Crack in Stock

[Hoyt]

When I put a coat of stain on my gun yesterday this crack appeared in the big knot in the stock. I guess I will put some Acraglas Gel in the barrel channel and hope for the best. I have plans to put it on the crack and just ahead of the two forward ramrod pins.
Have given some thoughts about inletting a small pin cushion perpendicular to the crack..kinda like re-bar in concrete..anybody got any ideas on how I should take care of this I appreciate all the help I can get..this really sucks...specially at this time in the build.

This is the outside of the stock and you can see the crack and the knot.

another pic of outside of stock..these pics are ultra close up and the crack is not really visible with naked eye..looks more like a scratch.

This is a pic. of the barrel channel and crack.

I was this far along with it too..damn it makes me sick..You can see that big knot in this picture...right ahead of the first barrel pin..

 

[bob1961]

if thats a 42" at the worst ya can make it a 38" and bypass that knot and crack....tuff call but with a lancaster build coming up this sure makes me nervous....let us know what happens and fer sure if ya have to shorting it....might not be to bad if ya have a longer gun....sorry i don't the answer yer looking fer i'm hopeing fer ya....i'm sure some others will be along........................bob

 

[Hoyt]

The crack is about 5" in front of the loc..so I in bedded 3 bank pins perpendicular across beginning of crack inside of barrel channel and tomorrow will cover with very thin coat of acraglas gel and hope for the best.

 

[bob1961]

looked at it with the first pin as at the muzzle....now thats a different tune....sorry bout that....but still a tuff one....dont know how well the barrel will hold it together.............bob

 

[rich pierce]

Use some superglue and you'll be good to go. i know the feeling, though- it's enough to puke a buzzard off a gut wagon when that kind of stuff happens. But trust the glue! Shoot it in there, flex the stock till it wicks into the crack, put some wax paper between the ramrod channel and the barrel or wax the barrel with a crayon or candle, clamp it all together, and you'll be good to go. I have some repair history myself!

 

[Hoyt]

I do my own taxidermy work and have a hypodermic needle for injecting famaldhide..think I will see if I can inject either Elmer's Carpenter Glue or some type of Super glue into the crack. I'm a little leery of opening up the crack because it's in that knot..and you never know what will happen.

 

[flaming canvas]

check out gorilla glue at lowes. it is supposed to be better than carpenters glue.

 

Go with the superglue in gell form. Elmers is too thick and not strong enough in this application.

Wedge the crack enough to let the glue flow and clamp it lightly untill dry. Use the crayon or wax paper to prevent sticking where you do no want.

It will work and give an invisible mend, but stain will not take where it lays on the surface.

Don't be so upset, this is not even a "bad" crack or in a position where it will be subjected to stress.

:imo:

 

[jdhiii]

It is a little hard to see the exact run of the crack in your photos, but it appears the crack runs across the barrel channel, if so, you might also consider inlaying a spline across the crack with epoxy to strengthen the rift. Running a gap filling glue into the hairline also makes sense. The type of glue I would consider is something strong and thin as I don't believe you will get a good uptake into the crack with thick glues.
-d

:imo:

 

After you get it glued, make a larger inlay that can also be pined to the stock and cover up the crack for cosmetic effect.
I know it sucks but all ole smokepole wernt perfect either. consider it caracter. it may end up the best shooter ya ever shouldered!

Woody

 

[Hoyt]

OK..Super glue Gel it is..Thanks for the help.

 

Hoyt -- this is enought to make a strong man weep. I think you are doing the right thing with the internal pinning. However, I hate to say this, but you should be prepared for a real challenge down the road. The stock is going to react to climate and humidity -- except where the knot is. Tha knot is super hard and dense and as the "normal" wood reacts to the envormental conditions there is going to be stresses that will eventually result in a more pronounced crack and severe warping that will most probably result in the stock twisting itself apart. Having said this -- I sincirely hope I am wrong. But in a previous life I worked exensively with furniture restoration and a knot is trouble. If you look at old functional furniture you can often see where knots were literally drilled or sawn out of panels that were used in lower end furnture so that as the wood aged it reacted on a more stable maner to the conditions of heat, humidity and stresse of usage in general.

 

[Hoyt]

Chet..I agree the knot is unpredictable. I put a heavy coat of stain on the stock yesterday and then put the barrel back in and pinned it. I didn't want the stock warping while drying out. This morning I saw what I thought was a scratch and looked closer to see it was a crack. I guess pinning the barrel is what caused it.
I'll just have to hope my luck changes for some unknown reason and the stock holds out a while anyway.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

The last few guns I have stocked the wood cracked or split. The current one, a Lancaster, has already cracked/split three times. I am starting to just consider fixing the cracks/splits as part and parcel of building the things.

The only way I know to minimize it is to stay away from figured maple.

 

[Gary]

Superglue. Drop, dry, drop, dry, drop, dry.

 

[Terry Zboril]

The last few guns I have stocked the wood cracked or split. The current one, a Lancaster, has already cracked/split three times. I am starting to just consider fixing the cracks/splits as part and parcel of building the things.

The only way I know to minimize it is to stay away from figured maple.

Tans,
Seems that you had a wet blank(et) or two.
How about using DRY wood (at least 2 years old) to begin with? I have never had a problem or crack with even super figured maple from a good supplier.
Regards, Terry

 

[fatboy]

My vote for the super glue it works !! Hopefully it will work for your problem Good luck looks like it will be nice when your done !

 

The wood that is used for a stock should be KILN dried.
To use wood that has been air dired will never be low enough in moisture content to build a stock , and have the confidence it will not crack after you carve it down to the thickness desired when finished.
This I beleive is the reason you have had cracks show up.
If you have the barrel tennon pined into the stock and it dries more than it was the stress in doing so will definately end in a crack.
If you have a knot and the stress is in the area, the knot may become loose if not a sound knot to start with, or it may cause a crack in the area. or both.
Wood that has been air dried for 5 years or more may still contain to much moisture content to use.
The moisture content should be at least down below 8% and between 6 to 8% is ideal.
To get a thick stock blank say in the 12/4 (3 Inches) thickness to this moisture level in a air dry situation is almost impossable. I would not spend the time and money to carve a stock out of wood that has NOT been dried Kiln. :imo: :results:

Woody

PS: The original Post was caused by the knot in my experience with wood. Knots are a stress point and they do not dry well even in a kiln. And figured wood , much that is used in stock never stop moveing . it is a natural occurance in such wood.

 

[Hoyt]

I think the knot caused it also. I got the stock with a kit and for some reason the knot didn't show (or I didn't see it) until I was almost through with stock work. I had bedded the breech plug area with Acraglass and noticed a swirl of discoloration on the stock and at first thought I had gotten some of the bedding compound smeared on it. Closer examination showed the knot and a few days later the crack in knot. If ever I get a stock with a knot in it again..it's going back.
I put more Super Glue inside and out..now got a spot on the outside..and then spread a thin coat of Acraglass over crack and down the barrel channel. Hope I can get my barrel out now.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

"Tans,
Seems that you had a wet blank(et) or two.
How about using DRY wood (at least 2 years old) to begin with? I have never had a problem or crack with even super figured maple from a good supplier.
Regards, Terry "

Here in this part of Arizona it don't get much dryer. The wood (from Dunlap, who supplies almost every one else) was hung in the garage for about two years. (I learned the hard way to definitely stabilize it, seal, & then reseal it once built) In Alaska, Wyoming and California, I never had the problem, but here in AZ, it seems constant.