I've been hunting with my Dads old pre-64 Featherweight. It shows its years of use. Anyone re-cut checkering? One spot on the fore end checkering has a dent in it. Can that be fixed? I can refinish myself, but can't tackle the checkering.

I've done a few and highly recommend refinishing the wood first and then do the checkering. Masking the checkering is a PIA and rarely foolproof.

Without seeing the gun, that dent may we'll be conducive to being steamed out, or at least the bear's share of it, as long as no peripheral wood fibers are severed.

I am opposite.I do the checkering, mask it and then do the finish. I push the masking tape down into the border line. Of course I cannot do a full checkering job without a few over runs so I can fix that before finishing.Then if any finish leaks thru, it isn't as hard to clean out with a single point.Once done, I remove the masking, clean up any finish that has leaked in and then apply one coat of finish to the checkering, working it in with a toothbrush. I then remove any excess.Any finish that gets on the outside of the checkering can easily be wiped of without damaging the finish.

The dent may may or may not be able to steamed out as mentioned.

However,I am not in the business and time does not mean as much to me

Check out Ahlman's (spelling) in Minnesota. Search the net. They did my Featherweight years ago, reasonable, quick, and very nice!

Concerning your dent in the checkering, I've used a MinWax stainable wood filler to fix a few of those. Once checkered and stained, they have disappeared. I don't usually have much luck with steaming, I can get a dent to steam up a little but not all the way.
Phil

Probably because wood fibers were severed below the surface.