So, I chose looks over strong grain flow, knocked it off its hook, and it fell and cracked. It's a Mauser stock, and the grain is kinda squiggly.

I think I may have actually started the crack towards the end of inletting... Although I couldn't see anything at the time, once while tightening up the screws that last little bit I heard a little pop sound. But now after the drop it has a distinct jagged hairline crack running mostly vertical on the right side of the magazine well. If I flex it I can get the crack to open up a bit, but afraid if I open it enough to force a viscous wood glue in there it could let go on the other side as well.

Here are the options I've considered:

1. Do nothing. The trigger guard and action act as a splint and provide all the strength needed to hold it in one piece once the rifle is screwed in place. It doesn't look bad, (nobody else would probably even notice) and I'm a once a year casual hunter who isn't hard on rifles.

2. Remove some material from the inside of the magazine well and laminate in a layer or two of glass cloth.

3. Thin some traditional wood glue and very carefully try to squeegee some in, or paint it in with a thin reed or splinter of some sort.

4. Superglue my fingers to the nicely finished outside of the stock, cuss, rip them off leaving bits of skin and fingerprints without actually getting any in the crack.

5. Find a very thin slow set epoxy that will wick into the crack by capillary action.

6. Some combination of adhesive and fiberglass backing.

Just looking for thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.

If you are worried about the finish do it from inside. Make sure the rear screws hole has room for the tread extension on the tang.

Epoxy, open the crack and force it in. Is what I would do. Using Acraglas.

Acraglas will work. A trick I use is to run a bead of Acraglas across the crack, then heat it up with a hair dryer. As it warms, the viscosity becomes like water and it runs down the crack. Do it a couple of times. Clean it up and clamp it, then clean up what squeezes out.

Just in case no one knows. Get a couple of those 3/4 or 1 inch stoppers with the hole in the middle that are used in labs. Put them in the lathe and use a hand grinder with a stone to make a cup shape on one side. Lay the stock on the bench and pour some runny acraglass or epoxy on the crack and press the cup end on it. Then stick the sir compressor nozzle on it and let it rip. Do it all along the crack 2 or three times. You don't need to spread this, or capillary that, or heat the other thingy. It will blow epoxy into every nook and cranny of the crack. Wear safety glasses and an old shirt. You can then wrap it with electrical tape or stretch and seal and surgical tubing, let harden and clean it up with 600# wet & dry and rub it out.

That is one helluva idea. Thanks for sharing it! Our shop gets 3-5 stocks a week in with those issues. We drill cracks and poke in epoxy with bamboo skewers. I have used compressed air to blow in randomly but the rubber stopper technique is more precise and efficient. Will definitely try it.

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:
Just in case no one knows. Get a couple of those 3/4 or 1 inch stoppers with the hole in the middle that are used in labs. Put them in the lathe and use a hand grinder with a stone to make a cup shape on one side. Lay the stock on the bench and pour some runny acraglass or epoxy on the crack and press the cup end on it. Then stick the sir compressor nozzle on it and let it rip. Do it all along the crack 2 or three times. You don't need to spread this, or capillary that, or heat the other thingy. It will blow epoxy into every nook and cranny of the crack. Wear safety glasses and an old shirt. You can then wrap it with electrical tape or stretch and seal and surgical tubing, let harden and clean it up with 600# wet & dry and rub it out.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
I have used compressed air to blow in randomly but the rubber stopper technique is more precise and efficient.

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I can't say that it's more precise because the glue flies right out the other side and all over the place if you get the pressure to high. But as far as efficiency goes, there isn't much left without glue on it. LOL

You can and should regulate the pressure a bit to keep the mess down to a dull roar. If you get a deep enough cup that wraps and seals well on the surface and get a nice, forgiving air nozzle you can get pretty good results with it, with a bit of practice.

I'll just have to be careful on the trigger!

use the old accraglass nor the gel only nned 10#or so of air pressure also if you warm the accraglass a bit it will thin out

For cracks like you have I have used this stuff:

http://www.caglue.com/Hot-Stuff-Original_c_15.html

The problem with epoxies is that unless you use a scheme like Speerchucker mentioned I have found it impossible to get the glue thoroughly in the crack.

Flex the crack, apply the Hot Stuff superglue and will saturate the crack. Now immediately remove the pressure. The excess superglue will get forced out leaving only a very thin coating, which is just what you want for maximum strength (most glues other than epoxies do not work well when the joint is not really thin).

The superglues have been criticized for not being shock resistant but for the side of a stock they should be OK.

Thanks for all the good ideas!

This works for me: I use an old set of solid frame snap ring pliers that expand when you squeeze the handles and find a place near the crack where you can use the pliers to GENTLY cycle the crack open and closed. I run a bead of Acraglas along the crack and keep a nice bead over the crack while cycling the pliers. The opening and closing of the crack will actually pump the Acraglas into the crack. The trick is to NOT squeeze the pliers too far and really bust it open.

Another good idea. No need for pliers though, I can clamp the butt and simply put a small wedge or fulcrum under the "good side" to act as a hinge, lightly pressing down on the forearm to flex things and open up the crack.

Much as I like the idea of wicking in a very thin superglue, I have had too many close calls and disasters with quickset super adhesives. I plan the try a combination of heat, flexing, and blowing to push epoxy into the joint. Thinking a short section of tubing in the mouth might work best vs using an air compressor. After laying a bead down the left hand holds the heat gun, the right hand flexes the stock, and the mouth blows. (air that is...)

Wish me well!

I would drill out under the crack, insert a threaded screw loaded with glass, force glass in the hole as much as you can..wipe it flush or protruding just a tad..wrap it hard with electritions tape. let it cure... scrape gently with your pocket knife to flush then add finish, let dry and wet sand the outside of the crack with 400 grit until finish matches..In most case you cannot see the break if the stock was protected instantly..

BTW, the very first thing one should do with a crack is wrap it in cotton to prevent slivers and tiny parts to get lost or you will be filling holes that can't be patched properly..missing wood is the culprit to stock repairs.

There are probably 100 good ways to fix a gunstock, but the best ones depend on the situation. There is no one best way for all cracks or breaks.

I use cyanoacrylate a lot. I use epoxy a lot. I sometimes embed bolts or other pieces of steel.

There are a lot of good (and bad) videos on youtube. An hour spent looking a some of them would be time well spent. One of the more interesting tricks I saw recently was drilling out a crack from the inside and then pumping epoxy into the hole with a small dowel or bamboo skewer. Done correctly, it really flushes the crack well with the adhesive, even very small cracks without spreading the wood or making a huge mess. Some of the Midway videos are pretty decently done and a good place to start.

Heat up the wood use a thin slow cure epoxy, work the epoxy into crack with gloved finger. Wrap it with saran wrap, as it cools it will pull epoxy into crack. I use a hair dryer to get wood warm not hot.

For one like this, where the repair is not visible, I open the crack up with a carbide bit on a Dremel. "V" shaped, fairly deep.
Mix epoxy of choice ( I use West System, decades of boat work) as long as it's low viscosity, wet out the area thoroughly- as it soaks in (especially end grain) wet it out again.
Then mix up sawdust (preferably of the same wood type if ya got it) with more of the epoxy to mayonnaise consistency. Work it into the groove you've cut with a plastic spreader/smooth it over.

Biggest potential problem with repairing a hairline crack is that compression can squeeze out most or all of the epoxy resulting in a low-strength repair. Opening up cracks where they won't be seen increases surface area contact for maximum strength.