hand checkering

[cleanslate]

I have seen some hand checkering on some duck calls and would love to pick up a set of tools so that I could add some decoration to my calls. I will mostly be checkering trumpet calls, but would most likely expand to other turnings as well. I've heard that to learn the craft, 16 or 18 lpi would be best. I would like to know from some of the folks who checker their calls what they use. 16, 18, 20, even finer yet? My local woodcraft has a set that I believe is 18 lpi, however if I'm going to use a finer pattern, I'd rather just buy that one right off the bat. Any suggestions and tips would be much appreciated.

[RIO329]

iuse 20 to 22 lop but started out with 18lop dembart makes user friendly checkering tools, i make all my own now, been doing it forover 30 years, rick

[selinoid44]

I use the 18. Practice, practice, practice, practice. It takes a lot of it and is worth the finished product. I think mine are Gun-Rite, cant remember...

[cleanslate]

Thanks for the replies guys. I went ahead and got the dem-bart starter set from my local woodcraft store in 18 lpi. I pulled out a piece of scrap walnut and did some practice panels on it before I tried to lay out a pattern on one of my first trumpets that really doesn't sound all that great (nothing lost if I mess up), and man what a difference it makes going from checkering a flat piece of wood to a round and curved one! Lots more practice needed!