Fix my A5 forend crack?

[MD]

I was just looking at my new-to-me 1964 Browning A5 last night and found a tiny little crack starting in the receiver end of the forearm.

It looks quite minor but I want to fix it now.

Is there an effective epoxy glue I can get with a needle-thin nozzle end to apply it with?

Home Depot?

Lee Valley tools?

Somewhere else?

 

[thejeff]

Two-part epoxy can be thinned with a heat gun (hairdryer), but this will kick the hardener into overdrive, so you'll have to work fast.

Thin cynoacrylate (CA, or "Krazy Glue") will probably work the best since it'll flow into the crack. You can get thick, medium, or thin formulations at your local hobby store - like where R/C model planes are sold.

Squeeze the two halves together and put a couple drops of CA on the crack - if it's reasonably warm, it'll flow into the crack and set up in about 10 seconds. Hold for another 20 to 30 and you'll be good as new.

The trick with the CA is not getting any on your fingers - you will stick to anything you touch until it dries. If you do stick your fingers together, soaking them in hot water usually helps loosen things up.

 

[josquin]

Lee Valley Tools sells a good cyanoacrylate (like Krazy Glue) called "Hot Stuff" from CA Glues in Calif. that is useful if the crack is too tight for epoxy. They actually make two or three products, all with different viscosities. I used it on a crack in the pistol grip of my Marlin 1895. KMS Tools in Coquitlam & Abbotsford here in BC also sells it. Mask the surrounding area with painter's tape or paste wax first. If you can, run a bit of acetone or lacquer thinner into the crack and wick it out to help remove any oil in the wood. And no- don't get it on your hands or you may end up with a VERY good grip on the rifle! Some paste wax on your finger tips will help.

As stated above, a good epoxy (pref. not 5 min.) will work just fine if it is warmed up - a bit - and you can get it into the crack OK. (I put mine on top of the fluorescent ceiling fixture in the basement for 10 mins. to thin it.) You can wipe any wet epoxy off with a cloth dampened with isopropanol.

Lee Valley also sells non-sharp syringes with needles that are useful for injecting adhesives, although they may not be narrow enough in this case. Dipping a needle in the epoxy may be the best way to apply it accurately enough.

Stuart

 

[sunray]

You can get a needle applied two part epoxy in Crappy Tire. Look where the other glues are. Spread the crack enough to get the epoxy needle in and clamp it. For a wee crack, masking tape will probably do.

 

[madtrapper143]

When I fix small cracks on any forearm similar to the A5 (remington 11 savage 750) I never clamp. These forearms are old and VERY thin. Minimal clamping will just crush them. It happens so fast that it will scare you. I actually squeeze the crack together with thumb and fore finger and wait until it sets up. With thinned adhesive it only takes about 5 minutes. Just a tip based on my first few horrible experiences with thin fore arms.

Darryl