Stock cracks.

farshot said:
no gap, no wood missing, in one piece?
Click to expand...

Exactly!!! When you press both sides together.. you can hardly see the crack.. only an extremely small small small little gap about 6mm long, that you can only see when you hold the gun at a certain angle to a light. but after the crack is dealt with, I'll just add a pinch of wood filler to touch up.. and I have not tampered with it, nor had the previous owner...I already stripped the stock down the other day, and have yet to do anything, because I was waiting for some suggestions on the process..

As I said before, the grain is soo beautiful for a fairly inexpensive shotgun..I want to make sure I do it right the first time..
 
I do a fair bit of woodworking, so here's my .02.. Similar to bluebear's reponse you need to work the glue into the crack with your finger not a spatula. If you can spread the crack even a smidge by flexing the stock.. do that. Work the glue in for longer than you think neccesary as you can actually push it right to the bottom of even the smallest of cracks with persistence. wrap the glued crack with some surgical hose or other stretchy product. Any good yellow wood glue will work (eg Titebond , Lepages) as long as there's no oil soaked into the wood. The instant glues will work too, I'm just not a big fan of them (no real reason, just me..) If you don't want to refinish, but want to hide the crack, Lee Valley sells shellac sticks in various colors that you melt into the crack with a spatula and streak and color like woodgrain (practice first!), and then you can buff the shellac smooth and it just melts into the varnish (similar to a french polish technique, but go REAL easy on the alcohol..)
 
I've been a woodworker for 12 yrs.

ciPeterF has it right. If need be, I have also thinned the white/yellow glue with water so it will wick into the crack better.
 
So what you are saying is that regular high strength "yellow" carpenters glue will work great and stay strong???

I have lots of it, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing for a gunstock?
 
What is the best way to clean the stock for maximum adhesion? I'm pretty sure mine cracked due to recoil and the area seems to take quite a bit of punishment. Also, if oil has penetrated the stock, is there a way of wicking it out, possibly with some sort of solvent like brake clean?
 
I wedged the crack apart a wee bit. Used the Lepage super strength wood glue (yellow stuff). Pushed as much as I could into the crack..it went down a fair bit, but I just couldn't get it right to the bottom...so I put two tight rubber bands around the wrist and a clamp on the two sides where the stock ends...I hope it will work ok..

when I put the clamp on, glue came out of the crack as it would, so there must have been a "sufficient" amount of glue in there. Will it hurt that it never went right to the very end of the crack??

I'm thinking about bedding the part too, where the recoil lug contacts the wood. Is there supposed to be a slight gap between wood and metal??? I heard there should be, but not sure!!!

Also, If worst comes to worst,...hopefull never... what is the proper way/procedure to install brass srews...

Thanks for the help,
Billy
 
Last edited:
Removed rubber and clamps today.. Seems to have set up pretty good..looks to be strong..sanded away the hardened glue residue. Looks strong..feels strong..can hardly see the crack lines..Only thing...The receiver is a lil tight going back into the "slot"..think it's excess glue hardened onto the sides...

Any tips on how to Bed the little bit of area on the wooden end, and is there any way to reduce the amount of recoil absorbed in that area????

Thanks for all the help..
Billy
 
GameStalker30-06 said:
So what you are saying is that regular high strength "yellow" carpenters glue will work great and stay strong???
Click to expand...

Here's a project Browning BPS stock from six years ago. My first (and only) try at stockmaking, so I didn't want to waste the money on walnut. I laminated three 1X8 ash boards using "outdoor" carpenters glue. I've used the gun extensively, got it wet on numerous occasions yet the bond is still perfect. The red lines show where the boards meet.
BPS_ash.jpg
 
GUYS, my advice, & yes I have beeen doing this for 21 years now, drill the end of the crack. This stops it spreading. Use a drill that is small, but about the size of a wooden match stick, or similar. Find a stain the same colour as your stock & stain the match gluestick/ dowel. IF you can get any glue in the crack do so, but DO NOT go forcing the crack apart. Now cover the stick with wood glue & lightly tap it onto the hole. You will end up with the wood protruding, that is fine. Let the glue cure & then cut flush. Now you need to refinish the stock, using a combination of fine sandpaper, stain & refinishing oil if applicable. Remember you can always practice on scrap wood, this allows you to practice the skill & perfect the stain match. Have fun
 
You got it -

Def90 said:
GUYS, my advice, & yes I have beeen doing this for 21 years now, drill the end of the crack. This stops it spreading. Use a drill that is small, but about the size of a wooden match stick, or similar. Find a stain the same colour as your stock & stain the match gluestick/ dowel. IF you can get any glue in the crack do so, but DO NOT go forcing the crack apart. Now cover the stick with wood glue & lightly tap it onto the hole. You will end up with the wood protruding, that is fine. Let the glue cure & then cut flush. Now you need to refinish the stock, using a combination of fine sandpaper, stain & refinishing oil if applicable. Remember you can always practice on scrap wood, this allows you to practice the skill & perfect the stain match. Have fun
Click to expand...

There HAS to be a hole at each end of the crack to prevent it from continuing
The hole can be filled with anything {I like thin brass rod} and the holes and crack can be filled with appropriate glue. The glue should be mixed with wood powder taken from under the recoil pad or wherever for color match.
 
stock repair

I have repaired many of these guns .
Start with do not use fancy glues . Just reg. white wood glue works best.Get a needle fron drug store. with a wedge open crack and inject glue deep and let it seep out every were. If you can not get deep drill small hole from inside the cut outs. after it is leeking out every were place it in vice and close up the stock. Clean off excess and Leave it there 3 days . This will hold it tight but for best results you should get 2 brass maching bolts and drill the stock just big enough to trun the screws in by hand cutting ther own threads as it goes. cut off excess and finish the edgeds. do not drill blind holes they will hydrolic as there turned in.
 
I normally use bedding compound (Acraglas) to repair large cracks / missing pieces, it is almost impossible to get a good colour match. It isn't just recoil that cracks stocks a lot of times it's wood shrinking with no place to go-IMHO. eg Mauser actioned guns are prone to cracking at the tang, in most cases because of the steel tube insert between the tang and floor-plate, which inhibits wood shrinkage & the stock cracks. This tube is a spacer and should ride free in the stock. Compress your stock at the crack with a C clamp, if the crack closes try to insert the gun into the stock, if the tang won't go in you should relieve the inletting a bit till it fits, release the clamp get some good wood glue in the crack and re-clamp, it should nearly disappear.FWIW --- John 303.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom