The Final Touch

Book excerpt: Because no one has ever written a comprehensive checkering course before, learning to checker has always been the most difficult-to-acquire skill-set in in the area of gun craftsmanship. Not anymore. This book teaches gunstock checkering beginning with essential basics, such as proper lighting, cradle design, selecting the proper tools, and all the other steps that lay the groundwork for a successful outcome before you ever pick up a tool. All aspects are covered, beginning with the design and layout of checkering patterns, both point patterns and Fleur-de-lis. The book is richly illustrated with more than 230 full color photographs, guiding the student through each step of the checkering process, thereby avoiding the confusion that has always been a part of the mystique of checkering. In addition, there is a section which deals with the various types of Walnut used in the making of gunstocks, detailing the relative qualities of each as to the suitability for checkering, such as hardness, pore size, and grain structure. Lastly, there is a section labeled "Random Thoughts and Miscellaneous Tips and Techniques", which contains some of the most valuable information in the course. These are lessons learned by the author over the span of a career. Covered are repair of mistakes, such as bad lines or broken diamonds, techniques for keeping lines straight, working with problem wood, proper tool selection for different types of wood, proper diamond proportions, and the list goes on. The information contained in these seventeen chapters will teach you everything you need to know to successfully checker gunstocks. All you need to add is experience.