Machine Checkering 1911

sixty9santa

sixty9santa

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Hey all,
I was thinking about checkering the front strap of a soon to arrive 1911.
I have a mill and a rotary table that I have access to. I would do a 20LPI which would be a pass at every 50 thou.
I know that the radius of the front strap is 7/8, or 875 thou, and that a jig would have to be made in order to bolt the frame to the rotary table.
I'm not sure if there is anything else to it?
I would appreciate all advise since I don't want to mess up the frame and since I don't have the $$$ to send it to a gunsmith.
A great big thanks to all that can help.
Best regards,

-sixty9santa




P.S.: I'm also considering barrel porting, as mensioned in another thread, and doing a french cut. I might also consider lowering the ejection port. I however only intend on doing these things for myself and not becoming a gunsmith. Thanks.
 
Like anything else, I would practice on a piece of scrap steel before going onto your handgun. I have seen carbide scrolling tools for mills used for cnc engraving. Rotating the part while feeding the bit is going to be interesting, especially when you come off the radius. Once again practice on something you don't want first and work the bugs out. I'd use a leaded steel so you don't wear out your machine tool prematurely. Hell! you could even use hardwood shaped to the contour you want.

Good luck! Metal work is fun!!

Ripstop
 
Thanks for the input :D
I was not going to risk the frame without some practice on a piece of scrap steel.
But wood never occured to me :shock:
I guess that's what I'll use :wink:
Regards,



-sixty9santa
 
Normally the checkering is started with a checkering file and then finished off with a 3-square needle file (60 degrees). You could make a jig to hold the frame on your rotary table, but using an endmill will give you a 90 degree angle. If you use a single or double angle “plain style” cutter you will have a problem getting up close under the trigger guard on the vertical passes, as these cutters are usually about 3” or 4” in diameter.

I guess you could cut the lines with an end mill and leave them at 90 degrees, but it may look funny.

It isn’t that hard to checker a frontstrap with a checkering file and 3 square file. The hard part to checkering is getting the lines square to the frontstrap in both planes. A checkering file is about $25 USD through Brownells, and a plain style cutter will be over $40 CAN (although you could use the single angle cutter to mill serrations on the front of the slide).

Post a picture when you get it done.

…….. Darren
 
I've done the lengthwise dimension on a mill (no rotary table), laying out the lines with a single point V shaped cutter and then finishing them by hand. The crossways lines I did entirely by hand. It worked well because the long dimension is the toughest to hand cut because you can't take a full file stroke.

I've done French borders with the same V shaped cutter. Works great. Just be sure to dial in the slide in x and z.

triggerpress
 
I do the checkering like triggerpress but instead of a single point tool i just use a dovetail cutter. Then bring the checkering to full depth with a checkering file.
 
Wow, very interesting.
But if I start with an end mill, I will finish it with an end mill and then debur with a file if needed, or just sandblast it.
I'm not a big fan of file checkering, but I think I have a new carbide 90deg end mill somewhere.
Thanx and keep up the input :mrgreen:
Best Regards,
Chris
 
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