I have done stipple on a few handles and i find that it does indeed improve grip markedly. Having only a dremel though and the model that doesn't allow for the flex shaft attachments it always turns into a stressful task for me since i always do it once i have the handle finish polished. The outline is the main problem, once that is done is just a matter of staying inside the lines, no biggy. Im hoping some more experienced members weigh in on their outline carving techniques and/or tooling. Thanks for bringing this up Landon.

Jesse Bartram

Let's hope Ed Caffrey jumps in on this.

C'mon, Ed.

|quoted:

Let's hope Ed Caffrey jumps in on this.

C'mon, Ed.

Plus 1. My attempts at both checkering & stippling have been few and I look forward too hearing more on this, especially on how to darken the checkered/stippled area and leave the remainder of the handle lighter.

Gary

I would venture to say that the reason you don't see more checkering is because of the skill involved and the fact that you are working on a finished handle. One screw up and you have to make a new handle. There are a couple of makers that I have seen in the past with checkering and I think it looks great, much like what it adds to a fine rifle. I have done some checkering on Ivory and it looks great as well, but you really have to stay focused to make sure you do not get off your lines.

Brian

What is the best way to transfer patterns on to the handle. Landon

Sorry for being so late to the table! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

I got the idea of carving and texturing from JD Smith......years ago at the Eugene show, JD and I were talking, and he said something that "clicked" with me..... "We always think about form and flow when we build a knife, but not many think of depth." In my brain that translated to adding depth via carving, and then enhancing it with texture. OK, that being said, There are a number of ways you can use texture to enhance a knife beyond appearance.... surface texture will certainly enhance grip, but that can also be "one upped" with some shallow depth relief, and a texture job. Basically your own imagination is the limit.

I'm not much on checkering, for the very reason Brian stated.....make one little slip up (which seems to always happen about 5 mins from completion), and you can wreck some expensive handle material....so the tools and such that I use tend to lean towards the carving/texturing format.

First and foremost is the material you intend to carve or texture. One of the reason I make a lot of textured African Blackwood and Desert Ironwood handles is because the material is so conducive to it. On woods, you need a fine, tight grain that is reasonably consistent. If you try my method on anything with a large, open grain, its a terrible fight the whole way.

OK..... Tools: When I tell folks that I use a "rotary" tool with carbide burrs to do my texturing, many of them fail to hear what comes next....DO NOT GO OUT AND BUY A DREMEL OR ANY OTHER MECHANICAL TYPE ROTARY TOOL. Mechanical rotary tools are low speed, high torque tools....try to use a round burr in one, and it will grab, and drag the burr all over what you're working on. The very bottom end tool for carving/texturing in my opinion is a "Turbo-Carver", but it needs to be a rotary tool that is air operated, and should have a minimum RPM speed of 150,000. Personally I use a GRS 850A rotary tool, that runs a 400,000 RPM. Its super high speed, with almost zero torque....basically that means you can write your name with one of these tools....almost like using a pen or pencil...it won't grab, dig in, or drag the burr across your work piece.

The burrs used in the GRS 850A are 1/16" shanked (these also fit in less expensive tools like the Turbo Carver).... I use carbide dental burrs. I keep burrs in the shop from size FG-2 through FG-8. These are all solid carbide "ball" burrs.

I freehand all my designs onto whatever I'm working on with a grease pencil (china marker). Outlines first, and then any detail. I lightly outline with an FG-8 burr, slowly taking it to the depth I desire. Then I go in with bent hand riffler files and clean up the bottom of the cut(s), to make everything smooth and even. I finish the outline with cratex sanding sticks, and will often give it a light buff to finish it off.

There are times when I will go with a larger air rotary tool if I need to relieve a lot of material, or take the depth down. The key here is that the outline is COMPLETELY finished before I do any texturing. The material, and the size of area being texture dictates what size burr I use for texturing.... most of the time for knife handles, I use either an FG-8 or FG-6 (round burr). Then its just a LOT of time and concentration putting down one "dot" at a time, being sure NOT to go in straight lines, and making sure every "dot" overlapped the last one. Its not uncommon for me to spend 3-4 hours just on texturing a hunter handle. All of this is done under a lighted magnifier, but sometimes, depending on the detail, I've been known to head to my engraving bench and use my engraving microscope for texturing work.

Finishing is actually very simple.....and good stiff brush (I have file cards with one side wire, and the other side bristles....I use the bristle side to "scrub" out my texture work, then blow it off with the shop air hose. If the material is something that needs sealed....a single coat of Tru-Oil, dabbed into the texturing, then dabbed dry with a clean cloth is the way I go. This will give you a slightly darker shade in the texture then the rest of the handle material. Probably the biggest key to success with carving/texturing is to understand that the texturing is the very LAST thing you do....any sanding, buffing, etc after texturing will create a major mess.

If its something you want to do, I think a person just needs to "go for it". I've shown several individuals how I do it, and a couple who have gotten really good at it are Steve Kelly, and John Doyle.

Thanks very much for this Ed, i never even thought about the torque to rpm equation. I've done just what you said and either got too near an edge or dig just a hair to deep while having the dremel at a steep angle and ended up dragging it all over areas i had intended to leave pristine! Very helpful.

Jesse

Checkering, when I was first getting started, a customer asked if I wanted to learn checkering. He said I could practice it on his knife. So I said, why not. I bought a Damart beginners kit from Brownells and got started. I also went to the library and checked out a book on checkering. The kit includes a diamond template I think it is 7 inches long and 3 1/2 inches high. This is what all the 1000's of diamond checkering is going to resemble. I used a set of dividers to lay out a pattern on the knife handle. One on each side. I then located the middle of the pattern and layed out the diamond, from the two corners to the center. I then used a straight edge to continue the lines. These are called the master lines. From these two lines you begin to cut the checkering lines. The entire lay out of checkering diamond a established half the desired depth.You then go back and cut them in to the desired depth.

I chose 20 lines per inch cutters. I also ordered 60 degree cutters. The widest lines per inch is 16 and goes up to 35 or 40 lines per inch, I found 20 lpi looked the best. The cutters come in 60 and 90 degrees. 90 degrees are to lay out points, 60 degree leaves a flat top. I tried both and the pointed diamond are ruff on the hands so I went with 60 degree. I use a single cutter to layout the borders and master lines, I then use a two line checkering cutter. Basically that is all that I really used.

When I get started I practiced on 5 handles, and none looked good. I decided that I better get started if I was going to ever finish the knife I was making. It took me 20 hours per side. After doing 2 or 3 other handles I brought it down to 10 hours per side, then 7 hours per side. It was then that I gained confidence which brought my time down to 3 hours per side.

I made an engraving vise out of a bowling ball like Joe Keeslar demoed. Mr Bill Moran gave me the best advice to put the light off to the side, this casts a shadow which makes the checkering really pop.

There are a lot more pointers I can give if any body is still interested in checkering. I will be happy to share all I know, in fact if there is enough interest I would be happy to demo at a hammer-in some time. I think I demoed checkering 2 or three times and was well received.

It is like with anything you begin, it looks scary and difficult but I thought it was worth learning and it adds another tool in your area of making presentation grade knives for which you can price accordingly. Please feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer. You all can thank Bob Wright for this post. Timothy

Thank you for the information. I guess I'm just going to have to jump in and try it. One last question to Ed and Tim have either of you got videos of your prosess if so I would be intrested in finding out where they could be viewed. Thanks again Landon

I typed in checkering on utube and there were 10 or so gun stock videos that I think would be helpful. Timothy

Gunsmithing - Hand Checkering Tools - What They - YouTube

Video for youtube checkeringâ–¶ 8:58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV5mi603uYU

Jan 1, 2014 - Uploaded by MidwayUSA

For the full length version of this and other MidwayUSA videos visit the MidwayUSA Video Library: http://bit.ly ...

Thank you Tim, I have watched a couple of them. I didn't know if there was anything different when doing the layout on a handle. Landon

Brian a question about ivory, do you use the same checkering tools and also how do you polish between the diamonds. Do you leave as is or do you use sand paper or buff it out. Landon

Landon,

I've a book on checkering that you're welcome to borrow anytime.

Gary

Laying out a checkering pattern on a knife handle, pistol grip or rifle stock are all pretty much the same. Each are rounded with dips and radius. A flexible plastic ruler is a key in drawing a straight line on a curved surface. Also something I learned on the 5th or so knife handle is that when approaching a sharp radius, lets say right next to the top of the knife handle, the tendency is to follow the sharp curved line. instead what you do is take the plastic ruler and shoot a straight line to the border and cut this new straight line, you may have to switch to a single line cutter. This will keep the diamonds the same shape instead of foreshortening the diamond. It sounds complicated but it really isn't, there are many more little techniques("tricks") that come by doing, running into problems and seeking answers from those who have gone before. Another technique while I am at it is to stop the cutter just short or the border, lift the cutter and place the point on the border and pull back, this prevents touching the handle out side the border with the cutter which is a NO NO.So stop short of the border even if it takes both feet. I also like to work the cutters perpendicular to the line I am cutting, this keeps the cutters straight ,preventing line crossing. I hope this helps. Timothy