Stock Repair

[johnfred1965]

I have a fine burl Walnut stock that has cracked all the way around between the tang and the trigger guard. I was wondering is there is a prefered way to repair in this area to reinforce this weak area in the stock. Dowels, screws, or the strongest glue ever? The crack almost disappears when pushed together, so I don't think it will be a problem hiding the damage after the repair is done.

 

[Fast14riot]

IMO, a dowel drilled from inside the trigger inlet would be the best solution.

 

[ebb]

I would use a piece of ss all thread and the best glue ever. The only place I would use a screw is the one in the clamps to pull the pieces together while the glue hardens. To keep the crack from showing I would use a "thin" glue, not a heavy bodied epoxy or other thick glue. Cause you said that the crack closes up when pushed together, this tells me it is a clean break and has not lost any wood fibers that would need a glue with gap filling capabilities.

 

[johnfred1965]

Just some more information, the manufacturer suggested if they simply repaired the stock (I don't know what method they would use) it would most likely split again at the same spot. Apparently the glue would take the shock of the recoil in a different way than the wood, and the crack would reoccur.

The rod or dowel as reinforcement sounds good, I'll have to do some research on the best glue to use and size and angle of the dowel.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

No offense to any who offered the suggestion, but drilling and running a dowel or thread is a waste of time. If you drill a hole in it you'll just make it weaker. I've seen gunsmiths try to repair wrists on stocks that way for customers only to have them split again. Won't hold up under abuse.

I use Gorilla two part epoxy for wood repairs that I want to hold together til the end of time. It will run into the deepest parts of the crack, dries perfectly clear, does not expand, and it's water resistant. You'll get a new crack in the wood long before you break the bond of the Gorilla epoxy.

 

[butchlambert]

No offense to any who offered the suggestion, but drilling and running a dowel or thread is a waste of time. If you drill a hole in it you'll just make it weaker. I've seen gunsmiths try to repair wrists on stocks that way for customers only to have them split again. Won't hold up under abuse.

I use Gorilla two part epoxy for wood repairs that I want to hold together til the end of time. It will run into the deepest parts of the crack, dries perfectly clear, does not expand, and it's water resistant. You'll get a new crack in the wood long before you break the bond of the Gorilla epoxy.

I will disagree with you.

 

[clowdis]

I agree with Butch. You drill a hole but then you put something back in it like a dowel or threaded rod.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I will disagree with you.

Fair enough.

Sounds like he has a stock with bad grain so this probaby won't be the last of his problems. Grains should never run from the tang to the trigger guard on the wrist.

 

[johnfred1965]

Here are a couple of pics. To me, the crack follows the stripes on the left side and the v shaped coloring on the right side.

 

[johnfred1965]

It seems as if the grain goes in several different directions there. Wondering if they made this stock because of the pretty wood, and not the strength at the wrist.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Kind of hard to tell in the pics with the light reflection on the finish, but it looks like the grains are not running correctly through the wrist. Thanks for the photos. Just gluing won't fix that. Be hard to ever make that crack unnoticeable, but it could be done. I sort of misunderstood how the crack wa's running and the extent of it. Drilling and threading is probably your only option. Otherwise get a new stock.

 

[Fast14riot]

Looks like quilted with grain running off the side, i.e. at an angle to the bore. Over on rimfire central there was a guy who explained in great detail how to repair cracks invisibly and strongly. Might be worth the search.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Need better pictures but if it was me, I'd think about pulling the action out of the stock then use a long drill bit like used to drill thru walls to run wires. Drill back into the butt area from the action inlet area and insert a dowel with lots of glue or epoxy. Might even consider a steel rod. Whatever you can get your hands on in the proper size. The crack may still show but it won't be coming apart any time soon.

 

[tinkerer]

OK, best I can offer is to use 2 part epoxy to coat both pieces, slide it together, and compress it with a rubber band. Wait 24 hours to dry completely.

From inside the stock under the tang, drill a small diameter hole about 3.25" deep. Probably need a jobber length bit. Coat a 3.5" wood screw with epoxy and drill it into hole until bottom, gently. Wait 24 hours.

Now refinish the stock so the crack area disappears.

That MAY be strong enough. Had a stock crack across the wrist area and I did this. Crack disappeared and never returned.

Larry
Tinkerer

 

[msalm]

If a complete break I have used scuffed up music wire. I drill small holes around the perimeter going both ways (yes it's a trick getting them all aligned). Usually 6-8 pieces with warmed plain acraglass as it runs like water and penetrates well. This gives more strength than any fastener in the center IMO.

 

[Will Henry]

I agree with drilling out an inserting a hardwood dowel. The thing is, go as big with the dowel as possible; one inch if you can. If not, multiple smaller dowels. Another material I have used is solid fibreglas dowels; stronger than wood. WH

 

[johnfred1965]

If a complete break I have used scuffed up music wire. I drill small holes around the perimeter going both ways (yes it's a trick getting them all aligned). Usually 6-8 pieces with warmed plain acraglass as it runs like water and penetrates well. This gives more strength than any fastener in the center IMO.

I went this way. It seems to be a strong repair. The crack is a bit noticeable on one side, I kind of boogered it up while test fitting the metal pins. I put pictures up on the classifieds. Considering I am not a woodworker, it could have been worse.

Here are the pics of the repaired crack. I think the right side came out alright,since it followed a mineral line pretty good. The other side I lost a few flakes of wood around the edges of the crack, leaving those holes to fill.