I'm thinking about refinishing the stock on my Remington 870 Wingmaster and the checkering really needs some help. The spacing is inconsistent- it looks like it was supposed to be 20 lpi but every other line is 16 lpi (wild ass guess), so it goes thin-thick-thin-thick across the entire grip pattern on both sides.

Any suggestions on how to correct this? I can post some photos later if it helps. Thanks in advance!

Evan, about the only thing I can say is take it all off and start over. You will just end up cutting the bad stuff deeper andyway and might end up with double tops on one line or the other.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan K.:
I'm thinking about refinishing the stock on my Remington 870 Wingmaster and the checkering really needs some help. The spacing is inconsistent- it looks like it was supposed to be 20 lpi but every other line is 16 lpi (wild ass guess), so it goes thin-thick-thin-thick across the entire grip pattern on both sides.

Any suggestions on how to correct this? I can post some photos later if it helps. Thanks in advance!

Touching up checkering might be difficult unless you at expert level. PM sent.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Evan, about the only thing I can say is take it all off and start over. You will just end up cutting the bad stuff deeper andyway and might end up with double tops on one line or the other.

Thanks Jim. The machine cut checkering doesn't seem very deep and I don't like the original pattern much to begin with so starting over sounds like a good option at this point.

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
Touching up checkering might be difficult unless you at expert level. PM sent.

Got your PM, thank you! I am VERY FAR from expert level.

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
Touching up checkering might be difficult unless you at expert level. PM sent.

Got your PM, thank you! I am VERY FAR from expert level.[/QUOTE] I send mine out now. Butchered my practice stock pretty badly. Don't have the eyes for it I guess.

Here's the stock:

Looks like a 'skip-line' type of cut.
Normally there are more of the narrower lines in between the one wide width line. It was popular in the 60's, but it actually dates from way back.
Some people called it 'French Checkering'/

Unless the wide width diamond can be evenly divided into two (or more) of the narrow width existing diamond rows,,you are kind of stuck with it.

I'd remove it with in the existing border and do a 'sunken panel' standard checkering style.

Evan. That gun looks decent and appears to have original skip-line checkering. My inclination is that any re-do will not improve the value. I'm pretty sure that an original with minor wear is worth more than a reworked one. This could be a "deluxe" 870. I could be wrong.

As I see it the only alternatives are to use a single line tool and re-trace or sand down flat and start over.

I re-cut all four panels on my Browning A Bolt with a single line cutter

You can do it just jump in a try.....trust me it isn't hard

http://i165.photobucket.com/al...etail68/DSCF0594.jpg

You've got something unique. Why not recut the existing checkering? It appears to be uniformly laid out on an x to 2x basis.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike in Michigan:
You've got something unique. Why not recut the existing checkering? It appears to be uniformly laid out on an x to 2x basis.

It is uniformly laid out on the x-2x basis, but for only one set of lines. The other set is spaced evenly. That makes me think it is not supposed to be "French" skip-line checkering too (which I'm not a big fan of either), because the other set should then have the x-2x spacing too.

I think I've made up my mind to erase this checkering and start over. The value of the shotgun is irrelevant because I have zero intent to sell it.

I appreciate the responses and suggestions!