some cracks in a stock

[David Snellen]

Gentlemen,
I have an standard repop 1814 harper's ferry (aka 1803). I love the rifle, but there are some cracks - probably drying cracks, that run under the trigger guard and from the patch box. If I stuck my thumbnail under the guard I could splinter it. How should I fix it?
Thank you,
David

 

[paulvallandigham]

What kind of wood is it? Sounds very soft, if you can pull any of it apart with your fingernail. You might be better off buying a replacement stock made of good maple, or walnut.

 

[zampilot]

Use masking tape along on each side of the crack and force liquid or gel super glue into the crack. Remove the tape quickly, touch up the area with acetone to remove excess glue.

 

[Black Hand]

Use masking tape along on each side of the crack and force liquid or gel super glue into the crack. Remove the tape quickly, touch up the area with acetone to remove excess glue.

Wouldn't hurt to run a little acetone into the crack before you glue.

 

[David Snellen]

Gentlemen,
It looks like some kind of hard wood (its a euroarms- so probably european walnut).
What iI meant was that if I tried to stick a nail under it, I could probably spinter it is I pulled.
So, super glue is best? I know there is some stock glue some builders use, but I don't know what works best. I look forward to hearing back. If superglue is the thing to use, I'll do it!
David

 

[Bean]

Ca glue (super glue) is suggested here and I'm concerned with that. I would think you would do much better with 60 minute (or longer) epoxy and let it settle into the crack. if you needed to you can add wood flour or micro baloons to thicken it and push it like puddy. You can clean any surface overflow with alcohol.

CA glue would not have good penetration on hardwood. It would harden too quickly. If you use thin it would not fill and thicker would hrden before it penetrated. Plus cleaning overflow is very difficult. I have used gallons of CA glue over the years but I wouldn't think it would be best for this application. Slow epoxy is hard to beat if you have the time to cure it.

 

[David Snellen]

What type/brand of epoxy?
David

 

[ron ward]

bob bean,s right on the money, here. CA glue will work great for a quick gluing of a loose splinter or real thin flaking split with some clamping pressure, but regular epoxy will do a better job of filling a cranck that goes deep and can't be compresed completely closed. you can die most commonly available epoxies with the dies that are used to tint housepaints from the hardware or wallyworld. just take a couple small jars to the hardware and ask for a few shots of red green and yellow and you can mix up any color you need. once you get the color you need, mix it into one part of the epoxy and then mix the two parts together. that way you don't cheat yourself out of working time.

 

[Bean]

You will find the best selection of epoxy at your local hobby shop. Not the flower shop but the radio control planes and cars type. Easy stupp to work with. Use alcohol to wipe off excess. Just be patient with the cure times.
If you need filler mix super fine wood dust, from filings into the epoxy and it will be putty like. Just lways make sure to mix it very well.

 

[ohio ramrod]

For cracks of unknown depth the polyurathane glues (gorilla glue) has the advantage of expanding as it dries. This allows for deep penetration, but the part must be continually wiped off since the expanding glue will"foam" for up to four hours as it cures.I have often glued cracks and found the expanding glue foaming out of the wood up to an inch from the known crack.Just last month I used it and some wooden dolls to repair a side by side double shotgun that was broken completely apart at the wrist. The patch has held for over 100 rounds of trap shooting and shows no sign of faliure. I did use super glue to fill some of the minor cracks further back on the stock where it was apparent that they were shallow cracks.

 

[Bean]

If you use GOrilla glue you will find that is you very lightly moisten the surfaces it will penetrate better. It is still fairly viscous/thick. 2 Hour epoxy is like corn syrup and penetrates well and is a solid when it cures. You can add 10% alcohol to thin it a bit also if you really want thin.

 

[David Snellen]

Thank you all. So 2 hr epoxy is the way to go then? The cracks are not big, they seem to be drying cracks.
David

 

[Bean]

I would suggest using 2 hour epoxy, coat the area and se a piece of paper to try and push the epoxy into the cracks. let it sit for an hour and then wipe the excess off with alcohol and then let it sit for a day. If you can put a clamp on at the hour time to compress. The thinner the epoxy the stronger the hold. You want to let it ease as far as it can into the cracks. Do not add heat. heat will severely shorten the cure time. Some people think it thins the epoxy but only briefly and then it starts to set.

 

[Robert58]

You will find the best selection of epoxy at your local hobby shop. Not the flower shop but the radio control planes and cars type. Easy stupp to work with. Use alcohol to wipe off excess. Just be patient with the cure times.
If you need filler mix super fine wood dust, from filings into the epoxy and it will be putty like. Just lways make sure to mix it very well.

The absolute best Epoxy is epoxy designed to put Golf Clubs together. That epoxy does not get super hard and crystolize when it dries. And it is designed to withstand a tremindous amount of shock. You can beat any Golf Club I put together against a brick wall until you destroy it but the head will not break loose from the shaft. Go to you local Golfsmith club making store to get your epoxy. They have every thing from 5 minute setup, 20 minute cure, to the standard 24 hour cure. I put the guts back in the left side mirror on my Jimmy Eight years ago with the 5 minute setup, 20 minute cure as a quick fix until I could afford a new mirror and it is still holding together.

Robert

 

[rickystl]

I have had great success with ZAP glue, usually available at Hobby Shops. Usually available in three different thicknesses. The thin stuff is great for hairline cracks due to age or dryness. It's so thin it runs like water. Really good for tiny repairs. and you can repeat after the first has dried till you are satisfied. Only took one application to fix a splinter in a dry 200 year old stock.

 

[David Snellen]

That's pretty impressive golf club glue!!
David