters are sharp.

As a hobbiest, I can't imagine having to ever buy again.

Good stuff, Thanks Ullman.