checkering wood with airgraver?

[gofarther]

Hi. My first post here. I've just started learning engraving, and had a question for the knowledgeable folks here. I just made a new pair of grips and pump handle for my air pistol. Does anyone have experience checkering with the airgraver? I'd like to checker my new grips and pump handle. Ideas? I can of course grind up a tool for the airgraver, but what about guides and such? If someone with experience can jump in here, it'd be much appreciated!
Thanks,
Ken

[CarlW]

I have done my share of checkering in the past, but never with an air graver.
I have always used hand checkering tools, and the spacing is done with a double line cutter in the lines per inch that you choose. With the knowledge I have of checkering, I personally think that it would be hard to tool up for use of an air graver. I am sure some of the pro's will disagree with me, but that's my 2 cents.
Good luck.

[honeybee]

I have to agree with CarlW on this one, I am a gunsmith and use checkering tools that are made for wood, you will have a heck of a time getting the spacing right over such a large area without a guide and with the checkering tools the spacing is built in.

[Dragonsfire]

As stated above checkering with the airgraver may be tricky. I have been checkering and building stocks and grips for years and have always used the hand tools from Brownells. That being said, if you do find a way of using the airgraver please post it as many here would find it interesting.

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

checkering tools,hand tools that is,work more as files.files are a series of very fine chisles that are regulated in even spacing,and depth of cut.i know there is a power checkering tool.i believe this is a rotary tool with multiple wheels that can be spaced to your liking. God Bless,mike

[gofarther]

Thanks for all the help. I made a simple hand tool to test and it worked, but I thought maybe I would ask about using the airgraver. If I figure out a trick to use this airgraver for this application, I'll let everyone know.
Ken

[jlseymour]

Ken GRS has wood carving tools that fit their hand pieces, but never tried them, they should be 3/32 shank...
Jerry

[WVEngraver]

I have those wood carving tools Jerry. They are great for wood carving and I've used them for cutting letters for wood signs. They are hair too big for the Airgraver and extensions. Just gotta take them down a little with a file or roll them over a belt sander a little.

Carl and the other guys are right when it comes to checkering.

[Tim Wells]

With the checkering tools I have in this box, I wouldn't even think about trying it with an airgraver; no point in it.

[jlseymour]

Thanks Chris I have considered ordering one or the other...
I'll pass...
Jerry

if you hurry the weather will be in the 69+78 for a few days...
Hook it up and you'll be here in 16 hrs, sunshine, fresh oranges from the trees and our beach bunnies...
Seeya..
Jerry

[Steve Lindsay]

Saw this thread last week and got busy over the weekend and made a die to make a wood veiner for the AirGraver. Below is a video of wood carving/engraving while at a show demoing the PalmControl.

With the die, I tried engraving the bottom of the V part of it last evening so it would transfer to the parts. It worked, but I notice I didn’t get it as hard as the rest of the die and it is starting to bend. I’ll make that part over and try again.

Gofather, if you’d like to try a veiner in your airgraver let me know and I’ll send you one.

[JJ Roberts]

Steve.....Glad you are making these chisels..I got some real interest with students wanting to learn to carve with your airgraver, especially the men who are making the muzzleloaders. Keep up the good work..Looking foward to a set of those chisels.

JJ Roberts
http://www.jjrobertsengraver.com

[ghost]

steve
did you try shading with it
j

[gofarther]

Yes, I'd like to try that veiner; looking at the demo video, I had to keep reminding myself that I am new at this, and may eventually get better at it. Seeing you do those beautiful curves without transferred patterns makes me feel a little unnerved. I know it's practice and experience, but from the beginners point of view, woah, magic...
I've shown my airgraver to the art teacher at the elementary school where I work, powered it by a small airbrush diaphram compressor, and she thought that it was a "pretty neat tool!".
Ken

[Dragonsfire]

I pulled the vernier apart that I bought from Brownells, ground the shaft to fit my airgraver. Works pretty good. You may have started something here.

[Eric Watson]

I think I need to send my vise out for repairs. Just watched Steve do his thing on the video clip, well my vise is no where near that fast. Must need a tune up , plugs , points , maybe it's in the computer. Possibly it's in the steering and needs grease. Steves turns a lot faster while mine takes a lot longer to negotiate all them turns and designs.
Great video clip Steve and not a bad tool either. One more goody to add to the list.

[JJ Roberts]

Here are a couple of samples I did with the Palm Control...the wood is Curley Maple, & as you can see the cuts are clean & crisp with shading. I had these micro chisels and adapted them for the handpiece. Let me know what you all think.

JJ Roberts
http://www.jjrobertsengraver.com

[graniteguy52]

To gofarther-
I haven't tried this method in my forty-five plus years of carving and playing with wood, and I'm sure that a chisel would cut checkering, however keeping the points of the diamonds intact would be the toughest part. Yes I think it would work, but not with the results you desire.
Graniteguy52

[gofarther]

Yeah, okay the brownells checkering kit works! Really even diamonds.
On a slighly different note, I just tried a few swirls with Steve's veining tool, and ... nice! I will try to do something that won't make everyone die from laughter overload, and post it here. Together, these will make this stock work much more interesting!
Thanks for the info about the brownells kit, and Steve, thanks so much for sending me that veining tool!
Ken

[gofarther]

Wow, graniteguy! No action for a few days, and while I am composing a message, you post first! I appreciate the advice, I just went ahead and purchased the checkering kit. Boy, does it work!
Ken

[Sam Welch]

Rub it in a little will you Jerry? Bunnies indeed! I saw a snowman yesterday.

[Danny C]

So, Steve, are you going to produce these? What price?

[DaveP]

Hi Ken,
Checkering is more of a gentle file-cutting action rather than the shearing action of a chisel. It is also an operation that needs to be done slowly to avoid chipping away the diamond. I am not sure there would be any real advantage to using a pneumatic "air-hammer" type of tool in the process.

dave

[Steve Lindsay]

Originally Posted by Danny C

So, Steve, are you going to produce these? What price?

Hi Danny, I've been working on a die for them. I don't know a price yet.

[Danny C]

So Steve, you need to be careful as this could also start a new line of veiners, gougers, etc. for the PC!

The different V's have wider/narrow shapes, the gouges have 1 to 90deg shapes and sweeps, just endless possibilities. A whole new line of tools!!!!!