Box Call Checkering

[MS]

I've made about 50 Cost-style short, checkered box calls.  After a lot of practice, I feel my checkering is good but not great.  The angle of my cuts is not as consistent as I'd like.  Any suggestions?

[Gobbler2577]

I struggled with the same thing for quite a while.  What worked for me was using a 1/4" chisel for the horizontal lines.  Get it scary sharp and take just a little at a time.  If you are careful when you lay out your checkers and then cut to the lines you ought to be very consistent.  Of course some woods are contrary and a devil to checker.  Don't know if this will help, but has worked for me.

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[culpeper]

Checkering in an unto itself is not easy, but taking your time to do an accurate layout and have very sharp chisels will help a lot!  I makes sure all of my lines are scored 1st using a good straight edge with a cork bottom so it doesn't slide around.  I then use a 1/2" chisel and do my short checks 1st, then I switch to a 1? chisel and do my long runs, taking great care to track closely to my last checker to be sure I carry a nice clean and straight line.  Truth be known, some wood cuts so much better and some wood, is down right nasty (bloodwood), a lot depends on the grain and the natural tendencies of the wood species.  Obviously as you have found, practice and experience makes a gig difference.  As far as the angle of your cuts, well, unless you are using a mill, it all comes down to training/coordinating your eyes and hands to achieve a consistent angle/feel for the depth you want for tuning and for what works/looks best.

[Brantley]

Someone else was just talking about a similar topic. You have more experience than I do. I make a lot of box calls, I just don't checker most of them. When I do, I use a gun stock checkering tool from dembart and a needle file. I've thought about trying to cut angle guides out of scrap material. Thought I may be able to clamp it on the box and use it to keep the chisel at a consistent angle. Maybe mark the depth on the chisel so I could get consistent depth as I par out material. I'm sure there's an easier method i haven't tried. Good luck and hope you get where you want to be with it.