Wood stock - Broken wrist - repair options.

[Tarmacshooter]

Personally I wouldn’t waste my time on that stock… I’d trash it, 50% of the Dimas I’ve seen have been cracked, and that one right there is gonna crack again.

And we’ve all heard of other stocks breaking in transit at the same place. Some even as they are traveling abroad for major competitions.

 

[chuckshooter]

if you can get a clamp on it, some how, to close up the crack, wood glue is incredibly effective on wood, I have repaired way too many wood things where people use the wrong glue on wood and it's harder too get the wrong glue out than it is to repair the item.

 

[LVLAaron]

I’ve got some stuff coming from total boat. They have everything a guy could need.

 

[Uncle Bruce]

Personally I wouldn’t waste my time on that stock… I’d trash it, 50% of the Dimas I’ve seen have been cracked, and that one right there is gonna crack again.

Repair it with steel or brass treaded rod and it will not crack again. Been there done that.

 

[Cigarcop]

Repair it with steel or brass treaded rod and it will not crack again. Been there done that.

I’ve been around the block a few times myself….. it’s junk

 

[rjtfroggy]

I’ve been around the block a few times myself….. it’s junk

What is junk the brass or steel rod or the stock?

 

[Sniperhandle]

Use a slow cure epoxy. That gives it time to seep into the crack. Get 2 to one “bar top” epoxy. It takes 24 hours to cure. Drill the hole for the bolt from the bottom of the grip but don’t break thru the top. Wrap the crack with Tyvec tape. It’s resistant to epoxy. Fill half the hole then slowly push in the precut threaded rod. Fill the hole to flush with epoxy and keep checking it every so often over the next 8 hours and fill the hole when the level drops. The epoxy should seep into the crack and fill it.
If any part of the crack doesn’t get filled, you can use the tape to make a dam around it and pour in the epoxy.

I would listen to Josh, He knows what he's doing.

 

[LVLAaron]

It's not the most pretty, but it's together. I'll finish sanding it and have a coat of penetrating epoxy over the whole thing next.

 

[Twdmar]

It's not the most pretty, but it's together. I'll finish sanding it and have a coat of penetrating epoxy over the whole thing next.


View attachment 1371956

A problem with putting epoxy in there is the adhesive will flow into the fibers of the the wood, possibly too much. This is one of the problems with epoxy and clamping pressure, Its easier to starve a glue joint with epoxy.
Wood glue is able to glue the same kind of joint with less than epoxy for a similar joint, i.e. a tight joint. The problem gets worse with epoxy that cures slow because with longer glue time, the epoxy can flow for a longer time away from the joint into the wood fibers.
I would recommend now that you have the crack glued is to inlet a couple dominoes into the grip. If you have a mill, inlet a pocket on either side grip. If you don't have a mill, you can make a jig and use a router but it will be a little involved.
You can use an internal piece with a shape that can hold the crack like a bow tie shape and then an outer domino to fill the inlet. You can use epoxy internally but I would use wood glue for the edges of the outer piece because then you can fit the piece very tight. With wood glue you don't really even need space but with epoxy if you don't leave a gap, you won't be able to fit any glue in.
There is difficulty in getting glue all around a dowel when you put one in the wrist. It's stronger with the dowel. If I wanted strength I'd mill all the way through and put a piece of good plywood in the center and then match the wood on the outside.
Because you got if for a song, youre probably not so worried about hiding it but if you want to hide the patch, stipple the grip and put a little dark finish over the stippling.

 

[Twdmar]

I’ve been around the block a few times myself….. it’s junk

I would agree. That's for someone trying to make a small repair that doesn't leave much trace but I don't believe it gives much strength. It more serves to keep the crack from opening again. It doesn't provide much strength along the direction of the crack.

 

[LVLAaron]

A problem with putting epoxy in there is the adhesive will flow into the fibers of the the wood, possibly too much. This is one of the problems with epoxy and clamping pressure, Its easier to starve a glue joint with epoxy.
Wood glue is able to glue the same kind of joint with less than epoxy for a similar joint, i.e. a tight joint. The problem gets worse with epoxy that cures slow because with longer glue time, the epoxy can flow for a longer time away from the joint into the wood fibers.
I would recommend now that you have the crack glued is to inlet a couple dominoes into the grip. If you have a mill, inlet a pocket on either side grip. If you don't have a mill, you can make a jig and use a router but it will be a little involved.
You can use an internal piece with a shape that can hold the crack like a bow tie shape and then an outer domino to fill the inlet. You can use epoxy internally but I would use wood glue for the edges of the outer piece because then you can fit the piece very tight. With wood glue you don't really even need space but with epoxy if you don't leave a gap, you won't be able to fit any glue in.
There is difficulty in getting glue all around a dowel when you put one in the wrist. It's stronger with the dowel. If I wanted strength I'd mill all the way through and put a piece of good plywood in the center and then match the wood on the outside.
Because you got if for a song, youre probably not so worried about hiding it but if you want to hide the patch, stipple the grip and put a little dark finish over the stippling.

Good info - I left out some details. I ended up breaking it into two parts (it didn't take much). I first drilled a hole from the bottom of the grip up past the crack so I could get a screw in it. Then I relieved the non visible surfaces to make room for it to hold some epoxy as well as allow the outside visible edge to mate up as nice as it could.

I do still plan to bed a threaded rod in there before it's all said and done. All of my marinetex and acraglass kits hardened in the containers, so I'm going to have to re-stock some things in the shop.

 

[Twdmar]

Good info - I left out some details. I ended up breaking it into two parts (it didn't take much). I first drilled a hole from the bottom of the grip up past the crack so I could get a screw in it. Then I relieved the non visible surfaces to make room for it to hold some epoxy as well as allow the outside visible edge to mate up as nice as it could.

I do still plan to bed a threaded rod in there before it's all said and done. All of my marinetex and acraglass kits hardened in the containers, so I'm going to have to re-stock some things in the shop.

Having the extra epoxy in there is good. Any stock with wrist like that should be made with a plywood center section or a dowel as it's being made, after the fact is much tougher.
Gluing end grain is difficult no matter what and you are to have have some end grain and also some cross grain where the crack occurred.
I don't mean to take the jam out of your donut but consider putting some extra wood in there to provide some new material to provide support along the crack. It doesn't require a lot, probably 1.5"x3/4" is plenty. Threaded rod is, in my opinion meant to pull a crack closed. It's probably good enough but it's just "just good enough".
If this is a light recoiling cartridge, just the epoxy is fine but it is right next to your neck/face/etc. One other consideration is recoil is not the largest stressor this stock will likely face but transport. With the price of fuel etc, is it worth it to save a little time versus arriving at the range or traveling to a match finding out your repair could not take a four hour drive and associated handling.

 

[LVLAaron]

Having the extra epoxy in there is good. Any stock with wrist like that should be made with a plywood center section or a dowel as it's being made, after the fact is much tougher.
Gluing end grain is difficult no matter what and you are to have have some end grain and also some cross grain where the crack occurred.
I don't mean to take the jam out of your donut but consider putting some extra wood in there to provide some new material to provide support along the crack. It doesn't require a lot, probably 1.5"x3/4" is plenty. Threaded rod is, in my opinion meant to pull a crack closed. It's probably good enough but it's just "just good enough".
If this is a light recoiling cartridge, just the epoxy is fine but it is right next to your neck/face/etc. One other consideration is recoil is not the largest stressor this stock will likely face but transport. With the price of fuel etc, is it worth it to save a little time versus arriving at the range or traveling to a match finding out your repair could not take a four hour drive and associated handling.

The stock only exists for me to practice inletting and some finish work. I'm not worried about it.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Threaded brass lamp rod. Epoxy/Glue gets around and into the threads for extra holding contact strength. Looking pretty good so far.

Might consider adding a "color tint" to the finishing epoxy?
What crack? I don't see no stinken crack.