Recut checkering on Parker forend

[Cameron Thraen]

Finally after much thought and consulting of my wood finishing experts Flexner and Jewitt plus a lot of time experimenting with solvent based wood dye coloring I have achieved the best match I am able to produce for the walnut repair piece and the original Parker forend wood. My watercolor book, 600 Watercolors, by Sharon Finmark helped to get the right mix of yellow-red-brown to create the orange-brown color of the aged walnut. Next step is to begin the shellac finish application. And then on to what started this project... Recutting the checkering.

[Robert Brooks]

Cameron great info and i have found you can re sharpen Gunline and Brownell cutters easily with a knife edge file. Bobby

[Cameron Thraen]

Will you share more detail on doing this sharpening? Brand and size for knife edge file? How do you hold the cutter for sharpening? Other details for success? Thanks.

[Cameron Thraen]

I believe I have achieved the reddish color tone match using the alkanet red oil. Practice wood from the same period 1890's above with three applications, original Parker stock finish below.

I tried BLO as the first application on the other side of the forend and that produced a color tone with too much brown.

[Cameron Thraen]

I need some advice. As I make progress on my recutting of the checkering I have arrived at working on the mullered border. The first photo shows the original border with very little wear on the right. I have re-established the border on the left. The original border on the left consisted of a slight amount of original pattern in the form of lines and a slight border profile.

The second photo shows the tools I have for this work. The Dem-Bart cutters are 1) 2-28, 2) BC-N concave, 3) F1, and 4) 4-40 machine screw tool. And a curved blade knife.

As I continue along the checkering pattern I will be losing any pattern lines for the border as it has been completely erased by hand wear. This will make re-establishing the border more difficult.

I watched a YouTube video (MNR Custom, LLC) on this type of border and the fellow uses a 28 lpi cutter to establish the border lines for the mullered border (on a 22 lpi checkering pattern and not a Parker).

A couple of observations at this point.
1: the BC-N cutter is wide and aggressive so care is required to match the original border.
2: there are two lines, one on each side of the border, very thin. How are these cut? Which tool? (see #3)
3: I find that a 2-28 cutter will give me the required center line for the border. Is this a good means to center the border? (yes).
4: The BC-N is used to start the border and the 4-40 tool to finish the mullered border.

[Dean Romig]

If that picture is an example of your own cutting of a mullered Parker border, I think it is about perfect!!

It's not too wide, it's just right. Bravo!

Here's an original unretouched Parker mullered border. Granted, it's a Grade 4 but the grade makes no difference with the mullered border.
There were several different people employed by Parker and Remington during the various periods of production. A few of them employed a more pedestrian interpretation of mullering while the more expert of them employed the wider concave mullering.







.

[Chris Robenalt]

Cameron, I've never used a cradle or a concave cutter. I prefer holding and constantly turning my work as I checker. I use masking tape to lay out master lines. I freehand the muller border with a series of cutters and files. I prefer Dembart and Ullman. I've also made some of my cutters. I don't know if there's a right and a wrong way. I study other's work, if I like it, I'll try to duplicate their cuts. Depth of the cut is important. Your work is looking good! Take your time....

[Cameron Thraen]

For those interested, and following here are a couple of photos on my progress. The original border on this Parker is only +0.070 wide measured from thin outside border line to opposite border line. This is a 28 lpi pattern. The actual mullered border is even narrower.

This photo shows the worn smooth border on the left:


This photo shows my refurbished border on the right:


A few more lines to go. I need new eyes.

[Chris Robenalt]

Take your lines all the way to the border and back cut Cameron. It will make your checkering and borders really pop!

[Craig Budgeon]

I use an S-1 Dembart tool mounted so that the cutter cuts as it is pulled away from the borders and in very tight areas I use an metal engraving tool that is V-shaped to finish around the borders.