M14 Paint Job
- Thread starter waterArch
- Start date
The drain hole is no different than the sling mount holes when it comes to mounting something. Just make sure it's backed up by a good solid washer.
Unless you're going swimming with your rifle, the drain hole is insignifigant. The stock is already full of holes and spaces for water to drain.
Some pictures of the new Sadlak QD Post Assembly
Hi Fa
you have my full attention now. Are you taking preorders?
Further to my musings/questions so far.
I've been sanding the current finish off of the USGI stock I have and I've filled the selector switch cutout. So far so good.
I have a question for those of you who have gone before me. I have noticed a few hairline cracks in the stock and I'm trying to decide how to handle them. They run vertically (as opposed to fore and aft) and they are definitely cracks and not just patterns in the fiberglass.
So, should I grind them out and fill with JB Weld? Should I grind them out, relieve the surface area around them, fill the cracks with JB Weld and then cover/fill the relieved area with fiberglass cloth? Should I ignore them and expect the cracks do not go deep?
I've tried flexing the stock to 'open' the cracks up a little but the stock is too stiff or the cracks are just on the surface. Either way, I could not open the cracks any. I can see the cracks visually and when I wash the area with rubbing alcohol to clean/degrease, the alcohol gets in to the cracks and shows it quite well.
Any suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks,
I've been sanding the current finish off of the USGI stock I have and I've filled the selector switch cutout. So far so good.
I have a question for those of you who have gone before me. I have noticed a few hairline cracks in the stock and I'm trying to decide how to handle them. They run vertically (as opposed to fore and aft) and they are definitely cracks and not just patterns in the fiberglass.
So, should I grind them out and fill with JB Weld? Should I grind them out, relieve the surface area around them, fill the cracks with JB Weld and then cover/fill the relieved area with fiberglass cloth? Should I ignore them and expect the cracks do not go deep?
I've tried flexing the stock to 'open' the cracks up a little but the stock is too stiff or the cracks are just on the surface. Either way, I could not open the cracks any. I can see the cracks visually and when I wash the area with rubbing alcohol to clean/degrease, the alcohol gets in to the cracks and shows it quite well.
Any suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks,
you may get a few "ideas" on how to fix those cracks.......
I'll give you my thoughts... and bear in mind..... from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. ..... almost 7 days a week....... I work with customizing usgi stocks. Not bragging, not tryin to say "woohoo listen to me" ..... and not tryin to be a internet know it all
Just tryin to help ya out
so with that outta the way..... I'll say this again .... Leave the JB weld on the store shelf.... it will not give you a 100% bond with fiberglass. It's o.k. for selector area and connector lock area filling...... but over time it will stat to fail. Filling these areas is a big difference from repairing structural cracks. The Usgi fiberglass stock is constructed of an epoxy based resin with random fibers throughout. To fix a crack in fiberglass, general practice is to repair with a similar or exact product IE: epoxy product , not JB weld.
For all those out there refinishing stocks from various sources..... go to Rona or a marine products dealer. Epoxy aisle GOOP MARINE FIX FAST and the package looks like this
super easy to work with...... enough in a 4ounce kit to do repairs, selector/connector fill and it is also an excellent bedding product.
for the cracks you will want to router them out with a dremel tool 1/8 round nose bit. you want to make a groove following the crack and about 1/16 either side of it. YOU DO NOT WANT TO PUNCH THROUGH the stock wall.
Repeat this process on the inside of the stock as well but be careful again of punching completely through but almost.
mix the epoxy putty... with the above product you want to mix in small amounts, at room temperature you want to have the application done , neatly, within 5 minutes. Kit comes with 2 popsicle sticks. trowel the putty into the outside groove, pushing epoxy in making sure there is good adhesion. once applied, let sit for 20 minutes at room temp or untill the putty is still workable but not sticking to the fingers. place a small section of plastic cut from a ziploc freezer bag, bandaid like,..... just bigger than the area the putty was applied to. Now, use your fingers and , starting in the middle, work your way along the repair, flattening the putty as best you can to acheive a nice flat area. This will make finish sanding MUCH easier and once the epoxy has set for 2 hours... peel the ziploc plastic away. wait 8 hours before sanding, 80 grit/120 grit/240 grit)...... and warning to those who are sanding usgi fiberglass stocks.... that dust is TOXIC ..... lead and all kinds of goodies from 20/30 some years ago. Also..... uncured epoxy resin/putty (and most fiberglass and plastics) is super bad for your lungs and though hardened and sandable..... takes several days to fully cure. uncured resin dust is worse for you than cured resin dust..... but wear a fine particulate mask anyways.
anyhow....... seriously try this for your repair.... you'll be glad you did. In replacement of marine fix fast.... i think PC11 is a pretty close second choice.
I'll give you my thoughts... and bear in mind..... from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. ..... almost 7 days a week....... I work with customizing usgi stocks. Not bragging, not tryin to say "woohoo listen to me" ..... and not tryin to be a internet know it all
Just tryin to help ya outso with that outta the way..... I'll say this again
.... Leave the JB weld on the store shelf.... it will not give you a 100% bond with fiberglass. It's o.k. for selector area and connector lock area filling...... but over time it will stat to fail. Filling these areas is a big difference from repairing structural cracks. The Usgi fiberglass stock is constructed of an epoxy based resin with random fibers throughout. To fix a crack in fiberglass, general practice is to repair with a similar or exact product IE: epoxy product , not JB weld.For all those out there refinishing stocks from various sources..... go to Rona or a marine products dealer. Epoxy aisle GOOP MARINE FIX FAST and the package looks like this
super easy to work with...... enough in a 4ounce kit to do repairs, selector/connector fill and it is also an excellent bedding product.
for the cracks you will want to router them out with a dremel tool 1/8 round nose bit. you want to make a groove following the crack and about 1/16 either side of it. YOU DO NOT WANT TO PUNCH THROUGH the stock wall.
Repeat this process on the inside of the stock as well but be careful again of punching completely through but almost.
mix the epoxy putty... with the above product you want to mix in small amounts, at room temperature you want to have the application done , neatly, within 5 minutes. Kit comes with 2 popsicle sticks. trowel the putty into the outside groove, pushing epoxy in making sure there is good adhesion. once applied, let sit for 20 minutes at room temp or untill the putty is still workable but not sticking to the fingers. place a small section of plastic cut from a ziploc freezer bag, bandaid like,..... just bigger than the area the putty was applied to. Now, use your fingers and , starting in the middle, work your way along the repair, flattening the putty as best you can to acheive a nice flat area. This will make finish sanding MUCH easier and once the epoxy has set for 2 hours... peel the ziploc plastic away. wait 8 hours before sanding, 80 grit/120 grit/240 grit)...... and warning to those who are sanding usgi fiberglass stocks.... that dust is TOXIC ..... lead and all kinds of goodies from 20/30 some years ago. Also..... uncured epoxy resin/putty (and most fiberglass and plastics) is super bad for your lungs and though hardened and sandable..... takes several days to fully cure. uncured resin dust is worse for you than cured resin dust..... but wear a fine particulate mask anyways.
anyhow....... seriously try this for your repair.... you'll be glad you did. In replacement of marine fix fast.... i think PC11 is a pretty close second choice.
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Tremendous info. Thanks.
This is exactly what I've been looking for. I've been searching here and on several US forums (you'd be surprised how many times 'the experts on Canadian Gun Nutz' is referred to) and this is the first time I've seen the answer, and an answer I can actually do myself.
I figured I had to route out the crack, I didn't know how deep and I didn't know what to use to fill. I work for an aerospace company (heck someone has to keep the Sea Kings flying) so I have an appreciation for dissimilar materials and what happens when a bond fails. I'll be off to Rona later in the week. It also looks like it is time to dig my workshop air filtering system out from under the crap in the workshop too.
Thanks again.
This is exactly what I've been looking for. I've been searching here and on several US forums (you'd be surprised how many times 'the experts on Canadian Gun Nutz' is referred to) and this is the first time I've seen the answer, and an answer I can actually do myself.
I figured I had to route out the crack, I didn't know how deep and I didn't know what to use to fill. I work for an aerospace company (heck someone has to keep the Sea Kings flying) so I have an appreciation for dissimilar materials and what happens when a bond fails. I'll be off to Rona later in the week. It also looks like it is time to dig my workshop air filtering system out from under the crap in the workshop too.
Thanks again.
