I visited one of my rifles yesterday, I had the stock checkered and finished. I feel it needs a few more coats of finish, so how do I put a few more coats on without filling in the diamonds? I can be careful when applying and not get it on them, should I tape them somehow also to keep it from getting in?

One more question, the rear sling swivel stud, tiny little thing, it's one of the ones that is fixed, two screws hold it in. Anyways, not totally set into the wood. What tool would I use to carefully inlet that area and set it flush? I don't want to try it with my dremel. I am dangerous with that thing.

Red

Dago Red,
You can tape the checkering patterns to protect them but some may get in anyway. When I do the final coats on the stock after checkering I just wipe them out with a terry cloth towel and then clean up any lint with an old tooth brush.

If you have to inlet the two screw sling swivel stud more, I would use a scraper but you probably don't have one. A small chisel using the edge at close to 90 degrees and draggin the bottom of the inletting will work. Just be careful. Those sling swivel bases are built with a draft (sides taper in to the base) so be careful also not to mess up the inletting at the top.

Thanks very much. I hopefully will have the rifle at the house sometime next week and will go after it.

Red