870 Stock Refinishing Project - Need Help Again....

[Bullseye]

Well have the good old rock hard RKW finish removed.  Got the Limbsaver recoil pad on and ground in.  Have the stock and forearm sanded and ready to refinish and will put a coat of stain on it tonight.

I am going to use Tru-Oil or polyurethane (which is what I have used on my last to stock finishes) for a top coat.  My question is with the checkering since my last two did not have checkering.  I assume if I just put the top coat over the checking it might not turn out to good.  Thought I read somewhere once about thinning the finish and brushing in.  Could use some instruction please.

Thanks

[koginam]

Checkering is done after the stock is finished and checkering oil is applied, checkering oil is a thin mixture. If you get tru oil in the checkering it will fill up and look like crap.
I have used tape to protect the checkering from filling with finish and even used brownells release agent on fine checkering. But the best was silly putty,  It worked the best because it can be pulled out of the checkering as one piece leaving nothing behind. but if you are carfule and clean out the checkering with a soft tooth brush between coats you should be ok.

[gunnut69]

Just use a good brand of masking tape to protect the checkering. An exacto knife or sharp pocket knife around the edge of the pattern will allow the excess tape to be removed. After the rfinish it is a simple thiing to remove the tape, clean the area and perhaps give it a light coat of finish as well.