Recut checkering on Parker forend

[Cameron Thraen]

I am starting a winter project to recut the checkering on my 1893 Parker GH S#78013. Worn smooth, but still visible. First off I need some advice on making a cradle to hold the forend wood. Any photos would be helpful. I do not need a full cradle, just something that is solid and will allow me to work on the forend.

{As I am getting into this project I will also separate the stock and receiver so that I can check for hidden splits or cracks, excess oil in head of stock and clean all the internals. Did not originally plan to do this, but here in Ohio it is a long winter and this provides a needed diversion.}

Parker GH S#78013 12b No. 1 frame shipped to Powell & Clement Co. Cincinnati Ohio on July 22, 1893.

[winplumber]

Go to Facebook and look up BMD gunstocks if I remember he has some videos , If you have FB . Thats Brian Dudley site ! Hope this was ok Brian

[Robert Brooks]

Beautiful wood ! Bobby

[B. Dudley]

I have built a few checkering cradles over the years. I am currently on cradle 3.0 which is a modified versacradle from Berry manufacturing.

For forends I used to just use a large round dowel (like a ladder rung) with a flat cut on it and I would just tape the forend to it with painters tape. It worked fine.

The PGCA owns, in their collection, an original checkering jig from the Meriden factory for holding forends. It was on display at the NE maybe 5 years ago and I photographed it with the intension of building one. Earlier this year I made a forend jig for my versacradle that was based on that Meriden factory jig.

Here is a photo of the jig that I built. I have used it for a number of other types of forends too, not just parkers. I dont still have a photo of the factory jig on my phone or I would post one. Maybe tomorrow once I get back to my computor if I think of it.
And yes, if you see my FB page, there is more on there about it. I think I posted a few videos explaining my checkering cradle setup.

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[B. Dudley]

Here are some photos of the factory forend checkering jig. This would have been able to be clamped in a vice.

[Cameron Thraen]

Brian, thanks. This is very helpful. I will make one this week. I looked at the Versacradle but too expensive as a project investment. I will make a base like the one in the Parker photos. Appreciate the assistance. Really like your FB pages.

[B. Dudley]

See here the high tech and intricate design of my first forend mounting jig. I used this for years.

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[Cameron Thraen]

My checkering cradle. Thanks to Brian. This will work just fine. Question? My Parker is a 1893 production gun. I have counted the lpi and I get 18. Is this correct? I can get 16 if I do not count the border lines.

[B. Dudley]

A GH should not be 16. 18 sounds good. They can vary from 18 to 22.

[Cameron Thraen]

The mullered border. On my forend this border is completely or nearly filled with finish. Without giving away hard earned trade secrets any advice on how to go about removing this finish and restoring this border?