Thin body glue for stock repair

[Potashminer]

As you might be able to see in picture below, I have a stock with a good split, to repair. As it now is, I can press with my hands and can make the "crack lines" virtually disappear. It is basically a horseshoe shape all around that tang inlet area, with a vertical split in line with the tang to boot. Those cracks can be opened up 1/2" wide or more, but so far no wood has displaced, so they all go back into position exactly. Not really wanting to make a bad situation worse... There will be lots of epoxy installed inside - what I am hoping for are suggestions for a thin body glue that I can insert into these cracks - close them up, clamp them in multiple directions and let set, then work on the inside hidden areas. I normally use Elmer's Pro Carpenter glue, but have not had much experience trying to get a glue line "nearly invisible".

 

[7ECA]

I'd give Lee Valley's Chair Doctor glue a try, it's nice and thin so good at creeping into these sorts of cracks. Apparently it "swells" the wood, to produce a strong repair.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/30261-chair-doctor-glue

 

[nitro-express]

I've been doing a bit of stock repair learning, and I've worked on one that was at least as bad as yours.

Many different glues are available, each is good, but the best one to use in the application is sometimes a gamble.

First: there are a few decent videos out there.

Gorilla (original) makes a fairly decent product, and it hides the crack well. Any bedding compound will work, but to hide the crack, always use black pigment.

Your stock:
- can you spread the crack apart at all?
- are there any loose pieces.
- what caused the crack? external forces or recoil?
- what caliber?
- do you want to add any reinforcement

This are some of the steps I'd probably do, not in order.
- cross reinforce the piece between the mag well and trigger. Some all thread and bedding epoxy.
- reinforce the wrist, all thread and bedding epoxy.
- may use some brass pins
- may inject carpenters glue with a blunt tip needle syringe.
- may drill pilot holes and glue with gorilla

ht tps://vimeopro.com/user101198149/remington-model-11-shotgun-project-1/video/352930190

goto about the 7 minute mark, he doesn't show dampening the wood. I just dampened the dowel.

ht tp://wonderwolfs.########.com/2016/02/stock-repair-using-acraglas-and-brass.html

One of the truths about this type of repair is that you have one chance, the first one, to get it right. And if you make a mistake it gets a bit discouraging. I went through the side of a stock while drilling for a dowel, it hurt. But remember, it was already junk, it was broken, if you can't repair it, it still junk.

before it was

This was in app 6 pieces.

Some stuff you just can't hide. I had to break the old glue because of the misaligned parts and poor choice of glue. Repaired in about 3 or 4 steps.

3 good cracks in the wrist area, one repaired with a pin, all DIY.

I hope i was able to encourage you to do the repair.

 

[B_noser]

I'd give Lee Valley's Chair Doctor glue a try, it's nice and thin so good at creeping into these sorts of cracks. Apparently it "swells" the wood, to produce a strong repair.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/30261-chair-doctor-glue

Swelling is a good thing when tightening the rung in a chair. Not so much in a case like this.

For the external cracks, I would start by very lightly waxing the finished surfaces while holding the cracks closed and taking care not to get any wax in the cracks. Epoxy can creep and would not be my first choice for gluing a crack that is is not wide or can be closed. In my experience, it also makes for a wide glue joint. Yellow PVA carpenter's glue has a strength of about 3,000 pounds per square inch, which far exceeds that of the wood. If the crack can be flexed, smear the PVA glue into it and flex the crack. Continued smearing and flexing will draw the glue through the crack. Clean up with a damp rag and camp when done. Surgical tubing makes an excellent clamp. Inner tube cut into strips about 1/2" wide is every bit as good. I prefer bicycle inner tube.

A trick for dealing with cracks that can not be adequately flexed, such as that internal crack, is to put the glue into a hypodermic syringe. There is a plastic ring surrounding the stub the needle attaches to. Remove the ring. With a drill bit slightly smaller than the stub, drill one or more SHALLOW holes (less than 1/16" deep) along the crack. Hold the syringe tightly against each hole and force the glue into the crack. Do not attach a needle. Again, clamp and clean up with a damp rag. For reinforcement, make a wire staple, or staples to bridge the gap. Drill holes for the legs, trench in the part bridging the crack and epoxy in place. The advantage of that method is the staple will hold things tightly in place even if a glue joint fails - think oil contamination. The staple method is, of course, only appropriate when the repair is hidden.

 

[reb]

Accra glass works great.

 

[Potashminer]

I have used to runny "original?" acraglas in the past - definitely sticks, but I must not have got the clamping correct, because I always ended up with glue lines showing. However, none on hand, and I suspect the acraglas gel that I do have will not flow in there... I have stocks made of multiple pieces - except for the change in grain, can not see the glue line, so it can be done virtually "invisible" - I am assuming my cracked pieces are already a perfect fit to each other because I can close the crack by hand pressure. Just need a glue that will hold them there, without swelling or holding the pieces apart.

 

[G.E.FLACH]

Do not use epoxy, gorilla glue or acraglass unless you want to see the joint, these glues require a glue line to bond if you over clamp it and starve the joint i wont hold .The best stuff for a crack like that is cyanoacrylate . KMS tools has a thin type works great ,bond is as strong as the original wood when cured .It does not require a glue line to bond it so invisible when done .It actually goes into the pores of the wood and bonded instantly.
I have been repairing and building gun stocks for over 35 years and nothing aggravates me more than a stock repair with hardware store glue that some one brings me to repair after it broke again .
Tht husky stock is a common failure .If you look really close at the the recoil abutment you will see it is sheared off and pushed back .I will require a blind cross bolt to reinforce it and than some epoxy bedding.

 

[HuskyDude]

Another vote for Gorilla Glue original.
If it is a very small crack that does not open much or the cracked can also be seen on the inside. I mix Gorilla Glue and acetone 70/30 or what ever is best.
Then suck that into a syringe barrel with no needle, then attach the needle. Poke the needle into the wood and inject the glue till I see it start to come out the crack.
If you can flex the stock a bit too it helps the glue migrate along the entire crack.
Once I'm satisfied there is enough glue in there, I clamp the crack closed.
Wiping off any excess glue. Also checking it over time, wiping off any glue that can be seen that is expanding.

 

[billdick]

I've always used elmers white glue. I put the glue in the crack and use surgical tubing to clamp the wood. Wrap it really tight with tubing and it'll close the crack and it clamps from every direction.

 

[marshall]

I have some of that , I find it too thin, it is just white glue thinned down I think.
I good clean crack, I usually just use yellow cabinet, Real tight crack, I use the compressor some times to blow in in deeper, but that is messy way
Good quality wood super glue should work, I have not used it much on large breaks, you will not see a glue line with it.
with yellow glue, make sure to wipe the glue line down good before it dries with a damp rag, which some times is hard with a bunch of clamps.
What I have done is use a few small clamps, remove one clamp, wipe off, and reclamp and do the next clamp.
Epoxy works, but the cheap stuff is to thick. Heating it up will thin it down.

I'd give Lee Valley's Chair Doctor glue a try, it's nice and thin so good at creeping into these sorts of cracks. Apparently it "swells" the wood, to produce a strong repair.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/30261-chair-doctor-glue

 

[Can-down]

I agree with the Crazy Glue....

In other words.... what GE Flach suggests.

 

[sean69]

if you can open the crack 1/2" like you say then as mentioned PVA glue it .... Titebond III is my go to ... PVAs are engineered for use on wood and your best choice. CA type glues do not do well in joints that have shearing or torsional forces (like yours) and tend to be fragile not holding up to shock or vibration well. (though if you must super thin CA can be had cheapest at nearly any hobby shop and there are CAs designed to be used as a wood finish at better specialty lumber supplys) from the looks of it you can clamp that internally with a bow tie joint. also as mentioned surgical tubing and/or inner tubes are your best clamping option (me being partial to cheap inner tubes)

 

[Potashminer]

I guess I will find out!! I spread the crack - actually one side actually split more!!, then partially filled a glue syringe with acetone, and thoroughly hosed off the faces inside the cracks. When I thought the acetone had evaporated, I re-filled that syringe and injected good coating of LePage Pro Carpenter's glue - described on their website as "polyvinyl acetate woodworking adhesive - aliphatic resin glue". No clue what that all means. Pieces pressed together nicely with finger pressure - glue oozing out all over the place. Laid on a layer of surgical tubing pulled and stretched very well as being wrapped - more glue oozing out all over. Got a complete wrapping, front to back, then ran out of the tubing. Used black vinyl electricians tape and stretched that as being wrapped over the tubing - all sitting in holder now - will remove wrapping tomorrow morning and see what I get to deal with next!!!

 

[B_noser]

Yellow PVA sets up in about 2 hours. It takes a little longer to fully cure - not sure of exact length of time. When I was building cabinets and furniture, I would not hesitate to remove the clamps and go to the next operation after at least 2 hours had passed. Never had a failure.

 

[sean69]

Yellow PVA sets up in about 2 hours. It takes a little longer to fully cure - not sure of exact length of time. When I was building cabinets and furniture, I would not hesitate to remove the clamps and go to the next operation after at least 2 hours had passed. Never had a failure.

+1

Same here, though I just loosen them off a turn or two. same with epoxy bedding.

 

[Potashminer]

Tht husky stock is a common failure .If you look really close at the the recoil abutment you will see it is sheared off and pushed back .I will require a blind cross bolt to reinforce it and than some epoxy bedding.

You are very close!! That is actually a stock for a Swede CG63 - someone had opened up the original wood inletting massively - had about 3/16" of exposed black bedding with shiny sparkly stuff, all along both sides of the action, around rear tang, both side of front receiver ring - decided I could "do better" - ha! - and was almost complete prying that stuff out - was not stuck very well to the wood in a lot of places, because lots of oil in that wood - no mechanical undercuts. That crack occurred when I pried up, on a last bit at rear of action - from rear action screw to rear of tang. For some reason, that stuff decided to be stuck very strongly to the rear end of the rear tang inletting - into that end grain? - the black bedding lifted off the bottom of the inletting, but took that back end with it. Being a CG63, it already has a cross bolt - the wood inletting had been removed to expose about 50% of it - that is how much had been gouged out around the recoil lug area. No doubt several ounces of epoxy will be needed to re-fill. I did want a project, and apparently made one for myself!!

 

[Can-down]

I guess I will find out!! I spread the crack - actually one side actually split more!!, then partially filled a glue syringe with acetone, and thoroughly hosed off the faces inside the cracks. When I thought the acetone had evaporated, I re-filled that syringe and injected good coating of LePage Pro Carpenter's glue - described on their website as "polyvinyl acetate woodworking adhesive - aliphatic resin glue". No clue what that all means. Pieces pressed together nicely with finger pressure - glue oozing out all over the place. Laid on a layer of surgical tubing pulled and stretched very well as being wrapped - more glue oozing out all over. Got a complete wrapping, front to back, then ran out of the tubing. Used black vinyl electricians tape and stretched that as being wrapped over the tubing - all sitting in holder now - will remove wrapping tomorrow morning and see what I get to deal with next!!!

Nice work, I missed the part in your original post about being able to open the crack's 1/2 an inch...... good wood glue works well if you can get in there even an 1/8 of an inch with a syringe.
Surgical tube makes a good clamp and so does stretched out electrical tape. Looking forward to the results!

 

[Potashminer]

Yellow PVA sets up in about 2 hours. It takes a little longer to fully cure - not sure of exact length of time. When I was building cabinets and furniture, I would not hesitate to remove the clamps and go to the next operation after at least 2 hours had passed. Never had a failure.

LePage instructions say to "clamp" for 20 minutes. But then I can find nothing about how long to "cure" time, like one sees for various epoxies. I am not in any rush, and so far do not know of any reason to be concerned about leaving the tubing and tape in place until tomorrow.

 

[Potashminer]

This will have to do. Several pictures below about my repair:

A splinter inserted from inside and from outside to spread the cracks - to hose out with acetone in a gluing syringe. Left side of stock cracked further when I went to inject the LePage Pro Carpenter glue.



Glued area wrapped with surgical tubing, then a couple layers of black electrical tape - I was stretching both as I wrapped - tried to keep up with the ooze out, but not completely successful at that. Stock spent overnight like that.



Removed the wrapping this morning - ridges of dried glue, also residue from the electrical tape adhesive, I think.



Several hours wearing "Opti-visor" and using several fresh new utility knife blades to remove glue ridges - seemed to be able to slide along previous finish, then catch on the glue ridge, and it would "pop" off as a flake.



Used acetone on a cotton swab (several, actually) and wiped off the black adhesive residue. Then soaked a paper towel in acetone and rubbed the area down - followed with a new clean towel before the acetone evaporated. Can still see the crack line, but it will have to do...

 

[freire]

Nicely done.