Pressed checkering???

[Alibiiv]

I am looking for some input on a project that I just took on for my son. He has an older Mossberg 500 that his mother gave him when he was 15 years old; he is now 54. I am trying to refurbish this gun as it has a lot of sentimental value to him and I'd like to bring it back as close to original as possible. I have the wood just about stripped of the old finish using Citrastrip and a scraper. The problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the original finish out of the "pressed" checkering?? Right now the pressed checkering is full of Citrastrip and....old finish. I have tried a sharp pointed carving blade, a scriber and 120lbs of compressed air, but...it isn't moving. Any ideas would be helpful. I am not certain if this is the correct forum to be posting in, however I am at a loss with this stock right now!!!! I've read where one can use a checkering tool (like 18 line tool that I have) to re-cut the pressed checkering, however I would prefer to keep the shotgun as close to original as possible. This shotgun means a lot to him and I would like to get it right if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

***After reading some of the replies I would like to add that I pretty much have all of the finish on this shotgun off. I used the Citristrip and some hand scrapers that I will use to get the finish off, then usually will DA the rest of the remaining finish. This issue is the finish that is left inside of the pressed checkering. I finally got some photos up. One of the photos is of the tools that I have already used without success. I was willing to pick each checkering pocket out with the carving blade and the sharp awl, but they didn't work either. This wood is pallet wood, the shotgun is not a Citori or a Perazzi, but it is much more priceless.

 

[xsn10s]

I am looking for some input on a project that I just took on for my son. He has an older Mossberg 500 that his mother gave him when he was 15 years old; he is now 54. I am trying to refurbish this gun as it has a lot of sentimental value to him and I'd like to bring it back as close to original as possible. I have the wood just about stripped of the old finish using Citrastrip and a scraper. The problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the original finish out of the "pressed" checkering?? Right now the pressed checkering is full of Citrastrip and....old finish. I have tried a sharp pointed carving blade, a scriber and 120lbs of compressed air, but...it isn't moving. Any ideas would be helpful. I am not certain if this is the correct forum to be posting in, however I am at a loss with this stock right now!!!! I've read where one can use a checkering tool (like 18 line tool that I have) to re-cut the pressed checkering, however I would prefer to keep the shotgun as close to original as possible. This shotgun means a lot to him and I would like to get it right if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

It looks like that finish is tough to remove. So far this thread is the only one I found that didn't say sand off the finish. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/help-stripping-a-mossberg-500-stock.742587/

 

[Radman]

I am looking for some input on a project that I just took on for my son. He has an older Mossberg 500 that his mother gave him when he was 15 years old; he is now 54. I am trying to refurbish this gun as it has a lot of sentimental value to him and I'd like to bring it back as close to original as possible. I have the wood just about stripped of the old finish using Citrastrip and a scraper. The problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the original finish out of the "pressed" checkering?? Right now the pressed checkering is full of Citrastrip and....old finish. I have tried a sharp pointed carving blade, a scriber and 120lbs of compressed air, but...it isn't moving. Any ideas would be helpful. I am not certain if this is the correct forum to be posting in, however I am at a loss with this stock right now!!!! I've read where one can use a checkering tool (like 18 line tool that I have) to re-cut the pressed checkering, however I would prefer to keep the shotgun as close to original as possible. This shotgun means a lot to him and I would like to get it right if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Can't help with your labors of love but I do wish you luck. Dumb question: Could you possibly scorch the checkered area to darken it & perhaps remove the stripper as well?

 

[26Reload]

Soak that citrastrip with another agent..maybe mineral spirits..just something to get it back to a semi liquid..when doing stripping on furniture I lay soaked papertowels over to keep air from getting into the mixture...

Then scrub with an old toothbrush continually rinsed in water....

 

[3chester]

Otis makes a Phosphorous Bronze brush that is normally used for gun cleaning chores.It looks like a toothbrush but, has bronze bristled. Make sure the area is wet with your stripper, then this brush will scrub out the remaining finish, done quit a few of these old press checkered model 88 and 100 Winchesters and a couple, Ted Williams Roebucks, also came with press checkered/ lumberD Winchesters from 70's. Then for final, polish it with 0000 steel wool. Then apply your oil finish or whatever, good as new, Turns out perfect!!

 

[Chokoloskee Joe]

The finish may be lacquer, in which case you need to use lacquer thinner to dissolve the finish. Best method is to cover the stock with a tube sock and soak with lacquer thinner. You can scrub the checkering witha bristle brush or an old toothbrush.

 

[McDoone]

I am looking for some input on a project that I just took on for my son. He has an older Mossberg 500 that his mother gave him when he was 15 years old; he is now 54. I am trying to refurbish this gun as it has a lot of sentimental value to him and I'd like to bring it back as close to original as possible. I have the wood just about stripped of the old finish using Citrastrip and a scraper. The problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the original finish out of the "pressed" checkering?? Right now the pressed checkering is full of Citrastrip and....old finish. I have tried a sharp pointed carving blade, a scriber and 120lbs of compressed air, but...it isn't moving. Any ideas would be helpful. I am not certain if this is the correct forum to be posting in, however I am at a loss with this stock right now!!!! I've read where one can use a checkering tool (like 18 line tool that I have) to re-cut the pressed checkering, however I would prefer to keep the shotgun as close to original as possible. This shotgun means a lot to him and I would like to get it right if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I hesitate to suggest this because the process could have unintended consequences, but I have used an electric heat gun for this job….very carefully. Removed all the finish with it. On the one stock I used this technique, it really improved the look of the grain structure. Final appearance was much improved over original.

 

[Alibiiv]

It looks like that finish is tough to remove. So far this thread is the only one I found that didn't say sand off the finish. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/help-stripping-a-mossberg-500-stock.742587/

Thank you for this link. I did get some recommendations on stripper; Jasco EpoxyPaint stripper. From what I am reading I "think' that Zip Strip is water soluble and that might be the answer to be able to "rinse" the stripper out of the pores of the pressed checkering. Again I thank everyone for their input on this project. I did find some replacement stocks for this shotgun, but would prefer to keep the sentimental value in the gun as much as possible.

 

[Alibiiv]

Can't help with your labors of love but I do wish you luck. Dumb question: Could you possibly scorch the checkered area to darken it & perhaps remove the stripper as well?

Thank you for this reply. I did try the heat gun hoping the finish and the Citristrip would harden and either brush out of blow out with air pressure, no luck there either. Usually I can find a solution (no pun) and figure something out, but...not on this one "yet"! That is the reason that I have turned to the forum.

 

[Alibiiv]

Soak that citrastrip with another agent..maybe mineral spirits..just something to get it back to a semi liquid..when doing stripping on furniture I lay soaked papertowels over to keep air from getting into the mixture...

Then scrub with an old toothbrush continually rinsed in water....

I've tried acetone, lacquer thinner, and mineral spirits without and success. I think that you are on the right trail when you mentioned keeping the mixture fluid. I think it is Zip Strip that is water soluble and hoping to find a paint stripper that "is" water soluble. The problem with using a brush is that the checkering is so small that there's really not too much room for a brush to get into the hole in the stock. I have tried a number of brushes of different sizes and diameters, but again came up with nothing. I even took an acid brush and one of the $1 disposable brushes and cut the bristles back about 1/4-1/2 inch to make them a little more stiffer in hopes they would work, again came up short.

 

[Alibiiv]

Otis makes a Phosphorous Bronze brush that is normally used for gun cleaning chores.It looks like a toothbrush but, has bronze bristled. Make sure the area is wet with your stripper, then this brush will scrub out the remaining finish, done quit a few of these old press checkered model 88 and 100 Winchesters and a couple, Ted Williams Roebucks, also came with press checkered/ lumberD Winchesters from 70's. Then for final, polish it with 0000 steel wool. Then apply your oil finish or whatever, good as new, Turns out perfect!!

Yup tried the bronze brush, regular tooth brushes both soft and hard, a hard plastic double ended gun cleaning brush, the holes on this checkering are too small. Thank you for your suggestions.

 

[Alibiiv]

I hesitate to suggest this because the process could have unintended consequences, but I have used an electric heat gun for this job….very carefully. Removed all the finish with it. On the one stock I used this technique, it really improved the look of the grain structure. Final appearance was much improved over original.

I already have most of the outside finish off of this shotgun. I used the Citirstrip and a set of hand scrapers that I often use when I refinish gun stocks. This pressed checkering has me at a loss. I tried the heat gun in hopes of the stock finish would either soften or shrink away from the wood. That didn't work either.

 

[Dean2]

It looks like that finish is tough to remove. So far this thread is the only one I found that didn't say sand off the finish. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/help-stripping-a-mossberg-500-stock.742587/

Put Circa 1850 stripper on it, then use a brass or nylon brush. The finish will lift right off.

 

[timo308]

I am looking for some input on a project that I just took on for my son. He has an older Mossberg 500 that his mother gave him when he was 15 years old; he is now 54. I am trying to refurbish this gun as it has a lot of sentimental value to him and I'd like to bring it back as close to original as possible. I have the wood just about stripped of the old finish using Citrastrip and a scraper. The problem I am having is trying to figure out how to get the original finish out of the "pressed" checkering?? Right now the pressed checkering is full of Citrastrip and....old finish. I have tried a sharp pointed carving blade, a scriber and 120lbs of compressed air, but...it isn't moving. Any ideas would be helpful. I am not certain if this is the correct forum to be posting in, however I am at a loss with this stock right now!!!! I've read where one can use a checkering tool (like 18 line tool that I have) to re-cut the pressed checkering, however I would prefer to keep the shotgun as close to original as possible. This shotgun means a lot to him and I would like to get it right if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

***After reading some of the replies I would like to add that I pretty much have all of the finish on this shotgun off. I used the Citristrip and some hand scrapers that I will use to get the finish off, then usually will DA the rest of the remaining finish. This issue is the finish that is left inside of the pressed checkering.