I plan to sharpen-up the checkering on a mid-70's vintage, Remington 700 stock.
By my count, it has 20lpi spacing. I'm hoping someone here can confirm from experience.

Thanks,
Jason

Use a single line V checkering head and do one line at a time. The recutting is not cut with a spacer tool.

I can tell you are inexperienced in checkering and would need some more help. Get a light to throw a shadow in the line and then you can see what you are trying to cut. A checkering cradle will help to hold the stock, could be nothing but a 2X4 and a couple of ends to turn the stock. Practice first

What Les said and like to add ,if any of the original hard hi gloss finish is remaining it'll dull the cutter fast than you think . Keep the cutter clean and sharp .

If this stock has the impressed checkering and you are trying to recut this, here is what I do. Recut a line and skip a line and then cut another line thru out the pattern. This will let you see the lines. Go back and cut the lines between. I usually strip the old checkering and clear the dirt from the design. Use caution with the chemical striper. I have carbide cutters and can resharpen these if needed with diamond steel.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the insight!

Should the single line V cutter be a particular angle head ? 90°, 60°?

Use 90 * it will take less depth and time. You didn't say whether this is the impressed or regular cut lines.

The stock I'm working on has regular cut lines.

One other question...any idea why checkering tools becoming so scarce and expensive?!

Triple 4,
Are you sure it has cut checkering? just curous but Id be real sure before I started..I don't think Rem. 700s have cut checkering, but maybe I missed something since I don't use Rem guns much...

quote:

Originally posted by Triple4:
The stock I'm working on has regular cut lines.

One other question...any idea why checkering tools becoming so scarce and expensive?!

Apparently they are made of unobtanium now, it took me forever last year to find some tools. Gunline has the most in stock.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Triple 4,
Are you sure it has cut checkering? just curous but Id be real sure before I started..I don't think Rem. 700s have cut checkering, but maybe I missed something since I don't use Rem guns much...

No sir. I'm not sure it's cut checkering. I've seen some obvious Remington pressed checkering and I didn't think this stock was that. I believe it's a mid-70's vintage stock. I've attached a link with a couple pictures.

https://imgur.com/a/VwxJa

It's cut checkering. Press checkering started the year the 700 came out, about 1962 and lasted until 1974 or 1975 when they started doing cut checkering on the BDL. About mid 1980s they went to cut checkering on the ADL as well.

If I had to guess as to why checkering equipment is getting hard to find, I would say that the demand for it has more or less crashed since the advent of the synthetic stock. People buying semi inlets and making stocks in their basements just isn't a big hobby thing anymore. Everyone wants TactiCool and cheap. Or TactiCool and really expensive. As long as it's TactiCool.

Thanks.

I managed to find a couple Gunline handles and 90° v-edger checkering heads on Brownells. Hopefully enough to get me thru this little restoration project.