This crack isn't accessible in the manner of most cracks. As you can see
it runs from the bottom of the magazine well up to the top of the well in an
almost verticle line following a weak area that is visible on the
outside of the stock. It has not penetrated to the outside of the stock yet.

This is the line it is following.

I am thinking of using a teardrop shaped bit and my Dremel to
remove wood to the left and the right of the crack, from the beginning
at the bottom up to top in front of the crack. Shaping the groove like a "V".
I will then use #8, stainless steel machine screws and lay them
perpendicular to the crack (across) in grooves that I'll cut for them.
All this I will very carefully fill with epoxy.

I have never done this before so those with experience I would
appreciate any comments.

Bearclaw was nice enough to send me four special
screws to use to fix this with but I cannot see
how I will be able to use them in a correct manner
to fix this type of crack.

Also, if those with a lot of experince on this feel it would be better that
a professional stockmaker fix this, say so and I will send it off to be fixed.
Even if YOU are the stockmaker suggesting a professional fix. This thing
is too expensive for me to mess it up.

Thanks for you time.

Closer pics, just didn't show detail.

Here is a closeup of cleaned up area. The two shiny lines are pencil the crack is right between them.


[ 10-09-2002, 08:13: Message edited by: Roger Rothschild ]

Roger, unfortunately I do not know how to fix this crack. I am curious to know however, is this a recoil generated crack? If so, what caliber is this rifle?

Axel

If the crack is from recoil, toss the stock. I have a 1/2 inch scar on my right shoulder because of a stock fix that went terribly wrong! Getting gabbed in the shoulder, with a pile of splinters, isn't a fun day at the range!

PS I can't see you pictures so I'm just guessing from the above poster.

Roger,

Isn't this your 500 A2? If it is, then the recoil that beast generates would make me a bit leery of shooting it after a repair---BUT I'm quite sure that some of the pros here will be able to give you better advice than me. I'm probably more recoil-conscious than most big bore shooters. Hope you get it fixed!!!

Good Hunting,

Yes I do believe this is a recoil generated crack.

Andy this is my .500 A-Square. I am bummed.

Roger is that plug covering the cross bolt behind the magazine box Ebony? Maybe you can drill it out. Then drill a hole from the cavity for one of those stock repair screws at as forward an angle as possible as to intersect the crack & drill through it coming out in the magazine box well. Then cut the ends of the screw off & replace the ebony plug. It looks like a tough angle to get to though. Chic Worthing where are you?

[ 10-07-2002, 07:34: Message edited by: Bear Claw ]

I have a tendency to do things the hard way. That in mind, I would remove a good portion of the original glass bedding (maybe all of it) and just re-bed the stock. Looks like nice wood in the picture, I'm guessing you don't want to buy a new stock. (viable option with a heavy hitter like yours.)

Sythentics can be funny. Sometimes a fill will stick to the original like, well, the original. Sometimes it won't stick for squat. Weather, temperature, different lots of compound, what ever. If you start from scratch you know it will be all the same. At the same time you can add some re-inforcement so it won't happen again.

Regards,

Eric

Roger,
Sorry I did not respond to this earlier but I am having trouble seeing exactly where the crack is. In the photo with your finger, there appears to be one just to the right of your forefinger that travels up towards the action. I can't see anythign on the outside. There also appears to be a line at the rear of the magazine between that portion and the trigger cut out. I am assuming since you said it hasn't appeared on the outside that it is the line on the side of the magazine.

Let me start with one comment. I know my good friend Jack likes to use the rear of the magazine as a recoil area. I never do that and shy away from any tight fit in this area. I allow space at the rear of the magazine. It appears that there is a lot of glass in there and that the magazine may be pressing against the outside of the stock. To begin with, I would relieve any contact in that area. Use inletting black or prussion blue to assure yourself that nothing is touching. Then when that is done, if you can, flex the crack and put in some epoxy resin mixed with hardener. It may be difficult but you need to get some down into the crack. Let it flex back and harder, then finish the inside of the magazine well. Check for clearance when you reassemble the bottom metal. Hope for the best.

Roger---

I'd use a ball end burr in a dremel tool and route three or four "dog bone" shaped recesses with the wide portion on each side of the crack. You'll have to route back into the rear buttress some to make it work.

Make the reinforcement pieces from pieces of threaded rod an inch long with a nut on both ends. Epoxy it all together and let it cure at least 72 hours before you shoot it.

Ok, I want to thank everyone who replied. It was my fault, I should have cleaned out the area.

The shiny crap in there is Tru-Oil that the previous owner had put many coats on to waterproof. This is how I saw the original crack. I have since taken a very small flat gouge and removed the varnish, the crack is visible. Nothing is touching the rear of the recess, actually there is quite a bit of space there.

What I meant about "following the line" on the outside of the stock. There appears to be that whorl in the wood and the somewhat dark line above the tip of the knife blade is the line it is following.

Since it hasn't penetrated to the outside of the stock I had hoped (and still am hoping) the crack is at that point it can still be stopped.

First thing will be to remove all the varnish from inside the recess. This way I can use a daube of rubbing alcohol and clearly see the crack and its extent. Once I am at that stage I will see if I can flex the stock a bit as Chic suggested, if I can I will do both of what he said and Mr. Belk. The wood on the Hannibal Coil Chek is thick though about 0.400" or better so it might be very difficult to make the sides move at all.

I will take pics and post them at these stages of the game and see what I can get on here. There is a much better digital camera the school has, it takes very good close ups and I will try to get that one.

Thanks again.

Open up as much as can get away with.I used a pointy carbite burr on a Dremel.Mix the epoxy with fiber-glass mini-fibers.That is a must.Epoxy on it's own is no where near as strong,the epoxy-minifibers become a structural component.I have used vet syringes to inject it .Drill a small hole to the bottom of the crack.You can tint the mixture.I use ground earth colours.If the wood is oilly,it not going to stick.Toss it.Save your face if worth it.

New Pics in first post. Better detail.