Recut checkering on Parker forend

[B. Dudley]

I have built a few checkering cradles over the years. I am currently on cradle 3.0 which is a modified versacradle from Berry manufacturing.

For forends I used to just use a large round dowel (like a ladder rung) with a flat cut on it and I would just tape the forend to it with painters tape. It worked fine.

The PGCA owns, in their collection, an original checkering jig from the Meriden factory for holding forends. It was on display at the NE maybe 5 years ago and I photographed it with the intension of building one. Earlier this year I made a forend jig for my versacradle that was based on that Meriden factory jig.

Here is a photo of the jig that I built. I have used it for a number of other types of forends too, not just parkers. I dont still have a photo of the factory jig on my phone or I would post one. Maybe tomorrow once I get back to my computor if I think of it.
And yes, if you see my FB page, there is more on there about it. I think I posted a few videos explaining my checkering cradle setup.

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[B. Dudley]

Here are some photos of the factory forend checkering jig. This would have been able to be clamped in a vice.

[Foster Myers III]

Really well thought out! Thank you for sharing this idea, love it.