Re-cut Checkering

Re-cutting and cleaning up checkering is not terribly difficult if your handy with tools. It is tedious and time consuming, thus it can be pricy. I have never paid anyone to do it as I always did it myself and for other folks when refinishing stocks. I charged $25. per standard checkering panel and most guns have four panels. That was mad money while watching TV as it can take a couple hours at times to re-cut a panel to do it right getting the lines consistent in depth and the points sharp.
The tools are not expensive. But if it is something your not comfortable with try Steve Milton at Precision Arms in King City.
 
$25/panel is cheap. That recently? Just curious.
Don't think there's anybody doing stock work commercially in TO. Not a new thing. There wasn't when I still lived there over 20 years ago.
Like mrgoat says, it's not terribly difficult(one of the few times when patience is a virtue) if you have the tools. A set of tools starts at $65US at Brownell's. Try Epp's for 'em first though. Might as well ask 'em about then doing at while you're at it.
 
I haven't hired out to do any sort of checkering work in 20yrs. I still do my own stuff, and maybe a friends but that's it. I was never into it for the money it was a hobby that made mad money. Op if your interested in trying it yourself order your stuff direct from Dembart (google it) Your will need a standard handle to hold the cutter heads, and a border tool handle. Cutter heads will be single 60' degree, 18pt. get at least a half doz. cutters heads. They come in course and fine, get some of each. Depending on the crud and type of finish on your stock and in your checkering you can dull cutter heads rather fast some times, nothing worse than dull cutter heads. As far as I know Epps does not do stock work. If they do they farm the work out. So your might as well nose around and deal straight with the farmer.
 
after chemically stripping and before finishing - Definitely NOT.

Checkering is recut after the refinish is to the 90% stage with one or two coats on the checkered area in my experience.
Stock finish on the checkered area helps hold the fibres of the wood for clean cuts. You don't lay the finish on checkering heavily - lightly laid on and brush away with very soft toothbrush.
It is not that you want finish on the surface of the checkering but the first coat or two are taken right up by the wood.
 
saskbooknut said:
after chemically stripping and before finishing - Definitely NOT.

Checkering is recut after the refinish is to the 90% stage with one or two coats on the checkered area in my experience.
Stock finish on the checkered area helps hold the fibres of the wood for clean cuts. You don't lay the finish on checkering heavily - lightly laid on and brush away with very soft toothbrush.
It is not that you want finish on the surface of the checkering but the first coat or two are taken right up by the wood.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^ This is very close to what I read on an article by Briwnells.
 
This is a refinish so there is already finish in the checkering. Every stock I have ever refinished (and I am well past a hundred) with checkering I have stripped then recut/cleaned out the checkering. Applied the stock finish two coats at a time reducing it back to the wood with #0000 steel wool, this fills the wood pores with the finish. This pore filling process takes time. During this process you "do not" put finish in the checking, you only keep it clean of steel wool dust with a soft tooth brush. I am an oil finish person and the oil whether it has dries or not I apply a drop or two at a time with my index finger tip, your not slopping it on with a paint brush so it's not hard to control a drop or two and keep it out of the checkering. During the application of the final finish coat I will sparingly put a couple drops in each checkering panel and spread it well about with a soft tooth brush, this will soak in well enough to freeze the checkering and protect the wood and give it the same colour tone as the rest of the stock. This is not rocket science if it needs a little more finish it can be applied a drop or so at a time with a finger tip. The checkering can be touched up with the checkering tools if need be as the finish literally will put a new light on the points and lines and you may see imperfections that until now went un-noticed.

You may notice many new factory produced guns, a Winchester M-70 featherweight with the fleur de le pattern comes to mind, the checkering is a lighter duller colour. That's because the whole stock has it's finish sprayed on then the checkering is machine cut/lazer through the finish afterwards. This way Winchester doesn't have to keep a room full of checkering Elves. The Elves did better work, trust me. Winchesters machine cut checkering is a pure nightmare to recut.

On a new fresh wood stock I will partially fill or completely fill the pores depending on the piece of wood, then put a light coat on the surface. Then I will lay out the checkering panels and cut them all in until I am satisfied that all the line depths and diamonds are even. This takes a lot of time and the stock is handled a lot so the finish protects the wood from oily, dirty hand prints.

This is generally the way I have done it for the last 40 yrs. or so. I am self taught, and I have had very good results and no complaints from anyone, including me and I am my worst critic.

Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom