3d printed checkering/finishing cradle

[ssgross]

I've been doing a lot of checkering and finishing lately - mainly cleaning up and beautifying old sporter stocks left over from restorations. There seems to be only 2 options for cradles on the market already made - MTM which is basically a 2x4 with holes in it for $100, or the over engineered version at Berry's Mfg. for over $400. Both are generic in the actual fixture, which is fine for checkering but not so useful allowing 2 hands while scraping or refinishing a stock. So over Christmas I decided to teach myself enough CAD to make me either more useful or dangerous. I designed and made the following updates to my cradle...


The ends are generic, with a faceplate that has threaded inserts allowing for the attachment of any adapter plate you wish to design. Pictured above is for M1 Garand stocks. The front fits the stock ferrule, the rear is tapered to snuggly fit the cleaning kit holes. The faces slide on a dovetail so there is no wobble when rotating the stock, so everything stays nice and tight.

Given the price points of the commercial options, I decided to make an entirely 3d-printed setup. For a prototype I built a smaller checkering fixture for pistol grips.

The ends slide on to a 1x2 beam. The side knobs tension the main spindle and lock the uprights in place. With a dab of grease on the spindle, tension can be set so that everything is locked in place while working, but moveable with a little more force.

I'm thinking of printing some kits - end user just needs the 1x2. I was thinking the first few tries I'll send to contributing members for just shipping. Just let me know what end adapters you need. I likely have the rifle in my safe to design it.