Cracked stock

having given your project a bit more thought
a couple more suggestions to add to the pile of very good ones made by many others.

i related the screw method of clamping the parts

what i didn't relate was this...

when you predrill for screws, as described, you can then trial fit the two pieces and tighten the screws to see how the crack closes... this is very important to a quality repair

if you tighten the screws and carefully look around and see the crack is fully closed and looks good then you are ready to disassemble and glue, apply a thin layer to both surfaces and carefully tighten down the screws, and wipe away the excess with a damp cloth, continue to tighten until the gap is evenly closed... you might have to twist or shift things a tiny bit to get it closed all the way around so "don't" tighten until you are sure it is properly aligned.

if the gap during prefit is not closing properly, you will have to determine if there are some interior fibers torn and not laying down properly, keeping the pieces from mating completely... you will need to locate those interior fibers/splinters and either realign them (which can be difficult)or you will need to carefully carve them away, just be careful to not remove more than is needed... sometimes a sliver the size of a paperclip wire can hold things apart and make for a poor fit.

trial fitting is very important in my opinion, i really think if you take your time you can get that stock back together again and do so with the result being excellent.

just take your time, and wait to glue until you are very sure everything mates up perfectly.

bob g

ps. if you end up having to remove a splinter from the interior area of the break, save that splinter! you might find you need it to repair a missing piece on the outside of the break... having stock material that is a match goes a long way toward fixing that problem... it doesn't appear to me that this would be a problem with your break, but it don't hurt to save any bits from inside the break.

 

one more thing!

the top part, where the stock thins out to a sharp edge

when you glue this thin part might well not want to pull down tight because of the glue holding it up a bit.

be prepared to add a clamp to hold this thin sliver of the break down snugly to the lower part it is to be glued to... this area will be very visible so getting it right is probably very important to you.

a little piece of wood to pad the c clamp is in order so you don't put a pressure divit in the top of the stock or make the sliver curl, don't apply a bunch of pressure because more is not necessarily better, also use a piece of wax paper
between the wood block and the stock so it will come off without damaging the finish.

basically this is a project that you will want to think through thoroughly, and have everything you need ready and waiting, and do it very methodically.

once the parts are glued and clamped or screwed, you will want them as perfectly aligned as possible, because while the glue will not set instantly, it will set very fast under pressure, enough so to make it damn near impossible to reposition parts after they have been drawn up tight.

once glued let it set overnight, iirc 8 hours to full cure in normal temperatures and humidity.

sorry to go on and on, but the gun looks like it was a purdy one, and it deserves to be purdy again.

bob g

 

[M. De Land]

I never liked screws for pulling tapered or thin pieced of wood together because even when pre-drilled holes are made the screw still has a wedging action when the threads bite into the wood which makes it tend to split. Dowels have to have larger holes for the glue to extrude back out and do not cause misalignment problems.
I used both and will take a dowel every time over a screw where possible.
One wants the reverse of force and direction in pulling a partial crack separation back together not another axis to contend with in screw use. MD

 

[Tinker2]

My experience, all of the Titebond gets brittle with age.




William Alexander

 

[Tinker2]

I am not against Do It Yourself.

Just don’t learn on that gun. It looks like that one can be fixed so you could not tell it had ever been broken.
To me, it is worth more broken then it is cobbled.

You got a lot of advice, some of it is good.


I am not against Do It Yourself.
Best of luck to you.


William Alexander

 

[M. De Land]

I've used both titebond and good ole Elmer's carpenters glue. I like Elmer's better for most things wood.
Gorilla glue works good too for some applications when you need to use up some excess room and it will not show.
I used it last year to install a steel sleeve for a through bolt hole in a very narrow stock wrist to reinforce it against cracking out. It worked perfectly for the sleeve , expanding around and completely encasing it inside the stock wrist.
It would also be good for installing steel pins in flint and percussion pistol grips to reinforce them length wise. MD

 

[Tinker2]

Are you saying that you used Gorilla glue for that repair?
The only things that I have seen Gorilla glue used on the glue turned to dust after a number of years.
I mean the bond turned to powder. They were not sealed real well and that may have made the differents.
I would have never used it on a firearm but what I did use it for sure did not work for me.

You must be doing something different. Maybe I should have read the directions.

So as not to confuse as to what glue I said I would repair his stock, that stock , that break, in that place.

I would not use Titebond or Elmer's carpenters glue. They get brittle with age. The wrist takes a lot of stress
and that doesn’t mix well with brittle. I would use the white Elmer’s glue for that application.


William Alexander

 

[peter hawbaker]

It seems like there sure are a lot of different opinions on the various adhesives available. I have repaired numerous gunstocks with Acraglas epoxy and have been very happy with the result. I have no experience with any Titebond. I have used Gorilla Glue on one stock repair, and was less than thrilled. The reason I used it was an article I read in the Garand Collectors magazine where the author proclaimed Gorilla Glue as THE glue to use for broken Garand stocks. When I used the Gorilla glue, it seemed porous and not especially strong. Gorilla Glue is dependant on moisture to work properly, the article I read recommended running wet dental floss through the crack, and then running dental floss with Gorilla glue through the crack, then clamping. That is if the stock was not completely broken. Gorilla glue foams and expands, and can make a mess of a finished stock.

The standard Acraglas, not the gel, is liquid enough that it should be able to be placed anywhere other glue can be.

Elmers white glue reconstitutes into a slimy mess with exposure to moisture, even after completely dry.

 

[Tinker2]

It seems like there sure are a lot of different opinions on the various adhesives available.

That’s the power of advertising.

“I have repaired numerous gunstocks with Acraglas epoxy and have been very happy with the result.”

It is my number one go to stock glue. Just not this stock, that break.

“The standard Acraglas, not the gel, is liquid enough that it should be able to be placed anywhere other glue can be.”

Depends on the amount of Acraglas floc fiber , which gives it strength, is added.

“Elmers white glue reconstitutes into a slimy mess with exposure to moisture, even after completely dry.”

Yes, makes it very easy to clean up any glue that gets where you don’t want it.
Of course I do seal the stock when I fix it.


Looks like we agree on everything.

I probably should have not have even read the first post.


Opinionated
William Alexander

 

[Rifleman1776]

My experience, all of the Titebond gets brittle with age.




William Alexander

I don't agree with that. TB is a form of poly in tiny-tiny threads that absorb into the wood fibers and remain when the carrying solution (high water content) evaporates. The threads remain as a binder but they do not get brittle.

 

[M. De Land]

I've used agra-glass both gel and regular for many years for glass bedding and stock repair. I have also used titebond and Elmer's and if you follow the instructions they set up and stay that way.
Recently I have also found applications for Gorilla glue because of the expansion properties I need to fill areas inaccessible by standard means like the bedding of the through bolt sleeve as described above.
Partially broken stocks is not the best place for agra-glass or Gorilla glue. In my experience this is wood glue territory and if applied correctly and sealed will last as long as the stock wood does. MD

 

[John Arthur Cooper]

Who can recommend someone who can professionally fix stock issues?

 

[Mtman725]

I've just did a bad one was old the owner just didn't care. AG gel has been my go to, but I found JB Weld clean, has a nice runnyness to it. TB II hands down for wood, mix with a little saw dust if you have any. All the above is sound advice. I feel its just part of ML ownership, enjoy the ride. GL

 

[LME]

You're lucky as it looks like a pretty clean break. Unlucky in the angle....kinda.

As a disclaimer I must point out that this is "key board gun repair" based on a few pictures. There are a couple of options.

One that looks as though it might be viable is to first remove the lock and barrel, as the tang bolt is likely securing the front of the crack and see what's hiding in there. Wax the stock to protect the finish as much as possible. Spread the crack as far as you dare (you may want to get a helper for this), you can use wedges made from tongue depressors or popsicle sticks to hold it open. Get as much yellow wood glue in there as it will hold then clamp the wrist by wrapping it tightly with surgical hose/tubing.

I can't tell how that thumb piece is retained....probably with pins counter sunk and filed flush? If I thought it needed more security I might remove the it in order to run a screw or bolt through the wrist (after gluing). The tang bolt will hold the forward end together after the barrel is reinstalled.

Others will have some other ideas. Don't do anything rash of course.

Who built your rifle? Good luck, J.D.

If the crack hasn't become contaminated the yellow glue will make the crack stronger than the wood its self. I would also get a clamp of some sort and a pad of wood and leather/cloth to protect the stock.

 

[SOLANCO]

Professional as stated are folks that charge for their service and their skill levels are as varied as the wind. If you don't have the skill yourself than ask around for references and look at some of the work of the person you will employ.
There are gun mechanics and then there are "real gun mechanics"! Some of them I wouldn't let touch my anvil if their tools were feathers! MD

Just a thought: grab a copy of The Double Gun Journal. You will not find any schleppers advertising their services there.

 

[nhmoose]

9 years later, Start a new post please