A number of years back I had a custom laminate stock made for a "custom '06 AI Sako" and noticed a small split just behind the rear tang. Now this rifle is fully bedded and I was amazed to see stress in this area. So upon taking the barreled action out of the stock I was even more amazed and disheartened when I saw the split behind the recoil shield.

My thoughts are to get some glue into the open areas and possibly a cross bolt as well, and then re-bed.

Looking for suggestions which will keep me out of trouble and improve a lousy situation.

Thanks in advance.

I've repaired a couple of stocks with cracks like you described. I just thin Acraglass down so it will flow into the cracked area via gravity. You can also use light air blasts to force it into the crack. Works quite well, no "recracking" yet.

What is the primary overall color of your stock and do you know what type of wood it is ?.

A way to stop a crack in almost every substrate is to drill a hole just ahead of the crack . Reinforce that hole with an epoxy . No problem if it's on the inside so as it wouldn't be seen .
As for the out side a clear or color tinted epoxy will work as will most any Type 1 or 2 adhesive .Matching color is the trick !.

The secret is getting all the OIL and or finish out so as the binder grabs well !. Acetone and or lacquer thinner works well enough .

A laminated stock can be easily done even if one had to cut a portion out and glue a piece in . Or if your handy with veining tools ?. Hog out the area in question fill with epoxy use colored if it calls for it . Then simulate grain pattern once epoxy is slightly set up .

A cross bolt always helps IMO .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Dr K, The color is gray and the main problem area is fortunately not of an exterior nature. I must agree that getting the oil out is my main concern. The very small rear tang crack will do nicely with clear. I guess I don't wish to deal with this twice...
Thanks for the response.

D

What you are proposing will not hold even as long as it took for the first split to form. BUT... if you epoxy it up as you describe and then put 2 recoil bolts in the stock you will be fine. Put one bolt behind the recoil lug and one bolt between the magazine box and trigger opening.

Just use regular acgraglas without the floc or West Systems epoxies and do not worry about color. You won't be able to see it in a proper job anyway.

For the crack behind the rear tang, angle in from the action opening with a drill or even a Dremel with a round burr on it. What you want to do is create a little space under the surface of the tang. Fill that up with epoxy as will. No need to go berzerk and hog out a lot here.

Laminated stocks have a very bad habit of coming delaminated. GUn writers regurgitate the mantra of the gumkaers that laminates are stronger than wood and leave it at that. Well, yes, but there is more to the story. Laminates are likely to delaminate, regardless of how good the bedding is. Drop a couple of recoil bolts in there and then glass bed it and they become very durable. Do this to your stock and she will outlast your grandkidchildren. This is a job that does not cost too much, especially if you do the bedded after having someone install the bolts for you.

edited to add-guess I should have included one other thing. Let the person who installs the cross bolts glue up th ecracks. That way he can spread them apart a little, force soem epoxy in there, and then put the squeeze on when he tightens the bolts. This will be better than you gluing the cracks and later sending the stock out to be bolted.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr.K:
...do you know what type of wood it is ?.

birch, almost certainly.

quote:

A way to stop a crack in almost every substrate is to drill a hole just ahead of the crack.

drill-stopping works best in thinner materials like sheet aluminium or other structural materials, where the crack dimensions can be established. in wood, it's hard to know where a crack stops in a crack behind a tang.

Take a look at Devcon Stainless Steel puty. It is a nice grey color. Hog it out a bit and a little faux finish work.

When you rebed mask off the tang with a few layers of tape. With this and the cross bolts the stock should be o.k. You have to fix the problem that originally caused that split.

Glenn