Epoxy for Stock Repair
- Thread starter Tyler
- Start date
If you can without doing more damage, try spreading the crack and cleaning the area with acetone. If you've already tried and got other glue in there that can't be cleaned out it may be a lost cause getting anything to hold, especially in that high-stress location.
For stock repairs I've had good luck using Acraglass epoxy from Brownells. The original "red box" not the thicker gel in the green box. Buy directly from them because you don't know how long something may have been sitting on a shelf in a store. Epoxy degrades and has difficulty hardening properly if its too old. Acraglass comes with a tube of brown and black tint. Do a test run of mixing and tinting a sample on some scrap and let it harden before using it on the gun stock to get an idea of how it will look. Follow the mixing instructions and stirring time to the letter. It's counter-intuitive, but too much hardener may prevent proper hardening. Tint just slightly on the dark side so the repair may look more like wood grain than a filled crack. If you can make a tool to inject the epoxy into the crack with some pressure it will help.
Good luck!
For stock repairs I've had good luck using Acraglass epoxy from Brownells. The original "red box" not the thicker gel in the green box. Buy directly from them because you don't know how long something may have been sitting on a shelf in a store. Epoxy degrades and has difficulty hardening properly if its too old. Acraglass comes with a tube of brown and black tint. Do a test run of mixing and tinting a sample on some scrap and let it harden before using it on the gun stock to get an idea of how it will look. Follow the mixing instructions and stirring time to the letter. It's counter-intuitive, but too much hardener may prevent proper hardening. Tint just slightly on the dark side so the repair may look more like wood grain than a filled crack. If you can make a tool to inject the epoxy into the crack with some pressure it will help.
Good luck!
Coyote Ugly
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
What color is the original epoxy on your stock? Depending on the year, it was either red or white epoxy used by the Germans, and you will see that color where the wood laminations were cut on the gunstock shaper.
Post some pics of stock and the area where the repair is needed.
Will you be shooting it or just restoring it?
You can get West System "repair" kit - it has a few pouches of resin and hardener as well as some filler powders - It sounds like you can get by with 1 of the pouches and a bunch of the filler powder.. Sight unseen, I'd mix a "kit" (one pouch resin, one pouch hardener) and brush a thin coat on both surfaces you're trying to glue back together, press (not hard, you don't want to squish out the epoxy) the chip in place if your plan is to reuse it, and wait. Most "5 minute" epoxies absorb moisture and gradually swell and break down. The West System repair kit is not 5 minute, it takes about 20 minutes to start setting up, 24 hours to be useful, and fully cured after 7 days. You want this to last? Avoid the 5 minute stuff. I've used West System stuff on and off for getting close to 40 years. It's the bee's knees.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If your wanting it to be mostly invisible. Sanding sawdust from the stock will dry to the same colour when mixed with carpenters glue. If looks isn't important glue and pinned with small brass rod.
Sometimes one can find M98 stocks cheap. Even synthetic aftermarket M98 stocks. Depends I suppose if it's a shooter/hunter full stock original military.
Sometimes one can find M98 stocks cheap. Even synthetic aftermarket M98 stocks. Depends I suppose if it's a shooter/hunter full stock original military.
Clean the oil or whatever it is in the bedding (bad idea to have oil in the bedding) first, cut out the crack with a hacksaw, fill with epoxy.
Even that cheap Dollar Store Epoxy will do the job.
Then tighten the nuts on the recoil lug to hold everything together.
That stock looks like it has shrunk over the years and those recoil lugs/reinforcing bolts become loose, allowing stocks to crack and reducing accuracy.
The glue used in those stocks was very good. Like all military providers, they were chosen for cheapness, but still able to do the job.
Those rifles were never intended to still be in military use 70+ years in the future, other than maybe ceremonial purposes. So the glue wasn't formulated to last forever.
Even that cheap Dollar Store Epoxy will do the job.
Then tighten the nuts on the recoil lug to hold everything together.
That stock looks like it has shrunk over the years and those recoil lugs/reinforcing bolts become loose, allowing stocks to crack and reducing accuracy.
The glue used in those stocks was very good. Like all military providers, they were chosen for cheapness, but still able to do the job.
Those rifles were never intended to still be in military use 70+ years in the future, other than maybe ceremonial purposes. So the glue wasn't formulated to last forever.
Tyler, those old laminate stocks are excellent for their intended purpose. I've only seen the very odd one have crack or separation issues which caused any trouble for the shooter.
They're usually very straight and clean up very well. A proper glass bedding job usually solves 99% of their issues, other than you can't cover up fugly.
I fully understand you wanting to change it out for a modern laminate from Boyd's, etc. and it might well be worth the cost.
I don't remember if you said it was drilled or tapped.
That would give you the opportunity to make up a reasonably accurate faux sniper, especially if you crave the original military profile.
