Question - I have a L61R stock that I want to refinish, but before I put to much effort into it I'm wondering if the factory checkering is easy to recut? (I not doing the checkering).

The stock needs stripping and steaming and refinishing. Not an issue for me to do.

However, the checking looks like a factory pressed checkering and is dull. Is this easy for an experienced checkering expert to do?

And it's pretty deep along the borders. If I sanded it all off it would take quite of bit off the stock in whole to even everything out.

So I have two options:

1) Refinish stock and rechecker factory checkering
2) Duplicate the stock and go from there

I prefer #1 due to less $$$.

Thoughts?

Ahlman's in MN will recut factory checkering quickly and reasonably. You should do the refinish before having the checkering recut. They have done a half dozen for me through the years.

Do the bare minimum sanding. Use a chemical stripper, Strtpeez, Homer Formby's, Zip Strip, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
Ahlman's in MN will recut factory checkering quickly and reasonably. You should do the refinish before having the checkering recut. They have done a half dozen for me through the years.

Do the bare minimum sanding. Use a chemical stripper, Strtpeez, Homer Formby's, Zip Strip, etc.

Thanks! That's who I was planning on using. I will give it a go. Much less $$ than option 2.

I would doubt if the L61R ever had pressed chequering. My Finnbear was made about 1980 and its is cut, but it may have been varnished over afterwards, which does dull the effect a bit. I reviewed a Hunter model with the more-rounded stock about 1987 and it had cut chequering of some kind, too.

I'm not a gunsmith but have chequered three rifles and would guess that if you can identify the spacing and find the right tool, you could go over what is there with reasonable results. Without measuring or even looking at it, I guess mine is about 20 lines to the inch.

When I’m asked to restore checkering I always recut the checkering before refinishing the wood. It’s a whole lot easier to do before the checkering is sanded and filled with finish. Once I’ve recut the checkering I mask it off, sand and finish; then before the last coat of finish remove the masking. On new stocks always finish first then checker. I’ve never seen a Sako with pressed checkering.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
When I’m asked to restore checkering I always recut the checkering before refinishing the wood. It’s a whole lot easier to do before the checkering is sanded and filled with finish. Once I’ve recut the checkering I mask it off, sand and finish; then before the last coat of finish remove the masking. On new stocks always finish first then checker. I’ve never seen a Sako with pressed checkering.

The checkering must be dulled/worn out then. It is a pre-Garcia action, so late 60s, early 70s. And yes, agree I'd would strip and steam the stock and recut and then finish.

Wood used by Sako I’ve encountered in that era is generally lesser quality and soft, resulting in easily worn checkering. I’ve restored at least a dozen of those.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Wood used by Sako I’ve encountered in that era is generally lesser quality and soft, resulting in easily worn checkering. I’ve restored at least a dozen of those.

Not sure how soft this wood is, but it's definitely light! I rebarreled to a factory profile, but at 26", in 358 Norma. Damn, it has some recoil.

I have the same rifle in 7mmag from
1972. Shot very little, beautiful wood.
Finish is near new. Hunted with it on foot
a lot. Deer, antelope but, never got a shot
with it at elk.
Fine rifle's.

George

quote:

Originally posted by Austin Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
Ahlman's in MN will recut factory checkering quickly and reasonably.

Thanks! That's who I was planning on using. I will give it a go. Much less $$ than option 2.

Ahlman's opinion might be another one to consider in addition to what's already been said if you haven't already done so.
Sounds like a fun project.

Well, I stripped the stock today. One coat of the citrus stuff. About 98% off.

Good news
1. Checkering not as bad as I thought, could be touched up though.

2. 90% of the dings where in the finish. What is there can be steamed except for an area on the grip that needs a wee bit of sanding.

Bad news

All that finish was hiding a big crack that starts in the trigger well and goes backwards into the stock about 3" towards the butt and runs all the way from the top to the bottom.

Question - assume it's fixable? Either with Hot Stuff and/or gluing some dowels in there.

Open the crack, inject or blow in TiteBond III (green label) glue, clamp tightly 'til cured. Have yet to have a failure.

Spot on.

You can buy the 2 or 3 line tool (Edited - Wrong advise. Better to use single cutter) from Brownells or Midway and do the recutting yourself. Just make sure you got the lines per inch spacing right and get the right tool bit. I suspect it will be 18 LPI but check. Just patiently follow the existing lines - Push forward. Careful not to over run the edges and damage the borders. You just need to make sure that the tool does not bit too deep.

https://www.brownells.com/guns...utters-prod6782.aspx

https://www.brownells.com/guns...tters-prod26281.aspx

These guys use just the single cutter -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWZSbg27aI0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZcCOKy-CmM[/url]

My Sako L61R is a deluxe stock and it has cut checkering as did all 3 of my Hunters in the past.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
When I’m asked to restore checkering I always recut the checkering before refinishing the wood. It’s a whole lot easier to do before the checkering is sanded and filled with finish. Once I’ve recut the checkering I mask it off, sand and finish; then before the last coat of finish remove the masking. On new stocks always finish first then checker. I’ve never seen a Sako with pressed checkering.

just my 2 cents, but I would strongly advise using a single line cutter when doing retouching of checkering. If only a light freshening is needed the single line will do a much better job. The chances of a multi-line spacing tool matching exactly is slim to none unless it is the exact tool used to cut the original pattern. Use a short "pull" cutter in the points and corners, and a longer "push" cutter in the longer stretches. If tools seem too sharp and "grabby" break 'em in on a scrap of hardwood, also will help get the feel of using the tools.

Good luck!

Could a sharp-angle needle file do the trick? I have found one most useful finishing chequering on a couple of my efforts.

I decided to duplicate the stock. It will allow me to add more wood to optimize the LOP as well.

Off to the duplicator!