Two piece stock

Snooterpup · Oct 19, 2022

Hello to all,
I’ve got a problem. The Lyman GPR I just bought has the bottom 1/4 of the rear stock riddled with wood worm holes and their sawdust tracking that it is ruined. I cut off the damaged part as it is beyond hope. I’m certain I can glue another piece of maple on and reshape/ restore the rifle to operable condition. Is this a crazy idea? Has anyone ever done this sort of repair? If so, how did it turn out? Any historical basis for this type of repair? Or is it just better to try to locate a replacement stock?
Thanks for all suggestions!
Snooterpup

Trapper Scott · Oct 19, 2022

I'm just speaking for myself so take it for what it's worth. From a budget standpoint, folks have been repairing gunstocks since there have been gunstocks. A new stock would be ideal, but budget usually determines whether we replace or repair it. I would imagine back in the day that a repair like you have would have been pinned and or screwed. They didn't have CA glue or any of our modern epoxies. If you brought the stock to me as it sits when I was a smith I would try to match up the wood and probably use acraglass to glue it with some dowels to connect them making sure the grain on the replacement wood and dowels agreed with the existing stock grain.

Eric Krewson · Oct 19, 2022

Modern glues can do amazing things, I use them in wood bow making with the limbs flexing and bending and they almost never turn loose, I have had handle pop loose every now and then because I let the limb bend too much into the handle. I have never had a static glue joint fail.

I use a glue called Unibond which is like resorcinol but doesn't leave a purple glue line. This is a gap filling flexible glue.

People recommend screws and dowels for these patches, If I did one like yours, used the right glue and had a perfectly mated glue surface I would trust the glue and not pin it with dowels or screws. Then again, I have never repaired a break like yours so I am just offering an untested opinion based on what I have seen glues do in 26 years of bow making.

I did this with Unibond on a botched precarve lock inlet;

You can hide a patch with leather dye and an artist brush. My patch was plain maple, no curl, I carried the grain from the curly wood through the patch with the dye and brush, I hid the glue line the same way as well.

andy52 · Oct 19, 2022

I guess first off I wouldn't have taken the route you have.
I would not have sawn it as you did, rather I would have thinned some Titebond glue, maybe drill a few small holes to get as much of the glue injected as I could, let it dry, sand it down and go shootin'

bubba.50 · Oct 19, 2022

For what it's worth, the GPR's had stocks made of European walnut, not maple.

SDSmlf · Oct 19, 2022

Not sure why you made the cut, but now that it has been made, I would suggest following suggestions made by @Eric Krewson in post 3 above.

I believe that the stock was repairable with one of the modern epoxy products that are available. I have repaired rotted wood on boats and other places with success, but that is not what you asked about.

dave_person · Oct 19, 2022

Hi,
That kind of repair was done and it will make your GPR look so much more individual. Here is an example of a copy of an original rifle done by my friend Tom Curran. Scroll down to the second gun.

https://flintrifles.wordpress.com/
dave

TDM · Oct 19, 2022

Trapper Scott said:
I'm just speaking for myself so take it for what it's worth. From a budget standpoint, folks have been repairing gunstocks since there have been gunstocks. A new stock would be ideal, but budget usually determines whether we replace or repair it. I would imagine back in the day that a repair like you have would have been pinned and or screwed. They didn't have CA glue or any of our modern epoxies. If you brought the stock to me as it sits when I was a smith I would try to match up the wood and probably use acraglass to glue it with some dowels to connect them making sure the grain on the replacement wood and dowels agreed with the existing stock grain.

I would go with using a couple of small dowels as Trapper Scott said. Say 3/16” to 1/4”. The placement is easy to mark by using a cut brad in one piece and the tip to mark the pilot hole In the other. Using the dowels will make for a stronger bond.

Walkingeagle · Oct 19, 2022

I will say that you’ve received great repair advice above. Time to get it done.
Walk

Rudall · Oct 19, 2022

I would say that it is a perfect candidate for a repair with hot hide glue. Plane both surfaces dead flat and it should last for hundreds of years. And no glue line.

2 shots · Oct 19, 2022

glue and add a toe plate and you can hide the dowels or pins under it and fancy it up a little at the same time

Snooterpup · Oct 20, 2022

bubba.50 said:
For what it's worth, the GPR's had stocks made of European walnut, not maple.

Thanks Bubba, it looks like walnut in the pores and the grain but is really light in color. I wonder if I used American walnut for the replacement and stained the rest to match?

Snooterpup · Oct 20, 2022

dave_person said:
Hi,
That kind of repair was done and it will make your GPR look so much more individual. Here is an example of a copy of an original rifle done by my friend Tom Curran. Scroll down to the second gun.

https://flintrifles.wordpress.com/
dave

Thanks Dave! Some have suggested hot hide glue, others Titebond ultimate. Any preferences? Also the European walnut is really light, almost like maple. Should I use American walnut and stain to match?

springfield art · Oct 20, 2022

Snooterpup said:
Hello to all,
I’ve got a problem. The Lyman GPR I just bought has the bottom 1/4 of the rear stock riddled with wood worm holes and their sawdust tracking that it is ruined. I cut off the damaged part as it is beyond hope. I’m certain I can glue another piece of maple on and reshape/ restore the rifle to operable condition. Is this a crazy idea? Has anyone ever done this sort of repair? If so, how did it turn out? Any historical basis for this type of repair? Or is it just better to try to locate a replacement stock?
Thanks for all suggestions!
Snooterpup

Wow! That's got to be rare! I'd just get another stock, but good luck whatever you do.

springfield art · Oct 20, 2022

springfield art said:
Wow! That's got to be rare! I'd just get another stock, but good luck whatever you do.

If you bought it privately used, that's one thing, but if it's a defective newly purchased item from a dealer, it should be exchanged or replaced no questions asked, Warrenty.

Snake Pleskin · Oct 20, 2022

I would use a few small dowels and then glue and you should be good to go. i would personally not worry to mush about trying to match the grain etc. If the repair shows, so what, as long as it is done well and sanded to match etc. Repairs on old rifles were done all the time. No one would throw out a rifle because of a damaged stock, and i am certain that trying to make a perfect match was not the primary concern. You want stability and strength. IMHO

ADK Bigfoot · Oct 20, 2022

I have seen numerous old military guns with repaired stocks. Some are blended to match, others left contrasting. Leaving the difference gives you a story to tell.

ADK Bigfoot

dave_person · Oct 20, 2022

Snooterpup said:
Thanks Dave! Some have suggested hot hide glue, others Titebond ultimate. Any preferences? Also the European walnut is really light, almost like maple. Should I use American walnut and stain to match?

Hi,
Titebond is fine especially the waterproof variety. The real value with hide glue is it can be released with steam. However, it does get brittle over the years. I guess I would try and find a matching piece of wood as best you can. However, you can make black walnut look much closer to European and English walnut by staining it with a water based yellow aniline dye. That eliminates the cold purple-brown of much black walnut and warms it up a lot. I suspect an old time gunsmith making the repair would try to match the wood as much as possible but perhaps would not carry that too far.

dave

bubba.50 · Oct 20, 2022

What they call California walnut and English walnut are basically the same so maybe you could find a scrap big enough fro your project stateside.

And my vote for glue goes to Titebond 2

S.Kenton · Oct 20, 2022

Eric Krewson said:
Modern glues can do amazing things, I use them in wood bow making with the limbs flexing and bending and they almost never turn loose, I have had handle pop loose every now and then because I let the limb bend too much into the handle. I have never had a static glue joint fail.

I use a glue called Unibond which is like resorcinol but doesn't leave a purple glue line. This is a gap filling flexible glue.

People recommend screws and dowels for these patches, If I did one like yours, used the right glue and had a perfectly mated glue surface I would trust the glue and not pin it with dowels or screws. Then again, I have never repaired a break like yours so I am just offering an untested opinion based on what I have seen glues do in 26 years of bow making.

I did this with Unibond on a botched precarve lock inlet;

View attachment 169491

You can hide a patch with leather dye and an artist brush. My patch was plain maple, no curl, I carried the grain from the curly wood through the patch with the dye and brush, I hid the glue line the same way as well.

View attachment 169492

Man Eric that’s some pretty good work!

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