everything you ever wanted to know about gas checks.
As far as I know, there are only 2 commercial gas checkmakers out there.
Pat Marlin's checkmaker, and the Freechex system.
You can decide between them, it's sort of like Ford vs Chevy in the arguments. Whoever has one, prefers it over the other. Both make checks.
(I have the PatMarlin version)
The Pat Marlin fits in a single stage press to stamp them out, and is a two step process. First, it cuts a disk, then you form the disk. You cut a bunch of discs, then run em back through to form them. Resulting in two pulls of the handle per finished check.
As I understand this: The Freechex maker either uses a mallet to whack em out, or you use a HarborFreight press to press them out (depending on if you get a Freechex II or III model) The Freechex model cuts and forms in one whack, or pull of the stronger press.
A
lot of people make their own checkmaker and there are threads in the above link, which show you how to do it, if you have access to a shop.
Happy Reading!