That Damned Crack

Cdn303

Cdn303

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So this past week, while re-oiling an enfield stock, I noticed that it has developed "That Damned Crack". I've done a search on here and over on Milsups.com and found that there is innumerable different choice that I could use to fix it including, acra-glass, super glue, regular ol' wood glue, cyanoacrylates and a whole smattering of epoxies. I also found a product from Lee Valley called chair docter that is a low viscosity, and applied using a needle applicator right on the bottle; (a plus because the crack is small) but I don't know how strong it would be.

The cyanoacrylates and super glues also are of low viscosity, but they have such a fast set time that I doubt I would have time to press the piece together before it sets.

My question is to all of you who have fixed that damned cracker; how are you appling these adhesives to the inside of the crack? I may be able to work a tooth pick or pin in there, but it wouldn't carry very much adhesive with it.
Or should I do the Ishapore fix and put a brass screw in there? (undesirable)

Here is the crack, I also noticed that the side of the stock also has a crack that I will be fixing too. I've used some pine wedged to open the crack as far as I can. It is on a No4 Mk1.
canoe025.jpg

canoe026.jpg
 
I would think the ultimate fix would be something like the way someone had posted on removing the Ishy screw. I can't remember if it was on milsurps or who wrote it. May have even found it in the LE knowledge library too. Looks like its a bit of work.

Otherwise I'd get as much oil out of the stock as I could and glue it. I used a type of model/utility glue on my cracked Garand stock a while back and it did a nice job. I'll look up the name of it when I get home
 
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I think if you read the "Chair Doctor" instructions, moisture in the wood dries and shrinks the pegs and tenons in a chair seat or back, and loosens them up. Chair Doctor will expand these pieces to fill the drilled holes tightly.
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I have seen a syringe at Lee Valley for doing glue. Mine came in a christmas "grab box" with 20 ish things including some tiny brushes.
Clint
 
Slightly open the cracks with pegs and clean the crack with a caustic solution, if it's greasy or dirty. Then, take some Gorilla Glue and press it into the crack with your thumb or even a small plastic spatula.

Even if the glue is thick, it should press into the cracks.

Clamp and let sit for a couple of days to set properly and clean up the area. GG, has a tendency to expand.

You can do the same thing with Acra Glas.
 
Use the US Military solution...dowels. Buy small dowel material, drill, tap in place and glue. The other ones is brass screws and cut the heads off after screwing together.
 
I used some super low viscosity quick set super glue and it seems to be holding just fine and if its a low enough viscosity capillary action should do all the work.
 
Brake-pad cleaner works really well for removing oil nd other moistures from inside the Damned Crack. Just flush it out 3 or 4 times and let the things stand for an hour.

For really hard-to-get cracks, I use a small cattle syringe I bummed from the vet: 10cc or something like that. I use it without a needle; there are VERY few liquids which will flow through an 18-gauge needle, much less the smaller ones.

Best thing for the Crack is a 2-part epoxy glue, one of the non-shrinking ones. I use Acra-Glas in the gel form for most of my bedding work, but the LIQUID is even better for Cracks and general gluing-things-together.

Clean and degrease the Crack, inject it with the epoxy until the Crack is full, then clamp it together and let it stand for 8 hours. Clean up the excess, then let stand for another 12 hours or so, then put her back together.

Job done.

Hope this helps.
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Is it really a problem?:D Not visible unless you disassemble the forearm, reinforced by a cross bracket and bolt, imagine that's why they put it there, doesn't take any recoil force. Put it back together and only you will know. If it's oil soaked, could be a ##### to glue anyway.

Grizz
 
The Damed Crack is responsible for more bad shooting with Lee-Enfield rifles than half of the bad barrels in existence.

Have one open up on you about 4 rounds into a 15+2 match at 800 and you will very quickly understand this. Your score will go from a "possible" down to about 50 points..... if they all hit the target. It's only 4 feet square, you know.

Have one here that had The Crack; it was shooting two separate groups at the same time. At 100, the two groups were separated by 14 inches. That subtends to 112 inches at 800, which means that with a perfect aim and a centre hold, NONE of the bullets would have been on the target-frame at all. If you held the top group down to the bull, the lower group would be on the ground, about 400 yards out. If you held the lower group on the target, the upper would have been somewhere around Regina...... possibly...... perhaps...... maybe...... with luck..... if you could find it at all. FIXED The Crack and it shoots to just above point of aim at 100 and the group can be covered with a quarter.

I think that's a fairly good reason to fix The Crack.
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Well thanks to all of you for your advise. I've got some epoxy here that I do plan to get on there, hopefully tomorrow. (I got sidetracked yesturday at a buddies, and again today at another buddies) I really want to get this thing fixed so that I can start working up a hand load for her.
 
hacer2 said:
WHY MURPHY WHY DO YOU CURSE ME SO!!!!! the damned crack has appeared....

Click to expand...

It was not Murphy that did that. It is caused by the Nut behind the Buttplate, when he tried to take the butt stock off without taking off the forestock first!

Typical when someone who knows very little about the SMLE does this. The end of the bolt securing the butt stock to the receiver has a squared end which fits into the recess shown at the back of the forestock. It spreads the back end and causes the crack. Note the damage to the edges of the square hole on the strap. You can also see the "bow" in the bottom of the strap.
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buffdog said:
It was not Murphy that did that. It is caused by the Nut behind the Buttplate, when he tried to take the butt stock off without taking off the forestock first!

Typical when someone who knows very little about the SMLE does this. The end of the bolt securing the butt stock to the receiver has a squared end which fits into the recess shown at the back of the forestock. It spreads the back end and causes the crack. Note the damage to the edges of the square hole on the strap. You can also see the "bow" in the bottom of the strap.
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Click to expand...

Well makes me feel slightly better knowing I did not do it and if it was me it did not happen from the butt anyway I was planning to fix it following smellie's guide
 
Ok so an update.

I had fixed the crack back when I origianlly started this thread. I didn't get to shoot it for a bit after that. It didn't group very well (8 inch IIRC). So I took it apart again and had a look and part of the crack had opened up again.

Refering to my original pictures, the part of the crack below the strap (right side in this pictrue) is what opened. It wasn't a clean break though. Part of the crack started on one side, ran a little down that side and went over to the other side of the crack for the remainder.

canoe025.jpg


So now what am I to do? Now in addition to the crack, I've got some dried epoxy in there making it damn near impossible to get anything else in there. I've tried scraping at it with the tip of an xacto knife, but I don't want to remove any wood. I am starting to lean toward putting a brass screw throught the stock just below the strap. Thoughts?
 
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