Preserving checkered wood
- Thread starter john94
- Start date
while agreeing with saskbooknut, in principle, you could wrap the wrist area with one or two layers of elastic tensor bandage when you are shooting and take it off when not shooting
cheers mooncoon
3M Vetrap is a great product, only sticks to itself and provides a nice grip. I used some of this to create a makeshift cheek riser on an older wooden stock, works great. It was like 3 bucks a roll, and even comes in colours.
Keep them well sealed, True oil or what ever, I have cleaned up older grips, and repointed the checkering.
If it is a collector piece, Make a spare set or adapt some rubber ones, as Ribstaylo mentioned.
I am thinking handguns, but you may be thinking rifle, so replacements will be a bit hard to do.
Dirt is the hardest thing on grips.
If it is a collector piece, Make a spare set or adapt some rubber ones, as Ribstaylo mentioned.
I am thinking handguns, but you may be thinking rifle, so replacements will be a bit hard to do.
Dirt is the hardest thing on grips.
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If you put TruOil on checkering, you need to brush it off so there is very little on the surface.
Most people put too much on, losing definition of the checkering. This will definitely hurt the value of a firearm.
Recutting checkering, slathered in finish, is pricy.
Most people put too much on, losing definition of the checkering. This will definitely hurt the value of a firearm.
Recutting checkering, slathered in finish, is pricy.
What ever finish you apply to the checkering needs to be applied and then brushed with something like a toothbrush removing all the surface finish.. about 30 minutes after applying and again in a few hours... you do not want finish to build up in the checkering.
As far a damaging checkering when shooting, maybe wear soft cotton gloves.
As far a damaging checkering when shooting, maybe wear soft cotton gloves.
I hate the stuff, depends what it is on ,A oil finish, Poly looks like plastic, but real thin coat brushed in would look O.K .I guess, but only way to fix it is complete strip.
That is just my option, others may have other ideas. It will depend on what type, age of gun. Browning's used poly in later years.
Recutting checkering on a 200 yrs old gun is not going to look right , no matter what is used, unless it is a complete restoration.
And guntech is right , if it looks wet, that is too much, I use my hand and rub out till it is dry, but on checkering ,that don't work.
I like pure Tung oil, but that takes a lot of time , coats.
I refinished the forearm on an early 80's Beretta shotgun once. Beretta used lots of poly (glossy) back then. I agree that it looks like plastic and not attractive.
It was a complete strip, repair (small crack) and then refinish with Tru-Oil and 2 thin coats of polyurethane in matte finish. It turned out well. I remember using a toothbrush often to ensure no extra poly accumulated in the checkering.
I think the matte finish polyurethane looks OK and much better than the plastic looking glossy.
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