Odd spots on curly maple stock

[IanH]

Dave1950 knows his stuff. Had some in one of the lifts of pecan that went into my kitchen and bathroom cabinets and trim, they were active for five or six years until our pest control guy did some research and mixed up a special cocktail that finally put an end to them. Several doors fell off along with chunks of face frames that had gradually been converted to powder by the beetles. I had to splice back together with spare wood from the project.

I would suggest heating the stock in a cardboard box with an electric space heater for a day before proceeding.

As has been said, nothing you can fill it with will look good, so either plane it off and scab on a thin veneer to the panel, or better yet just ignore it and finish exactly as you would if the trenches weren't there, just clean out all the dust before finishing.

Another thought is fill them up with a mix of fine turquoise sand and clear epoxy after the base stain color is put on.

Last build I did was riddled with holes, and some of this unfortunate one remained in the finished stock. I just filled it with tinted Acra-Glas like the rest of them and let it be seen.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

You do know what a pro would do right?

What exactly WOULD a pro do??
My guess, not the first stock with a problem like that and probably not the last either.
Some might turn their nose up at and the next person might think it's best thing since sliced bread.
Again, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder. It IS and will be unique!!

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

or better yet, just ignore it and finish exactly as you would if the trenches weren't there, just clean out all the dust before finishing.

 

[Billy Boy]

I’m building a percussion rifle from a curly maple stock and there are a few spots of soft wood right around the lock that looks like it’s gauged. We last worked on it 3 days ago and it didn’t look great in that one spot, but it definitely didn’t look this bad and the gauges weren’t defined like this. My dad has built several rifles and never seen anything like this. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you fix it?

Our default reaction is to mix wood shavings with stain and epoxy, fill it in, and work it down.

I have some worm tracks on a maple 36.
Can’t get more authentic than that. Mine weren’t that deep so I think your fill plan is a good one..

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

I would make sure there is nothing active and use those borings to make a one of a kind stock.

 

[MSW]

concur with the consensus... it's bugs for sure. if you don't like the idea of filling in the gouges, you may want to consider a brass patch and pretend you meant that.

also, you want to make sure that you kill whatever may still lurk in the wood ... those little buggers are tenacious as can be ... (aside from eating your stock, they don't have much to do with their time)

best of luck, and Make Good Smoke

 

[reddogge]

For a proper repair and if it were my gun I'd chisel out the tracks and scarf in a piece of maple. When finished it will be all but invisible. It will be more time consuming to do this but will give you a better job. Some woods are enhanced by worm holes. I paid a premium for this wormy butternut for carving shorebirds.

 

[Oldbear63]

I’m building a percussion rifle from a curly maple stock and there are a few spots of soft wood right around the lock that looks like it’s gauged. We last worked on it 3 days ago and it didn’t look great in that one spot, but it definitely didn’t look this bad and the gauges weren’t defined like this. My dad has built several rifles and never seen anything like this. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you fix it?

Our default reaction is to mix wood shavings with stain and epoxy, fill it in, and work it down.

Heating the wood to 150 ° F for a few hours will kill any eggs, larvae or adults in the wood and is a good idea, it will also stabilize the wood better.

My vote is to plane off a layer and glue on a sheet of similar wood and continue. Any filling or blending will not age the same as the original wood.

Be careful of any glue lines that might remain if you do inlay or veneer the marks as the wood might not take stain around the glue line.

 

[aussie pete]

I’m building a percussion rifle from a curly maple stock and there are a few spots of soft wood right around the lock that looks like it’s gauged. We last worked on it 3 days ago and it didn’t look great in that one spot, but it definitely didn’t look this bad and the gauges weren’t defined like this. My dad has built several rifles and never seen anything like this. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you fix it?

Our default reaction is to mix wood shavings with stain and epoxy, fill it in, and work it down.

Yep. I'd be including the narrative in the stock, shying away from any filler or enhancement. Consider an overall patina with variance in the staining to include the insect tracks. I'm thinking rich browns to mellow honey colour. One of a kind, right there Mweaver41. Let us all know how it turns out, please.

Pete

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

I have some worm tracks on a maple 36.
Can’t get more authentic than that.

Might consider a little thin CA, just in the soft tracks, then finish over it. That'll give that area some extra strength.
Wonder how many old timers-built stocks with bug tracks and never gave it a second thoughts?
Did they have "bugs and beetles" back then?

 

[M. De Land]

"Yep, the only way to fix it that will look good"??

Don't fix it if it ain't broke!!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Like I said, you won't see another one like it.

The trouble I would have with that idea is the many "beholders" asking me why I didn't fix it right when building the gun ! I'd suggest removal and inlaying a new lock panel , perhaps of exotic wood .
Perhaps Zebra wood , Ebony or Mescheet sp. would work as I think trying to match like wood and hiding a defect would be more evident than a purposed decorative wood inlay.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

The trouble I would have with that idea is the many "beholders" asking me why I didn't fix it right when building the gun ! I'd suggest removal and inlaying a new lock panel , perhaps of exotic wood .
Perhaps Zebra wood , Ebony or Mescheet sp. would work as I think trying to match like wood and hiding a defect would be more evident than a purposed decorative wood inlay.

The "beholders" can say anything they want. After all, it IS your gun/build.
Like I had said, if it was me, I would consider doing the CA (super glue) in the beetle tracks to add strength in that area and finish as usual. Still wonder about gun stocks of old having bug tracks? IMHO, no good reason to scrap it and start over. BUT, the final decision is YOURS!!

 

[M. De Land]

I’m building a percussion rifle from a curly maple stock and there are a few spots of soft wood right around the lock that looks like it’s gauged. We last worked on it 3 days ago and it didn’t look great in that one spot, but it definitely didn’t look this bad and the gauges weren’t defined like this. My dad has built several rifles and never seen anything like this. Has anyone encountered this before and if so, how did you fix it?

Our default reaction is to mix wood shavings with stain and epoxy, fill it in, and work it down.

Are you going to be able to stand looking at it for possibly many years? Which repair will yield the best resale value ? Is it going to bug you from now on?
Decide these issues and respond accordingly now while still in the build stages.

 

[Mweaver41]

Are you going to be able to stand looking at it for possibly many years? Which repair will yield the best resale value ? Is it going to bug you from now on?
Decide these issues and respond accordingly now while still in the build stages.

I don’t mind imperfections. I think it adds character to the rifle. And I’m building this with my dad, so I have no intention of ever selling it. But great callouts!

 

[Omahkapi'si]

What a great daughter-father project. Making memories.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Mine had them on a Lancaster buildView attachment 263149View attachment 263150View attachment 263151

So, bug tracks arn't that bad after all.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

I don’t mind imperfections. I think it adds character to the rifle. And I’m building this with my dad, so I have no intention of ever selling it.

You GO Girl!!

 

[waksupi]

Okay, I've dealt with this several times. Find some scrap maple that matches the pattern pretty well, doesn't even need to be that close, considering how narrow finished lock panels should be. Cut it about 1/8 - 1/4" thick.

Rasp and sand the damaged material flat. Glue the scrap on, and clamp over night. It's pretty simple to remove the inlet part the next day.

Once the stock is stained and finished, the patch will be invisible if done correctly, and no one but you will ever see it.

 

[hanshi]

Just me but I couldn't abide two scenarios: the first is there still being live bugs in the wood; and the second is damage around the lock panels. A bit of bug damage on the buttstock or farther out on the forearm can actually end up really looking good but NOT around the lock.

 

[M. De Land]

I don’t mind imperfections. I think it adds character to the rifle. And I’m building this with my dad, so I have no intention of ever selling it. But great callouts!

Long as you can live with a bug eaten tunnel through your stock once filled with bug turds !