Lifting stock grain
- Thread starter rembolt
- Start date
lineofsight
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland, BC
Soldering iron and wet cloth may be more workable. Try on scrap wood first.
For small dings and dents I have had good results with a wet rag and a hot steam iron. As long as the grain has not been cut this has worked for me. You may have to have to do it a few times to get deeper dents out. A light sanding afterwards to tidy everything up before the final finishing.
The grain is not cut just crushed in, Citori 20 ga fore arm .I took a fall on Monday while grouse hunting . the finish is not ever broken, crushed area is 1"L 1/4"W and 1/32" or so deep . the fore end also now has a hair line crack running in about an 1 1/4" in on the tip .I don't think I can even open it enough to glue any thoughts on this as well .
Kayser Sose
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Van Isle
for the crack a bit of diluted white glue, painted into the crack would work (use a fine pointed brush).
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Crazy glue works like a charm on hairline cracks. It's as thin as water and will run into the crack. Bond's almost instantly and is often stronger than the wood itself.
Over flow (keep it to a minimum) can be removed by 0000 steel wool/light sanding with fine wet or dry paper.
Over flow (keep it to a minimum) can be removed by 0000 steel wool/light sanding with fine wet or dry paper.
If the finish is not cracked, could be a problem, the steam/ water has to get to the wood fibers.
I have never had much luck with this, some guys say it works good.
What you try to do is force the steam in the dint and the water will expand the wood fibers.
Good luck
I have never had much luck with this, some guys say it works good.
What you try to do is force the steam in the dint and the water will expand the wood fibers.
Good luck
Exactly. I've pierced wood finishes with small sharp needles in the past to help get some moisture deeper into the fiber.
A steam cleaner that many now have in their homes is often easier then the rag and iron technique but the goal is to swell the wood fiber with moisture and heat.
In your case some steam or wet rag and heat may still be of benefit even though the finish is solid because the crushed fiber is from a recent injury and the wood may want to swell back with a bit of gentle persuasion.
Lee valley sells a good penetrating glue for hairline cracks that they market as the "chair doctor".
The dent is already well covered. Piercing the finish with small needles is a great idea. The steam and moisture needs to reach the wood in order to swell it out.
If using a soldering iron be careful to not let it get too hot and scorch the finish. The water on the rag will help avoid that but having a second set of hands to plug it in then unplug it when it's warm enough then plug it back in again as it cools is a great idea. Or buy an extension cord that has a built in lamp dimmer and set it so it is hot enough to sizzle when wet but not to get so hot as to scorch the finish.
For the little hairline crack I second the suggestion for thin CA glue. A little goes a long way.
I'm not sure I'd want to use the Chair Doctor glue on a gunstock hairline crack. I've got some and it's great for swelling out and then gluing loose chair joints. But that's the thing. It has additives that encourage the wood to swell. Putting that into a hairline crack might just make the crack worse instead of better. Depends on the wood grain and what stresses are in the often twisted decorative wood used on the stock.
If using a soldering iron be careful to not let it get too hot and scorch the finish. The water on the rag will help avoid that but having a second set of hands to plug it in then unplug it when it's warm enough then plug it back in again as it cools is a great idea. Or buy an extension cord that has a built in lamp dimmer and set it so it is hot enough to sizzle when wet but not to get so hot as to scorch the finish.
For the little hairline crack I second the suggestion for thin CA glue. A little goes a long way.
I'm not sure I'd want to use the Chair Doctor glue on a gunstock hairline crack. I've got some and it's great for swelling out and then gluing loose chair joints. But that's the thing. It has additives that encourage the wood to swell. Putting that into a hairline crack might just make the crack worse instead of better. Depends on the wood grain and what stresses are in the often twisted decorative wood used on the stock.
I find this safer that a soldering iron for applying heat to items, reasonable bang for the buck:
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ht3500-digital-heat-tool/939812
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ht3500-digital-heat-tool/939812
If your Citori has the usual high gloss finish it will be of an epoxy base which although pliable is thick and hard, so good luck poking a needle through it. Like previously mentioned the idea behind the hot iron a wet cloth is to force steam into the dent which will expand the wood fibres relieving the dent. How ever that epoxy finish is going to inhibit that process. Try it regardless as you have nothing to loose. However be aware if you overheat the epoxy finish, it will first turn brittle, and may crack, in the second stage with more heat it will blister up. I have used this method only with a torch to remove these epoxy finishes. When it's brittle and blistered it can be scraped off easily as looses cohesion with the wood at this point. You may not however get the heat necessary to do this with a steam iron and wet rag. But you should be aware regardless.
These epoxy finishes are the biggest pain in the a$$ ever perpetrated on a gun owner as when they get damaged they are very hard to repair, work with and remove.
These epoxy finishes are the biggest pain in the a$$ ever perpetrated on a gun owner as when they get damaged they are very hard to repair, work with and remove.
I LIKE THAT! It's a great way of keeping the moisture and heat localized to just the spot with the dent.
To avoid nasty looks from SWMBO for working in the kitchen a propane torch can be used out in the garage to heat up the spoon. Or an old abused hammer could have the face ground and polished to a spoon like curvature and heated up with the torch to do the job with more heat retention so it doesn't cool off as fast.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The iron and wet cloth method will mean refinishing the forend. Do not try sanding first, go straight to the cloth and iron. At this point the dent is putting a lot of pressure on the grain, if you sand first, it lessens the pressure on the grain, and you get less bounce back.
So either leave it as is, or it is a complete wood refinish of both fore and buttstock. If you want a matching look.
My thought on the crack would be to save some sanding dust. Mix a little dust with some shellac that is really thin. Let it pour into the crack to seal it. Others would have specifics, doing this, one would have to be careful or you would have to use shellac on the whole gun to match....????
