This book is designed to be the ideal teaching tool for any novice who wants to learn the art of gunstock chekering.
Sherman L. Mays has over forty years of stock work under his belt. He has taught people to checker in person, so he understands what you need to see and learn to become an accomplished artisan. First he tells you what tools you will need, not only for checkering but for holding the work for best results.
Stockmaker Jerry Fisher said, "The stock is unfinished until its checkered." You should learn to checker gunstocks so that noone is ever allowed to finish your work. Once you learn to checker; a stock without this final touch will seem naked to your eyes. Checkering improves a plain wood stock, but is is a true enhancment to high grade wood.
If you have nobody to mentor you in checking, thats OK, because Sherman's easy comfortable voice comes through in this text book. You will feel like he is right there in the shop helping you improve your skills everytime you sit down to practice.
As you progress in experience you will find yourself going back to this book over and over to pick the tricks you missed the first time around. Sherm's commentary will save you from common mistakes and help you to do quality work. This book is every bit as much a tool as the cutting tools you will use to checker your stocks.
Mays covers everything from cutting your first line to recutting old stocks and of course the ultimate in custom patterns. If you put in the time practicing, Mays will guide you to success.
Ilustration of this book is profuse, with 298 full color photos to guide you.
176 pages