sloppy inletting repair

[hankfannin]

What's a good method to fill in or add some wood to a really sloppy inletting job around a barrel tang? I had to change breech plugs and now there's a 1/8 inch gap on each side of the tang. It's a maple stock, sort of plain and I'm not that worried about being absolutely perfect. Just want it to look good.

 

[galamb]

Since this is a repair and you don't have left over wood from a build (which you could splice/glue in) I would suggest a "wood filler".

I have used this stuff from JB Weld, it's a wood "stick" (epoxy) on my last couple of builds to deal with trouble spots where a splice wasn't a viable option.

I colour it with a stain (to get it near the finish colour that I want) by adding a few drops of stain to it before I knead it.

This is what I'm using (available at places like Lowe's etc) - (JB Weld) but probably many of the "wood fillers" would do what you are after.

Getting a colour match on the repair is going to be tougher than getting the gaps filled - it will almost always be noticeable.

 

[Pete G]

1/8" is pretty wide, but you could try some of the colored furniture repair sticks at the home improvement stores. They sort of look like big crayons.

 

[bpd303]

I would think about having a "good" welder lay a bead of weld along the tang, then file it to fit then refinish.

 

[BrownBear]

I cleaned up a problem like that by "stealing" a couple of slivers of wood from the bottom of the barrel inlet, then gluing those a little proud (high) on either side of the tang and sanding back down.

The slivers weren't deep enough to extend all the way to the bottom of the tang inlet, rather they closed the top. The "gaps" beneath were filled with bedding compound. You can't see the bedding compound for the wood on top.

Once finished, you really have to look at the stock to spot the joints between the slivers and the wood, plus it's rock solid. Same stock, same wood color, no problem.

Not my favorite project, but it worked well.

 

[hawkeye2]

I would cut the tang off the old breech plug and weld it on the new one.

 

[Birddog6]

Several options hit me on this. :hmm:

Option 1: Take that breechplug out & buy one that fits the inlet, or an oversized one & make it fit the inlet & install the new tang. Now ya have no gaps to fill.

Option 2: Weld up the existing tang.

Option 3: Cut off tang & weld on a wider one.

Option 4: Glue in some slivers or matching wood.

Option 5: Thumbnail the tang, then incorporate a inlay of wood around the tang of a dif. type such as walnut set into maple.

I would not use wood filler.... :shake: As it will always look "Bubba'd" up rather than a quality repair.

Keith Lisle

 

[hankfannin]

Thanks to all. Sounds like I've got several good options. I may try the JB Weld first as that one is the quickest and easiest. If that doesn't look acceptable I may have to lay in a couple of wood splices. I think a wider tang would look sort of out of place, but maybe not, besides I don't have a welder.

Greyhawk

 

[Birddog6]

Why would a wider tang look out of place, if that was what it was originally inlet for ? :idunno:

Keith Lisle

 

[Dave K]

Weld it. JB Weld looks like you used JB Weld. Weld it, dress it and done.

 

[Eric Krewson]

As one who really screwed up a tang on my first build, I highly recommend having someone tig up the edges with extra metal and shape to fit the inlet. I had it done, not once but twice on my first build. Being a newbie I got too aggressive with my file.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Not yet suggested, get a 'slick' silver dollar and cut slivers to fit the gaps. Pound into place with a small hammer, file or sand smooth and yer gun will be fancied up. Or bone, or synthetic ivory, etc.

 

[Zonie]

Everyone has their own opinions and that's fine with me.

My opinion is I would rather see a gaping gap between the wood and the barrel tang rather than seeing a glob of gray JB Weld filling the gap. :td:

 

[Eric Krewson]

I agree with Zonie, JB Weld, BAD idea!

 

[galamb]

I was referring to a "wood epoxy" product from JB Weld called "KwikWood"- not the artificial metal.

I would use it to fill in the "wood" gap, not try and "fake" widening the tang.

 

[stuartg]

Didn't know there was such a thing! Learn something new everyday.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've used that stuff under pipes, and patch boxes where I've inletted a little too deeply to bring it back up a bit. It's easy to work and shave back down when you need to. And if it'll never show, and doesn't take any stress (in places like that) what's the harm?

 

[bpd303]

No harm at all. I have used it like that, also have used Acraglas. However with the tang repair it will show like a sore thumb, even if the color is a perfect match. That is why I would widen the tang or cut it off and weld another on that could be fitted to the existing inlet.

 

[Zonie]

I hope that stuff is better than "Plastic Wood".

Here's an example of how Plastic Wood will look probably 40 years after it was applied to a 1842 Springfield.




After getting rid of that stuff and replacing it with a piece of Walnut it looks a little bit better.

 

[Dave K]

Zonie, good for you,for doing a repair that honors the gun.