get yourself a checkering handle and a 1, 2 and 3 tooth blade for the correct LPI checkering from brownells or midway... THEN... get blue masking tape... and cover your checkering... do 2 or so layers... get a razor blade and trace the outside groove between the checkering pattern and the rest of the stock to get rid of the excess tape overlay... go about sanding the rest of the stock... when yo uare ready to refinish remove the tape (that has acted as a mask to protect the checkering) and trace it gingerly with the checkering tool to get old finish off of the wood... take your time and be careful... then once you have it to your liking go ahead and refinish the stock.