WWII US Army stock repair techniques good or not

[fat tony]

I once read through a reprint of a WWII era armourer's manual that mainly focused on stock repair techniques.

They were big on carefully carving out a female dovetail where the crack was, then fitting a male repair patch which was glued in then carved flush and refinished.

It seems like a nicer although more visually apparent repair than say using brass repair pins and epoxy or glue.

The advantage would probably be that the wood dovetail repair would be less likely to act as a fulcrum than a brass pin, as brass is dissimilar to wood.

Has anyone utilized this dovetail patch technique for stock repair, and does it hold well? Thank you for your input. Tony.

 

[Huntsman]

I use the following for stock repair;
round toothpicks, #2 drill bit,masking tape,Gorilla glue, clamps /vices.
That method is still in the Craftsman books but I have not used or been trained on that technique.
I was taught the method below from a mentor Weapons Technician (2VP) when I first entered the trade over 20yrs ago.
I flex/twist the stock to follow extent of crack-split. Depending on length and depth of crack I drill holes in opposite angles along crack being careful not to drill all the way through stock, that’s what the masking tape is for, to mark depth.
Snip the first 1/8 of toothpick,moisten with water, apply glue and insert until they come to a stop
After hour snip off tooth pick ends, clamp and let sit forn24hrs
Sand areas and stain/seal wood and your off to the ranges
I’ve used this technique countless times on mine and other owner’s rifles-shotguns etc and passed on this knowledge to others including Wpn techs.
Another method was similar but used the brass needle from a Coleman stove generator and literally using the threaded portion to pull crack together. This leaves a brass tip exposed rather than a stained toothpick.
YMMV

Arte et Marte!

 

[fat tony]

Thank you for the input.

 

[kjohn]

Interesting. Thank you!

 

[Quiet]

I haven't used the technique, but I have one of those rifles that has an arsenal repair as you describe on a cracked handguard, done 70 years ago (assumed from the refurb date stamp). It's held perfectly for the 33 years that I've owned and shot it.

 

[Potashminer]

I am not sure if it was British or Canadian or both - is several here - so main stock with incipient crack, or cracked hand guard - appears they did saw cut or wide kerf at right angles to crack, then glued in board with grain at right angles to the crack. Seems to have been prevalent among WWI pieces - so they have held for 100 + years.

From a British Armourer type (Peter Laidler), I think he mentioned they always drove hardwood (oak) small taper dowels into the dovetailed splice pieces that a REME Armourer would install - so not USA, but British.