Repairing cracked stock

[Marc]

I have a Model 64 butt stock that has a deep crack along the right side of the tang. The crack runs vertical between the right edge of the upper tang and the right edge of the lower tang and goes back to about the end of the tangs. I have been pondering how to get glue down into the crack since it is tight. I can probably get glue into about the first half or so by wedging it open and using compressed air to blow the glue deeper but I would like to get it all the way in if possible.

One method I have heard of is to drill a hole following the crack and fill the hole with epoxy and push a dowel into the hole to force glue into the crack. Since the crack is so tight I still don't think it would go all the way.

Then I had the idea of making a saw cut in the tang inletting along the crack to the end of the tangs. The tangs will hide the saw cut. Then I could fill the saw cut with Acraglas. How do you think that would work? Do you think that would be as strong as the original wood?

[Blaine]

open the crack from the inside with a toothpick...use superglue, from the inside, spareingly. Rubberband or otherwise clamp shut.....the superglue will spread where the epoxy will not.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have injected epoxy into cracks using a syringe (sp?).
You can also thin the epoxy mix without harmfull effect using
Acetone.
It is best to experiment with the thinned epoxy on scrap first to see how far you can go without loosing strength of the bond.
Drilling the hole along the crack line is good . fill with thinned epoxy and slightly wedge the crack open to allow the glue to penetrate all the way.

Side note, My dad once shot an Elk from the back of his horse. After picking himself up off the ground he found his brand new Winchester .300 mag. had a two piece stock.
He epoxy glued that thing back together and wrapped surgical tubing around it until set. A fine sanding and a little hand rubbed finish later, you could not tell it had ever been broken. He shot and hunted with it for years after that until it was lost in a house fire.

[J Miller]

My Rossi Puma had the same exact problem. The gunsmith tried epoxy and it didn't hold. I wedged the crack open and used a watery thin super glue in the crack. Then I gently clamped the stock in my vise and left it over night.
After that I found the slot for the upper tang was too narrow. Instead of properly inletting the upper tang they just forced the stock on. That is what caused the split. I refitted it and it was good from then on in.

There is a type of super glue sold in hardware stores for fixing chair and other assembled wood things. Can't think of the name though. Look for that.

Joe

[Marc]

So you all don't think much of my saw cut idea?

I have been reading about glues. I want to use epoxy. I am thinking that enough pressure will force epoxy down into the crack. It probably doesn't matter if it gets to the very bottom of the crack as long as the surface is glued and most of the deep crack. I will use a syringe on some surface fractures. I think my first step is to drill a hole for a dowel and see how that looks and then go from there.

[20cows]

I have fixed cracks in the wrist/tang area of Win. 94s by temporarily spreading the cracks as wide as I could while applying accra-gel to glass bed the stock. That took care of the crack and fit (the reason it cracked in the first place) at the same time.

[Andrew]

I like your saw cut idea. I would make a really nice and straight saw cut and fill the gap with a thin piece of wood that matched the stock. Cover it with epoxy and slide it in. That should work very well but you would have to shave down and "fit" the new slice you glued in. I believe that would be a bit more work but work really well.

[Kansas Ed]

Drill a 3/8 diameter hole through the stock at the wrist area...make sure you go completely through. Run a stove bolt through it and tighten down until the square nut embeds itself into the off side of the stock. I've seen lots of them done that way and they seem to work...

Ed

[Chuck 100 yd]

Kansas Ed , I have seen those kind of repairs to. I guess
a 16d nail would work to and just bend the end over so it cant fall out under recoil.

[El Chivo]

not too long ago I got some syringes at the 99 cent store, in the kitchen section, should be handy for glue.

I don't know how epoxy works for wood, there's an excellent wood glue (Titebond?) basically Elmer's Glue on steroids. To work well wood glue needs to absorb into the wood fibers and I don't know if epoxy will do it for you. If you use a water-base wood glue it should spread into the crack on its own. If you are worried about water-proofing, give it a coat of marine varnish or epoxy spray when you're done sanding it.

[TX Gun Runner]

This is the best stuff I have ever used on stock repairs or bedding stocks . Secret stuff the bench rest shooter used for years , it don't shrink and solvents won't hurt it . . The cup handle was repaired over 8 yrs ago and I nuke it 4 times everyday . My buddy die 15 yrs ago who gave it to me , now you know why I repaired it . Brownell sells this stuff or a boat yard .
P.S. I made a temp repair on a water pipe that frozen and cracked behind the hot water heater and 5 yrs later I sold the the house and the repair was still good .

[Old Time Hunter]

Dampen the area, including the crack itself with a wet sponge. Flex the stock so that the moisture will get into the crack. Then I would use "Gorrilla Glue" and apply a very, very fine amount of glue directly into the exposed crack (Keep the crack as open as you can while applying glue). Release the pressure to allow the crack to close and clamp with a wood clamp to force the crack tight. After a couple of hours you will have a strong bond. The wrist of my '73 Trapdoor has held together for over five years so far.



You can barely see the crack to the left of the lock plate (salvaged Bannerman lock plate...it works)

[Leverdude]

I'v used superglue and runny acraglass for things like that. If you can open the crack at all then you can drill a hole along the crack, fill it with the epoxy and work the crack open & closed to draw the epoxy into the crack. Bind it together with sometning & let it set until dry.

[Marc]

It looks like almost any kind of glue will work.

The simplest would be the bolt. I think for the truly finished look a plow bolt would be best. Nice flat head so as not to dig into the palm. Put the nut on the off side. If it digs into the stock good there is no need for a lock washer.

[lthardman]

+1 on the Gorilla Glue.

I have repaired two stocks using the new thinner water white Gorilla Glue. Trick is to dampen both surfaces first. Be ready to clamp, and be ready to catch what oozes out. And, refinishing will probably be in order to make it look its best.

One of the stocks I repaired this way was on an Winchester 1897 Trench Gun (12 ga). It has held up fine with some pretty stiff loads. It impressed a local gunsmith who had previously said he doubted it would work. He now has repaired some this way himself.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I use the cyanoacrolate (super) glues from radio control model hobby shops. The thin stuff will flood into the crack and when dry the repair is virturally invisible on most oil stain stocks.

[Bronco]

+1 on the super glue. Did a repair 15 years ago and it still holding. I spread the crack as much as I felt comfortable with and applied the glue. As stated before, it is thin enough to wick into areas that would be difficult to force glue into.
Good luck!

John