Enfield forend repair suggestions

Dyspnea

Dyspnea

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I need a little help, I bought this enfield back in august. Upon a detailed tear down/inspection I found this crack in the forend, likely because the stock was so dry, breathing on it might have set it a fire. I haven't had the chance to repair it until now, I did glue it at first but it hasn't held up, could be because I didn't prep the wood with acetone. As I just need something temporary until I moved. I did apply about two coats of raw Linseed oil, so it wasn't so dry.

I looking for suggestion to repair it, glue it, wood repair insert, threaded brass rod?

Too complicate thing he forend droops after the middle band, so it requires a slight straightening. As the stock will not provide any forend pressure.


Any help would be great.

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I just posted a detailed post on stock repair on the 1905 Ross thread.

That break is in a bad spot for sure. I'd say maybe try better prepping next time of the wood and then try to epoxy it back together again.

Last year I bought a Snider that had wood that looked and felt like it was sitting under water for decades. It took an entire litre of linseed oil before it stopped "drinking" as Smellie would say. Now it's heavy and well moisturized. It took me about 3 months total to get the moisture back in!!
 
I really wonder if that is worth the time required to fix it. To have a chance of ending up with something solid enough, I'd cut away a trapezoid section roughly one inch wide on each side of the cut, about 1/2 inch tall, and graft a new chunk of wood in that spot. Just glueing the split may not be enough so a reinforcing inlet could be better? Really not sure. Numrich has new forends at a reasonably good price... backup solution?

Lou
 
I really wish it was a simple as just glueing, I would always fear the it wouldn't hold up. I figured a wood patch would be the best solution, but never had a good solutions of how to do it. Also a part of me cries at the though cutting into the stock. The crack is in such a terrible spot.
 
Just glueing it won't work. Louthepou has it. Or I would cut out the whole section and stick a new piece in. If the rest of the stock is in that condition you may be wasting your time. A new forestock can be had for $50.
 
Doh! Is that a Sht.LE Mk.I stock? Inner band sits right underneath lower barrel band? Woodwork is carved out thin at that section from inside and out. A known problem. Later mod as on the Mk.III moved inner band an inch back for this very reason.

Clean it and reglue. Keep fingers crossed it holds, but likely will break agin.

If you can live without the inner barrel band (some regulated rifles didn't have them), fit a some form of bridging plate, 1/16 thk steel or brass, 4-5 inch long, curved to the barrel profile and inlet into the barrel channel. Epoxy and pin it in there. Need to reinforce things well if upward barrel pressure at muzzle is the goal.
 
englishman_ca said:
Doh! Is that a Sht.LE Mk.I stock? Inner band sits right underneath lower barrel band? Woodwork is carved out thin at that section from inside and out. A known problem. Later mod as on the Mk.III moved inner band an inch back for this very reason.

Clean it and reglue. Keep fingers crossed it holds, but likely will break agin.

If you can live without the inner barrel band (some regulated rifles didn't have them), fit a some form of bridging plate, 1/16 thk steel or brass, 4-5 inch long, curved to the barrel profile and inlet into the barrel channel. Epoxy and pin it in there. Need to reinforce things well if upward barrel pressure at muzzle is the goal.
Click to expand...


Yes it's off a no1 mk1** .22 conversion done in 1943. Part of the reason I cannot bring myself to "cut" in to it. I'm considering buy a new mk111 stock to use as my shooting stock.

But I do like the idea of the brass plate.

I think right now the minimum I will do is clean the crack properly and reglue and go from there.
 
If you really want to fix it, another simple solution would be to just cut a slot right through that side and glue in a piece of hardwood into the slot. Then shave it down to fit. It would have been a fix that an armourer would have done. (one of several options)
 
Acetone or brake cleaner to remove as much oil out of the break.Then use a urethane glue and clamp it as straight as you can.After it dries clean the excess glue from the area and with a biscuit joiner cut two shallow biscuit slots across the break. Using urethane glue install the biscuits. Let it dry completely and then reshape.You could even install a biscuit from the top of the fore stock downwards that would not be noticeable once the hand guard is on.
 
I would work from the INside.

Clean thoroughly with brake-drum cleaner. Rout out a channel on the side where the break is, being careful to collect the wood dust and preserve it carefully.

Inlet a steel rod into the wood, using Acra-Glas Gel as your glue. Just glue ONE end of the rod in for now.

Prepare a FLAT surface, cover it with kitchen-type Waxed Paper. Prepare a couple of Sandbags, about 10 pounds apiece.

NOW you glue in the other end of the Steel Rod, INVERT the stock, lay it flat on the table and put a Sandbag on each end to hold it perfectly FLAT to the table-top. Now check for STRAIGHTNESS and adjust as necessary. You have about 15 minutes to get ir right.

When everything has set up solid (12 hours minimum), THEN you prepare another small batch of Acra-Glas, mixing in some of that DUST you collected.

NOW you can repair that ugly CRACK and know that it will be SOLID when everything sets. Make sure to work some of the Acra-Glas-andWood Dust INTO that crack. Give it all it will take.

Let things set up for about 6 hours with your Sandbags in place as before, then trim any excess, then put the stock back down, sandbags in place, for a final 12 hours of curing.

Finishing should be easy and the crack will stain down to match the rest of the wood..... which it came from.

Now you can start breathing.

Good luck.
 
My input would be, if the rifle is a .22 conversion, don't be concerned about upward pressure at the muzzle. The .303 required it along with careful bedding and the inner band to control the changing harmonics of the barrel as it warmed up. A .22 tube won't have the same characteristics. Your rifle is probably assembled without the inner band, right?

Just clean well with some kind of spirit (acetone, carbon tet, brake cleaner, 12 year old scotch) and use your favourite heavy duty glue. Very little strain on the joint once that the rifle is assembled and bands in place.
 
There are any number of ways to do it the easiest would be to use a yellow wood glue or cabinet makers glue then clamp it and let it set. Another possible solution as stated above would be to get a razor saw attachment and use a dremel to carefully carve out a slot and fill it with a matching piece of walnut, then it would just be a matter fitting the patch, gluing it in and re finishing the wood with danish oil( boiled linseed oil) and possible a light coat of shellac, and depending on where you are located all or most of the supplies you would need could be found at lee valley tools or windsor plywood.
 
:ike lou says, it's likely not worth the bother. That stock is loaded with oil and assorted crud. You clean it before trying to glue it? In any case, you need to use epoxy, not just wood glue. You won't get biscuits into that thin of a piece.
 
Disappointing that's it broken, but I'll find a nice mkiii stock too put on it.

But I'll try an epoxy to start, I have plenty of donor sporter foreend to pick from so finding a patch won't be a problem.

And the inner barrel band is on the rifle.
 
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