Brian Dudley
07-31-2014, 09:04 AM
This post is a continuation from a thread in the Repro section regarding the quality and layout of lower grade production Repros.
There was some questions regarding how checkering patterns are laid out and executed. Below is a good series of photos on the layout of a straight grip checkering pattern on a Custom Winchester Low Wall rifle.
The most important thing about laying out a checkering pattern is knowing where you box yourself in and where NOT to. Obviously on straight edges and "organic" patterns, it is not much of a concern, so the borders can be scratched in. But, on "angular" patterns, the borders are determined on the actual checkering lines. So, some borders must remain as phantom areas to be worked up to.
I like to use a simple diamond as a good example. A Trojan forend pattern... Not that hard one may think. So it is easy for someone to just scratch in the whole diamond and then fill it in. But issues are realized very quickly. One can start at one end, or can cut the difference and lay thier master lines out in the middle of the diamond. either way, the spaced lines will rarely end up exactly on the border they scratched in. Either it may not be perfectly straight with it, or the spacing used may not let it fall right on it.
A diamond is best executed, by using a "V" as your starting point and checkering to the other end. Or by laying out an "X" and working out to all 4 sides that are roughly drawing in with a wax pencil.
Anyway... to the photos of a straight grip pattern.
The pattern is started by cutting in the straight lower and upper borders. Then the straight rear border is cut in. This will serve as my one master line. The opposing master line will define the top side of the lower point in the pattern. All this scratching in of lines is done after careful drawing in with a wax pencil.
35159
Then, I space out from the rear master line until it reaches where I want the front border to be. Notice how I have two even points, top and bottom, at the front of the pattern. I also space out the opposing lines towards the rear.
35160
At this point I figure where I want my center point to roughly end up and draw it in with a wax pencil and then continue cutting in each direction until the center forward point is defined. At this time, the entire pattern is spaced.
35161
Then the lines are deepened to "point up" the pattern. and a bead border is cut in.
35162
And the pattern is oiled to darken it.
35163
Here are some photos of the assembled rifle.
35164
35165
There was some questions regarding how checkering patterns are laid out and executed. Below is a good series of photos on the layout of a straight grip checkering pattern on a Custom Winchester Low Wall rifle.
The most important thing about laying out a checkering pattern is knowing where you box yourself in and where NOT to. Obviously on straight edges and "organic" patterns, it is not much of a concern, so the borders can be scratched in. But, on "angular" patterns, the borders are determined on the actual checkering lines. So, some borders must remain as phantom areas to be worked up to.
I like to use a simple diamond as a good example. A Trojan forend pattern... Not that hard one may think. So it is easy for someone to just scratch in the whole diamond and then fill it in. But issues are realized very quickly. One can start at one end, or can cut the difference and lay thier master lines out in the middle of the diamond. either way, the spaced lines will rarely end up exactly on the border they scratched in. Either it may not be perfectly straight with it, or the spacing used may not let it fall right on it.
A diamond is best executed, by using a "V" as your starting point and checkering to the other end. Or by laying out an "X" and working out to all 4 sides that are roughly drawing in with a wax pencil.
Anyway... to the photos of a straight grip pattern.
The pattern is started by cutting in the straight lower and upper borders. Then the straight rear border is cut in. This will serve as my one master line. The opposing master line will define the top side of the lower point in the pattern. All this scratching in of lines is done after careful drawing in with a wax pencil.
35159
Then, I space out from the rear master line until it reaches where I want the front border to be. Notice how I have two even points, top and bottom, at the front of the pattern. I also space out the opposing lines towards the rear.
35160
At this point I figure where I want my center point to roughly end up and draw it in with a wax pencil and then continue cutting in each direction until the center forward point is defined. At this time, the entire pattern is spaced.
35161
Then the lines are deepened to "point up" the pattern. and a bead border is cut in.
35162
And the pattern is oiled to darken it.
35163
Here are some photos of the assembled rifle.
35164
35165