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Bigcountry_350sbc said:
How do you or do you even bother filling the grain? From the pics of my stock I can see the porous nature of the wood. If for example you were going to finish with minwax how would you go about filling the grain?
Click to expand...

You can work up a sanding slurry (mentioned by @IanH) use a deep penetrating oil.

I use a thinned varnish that penetrates deep into the stock, you can also use very thinned epoxies.

Larry Potterfield has a pretty good example on Midway USA.
 
IanH said:
That's easy on walnut. Work in small sections, put finish on and lightly work it in wet-or-dry paper of about 320 grit, always sanding with the grain. The sanding dust and finish will make a slurry which you rub into the wood hard with your bare hands (thumbs, fingertips, palms) until it's almost dry. Move to another section and repeat. Rubbing fhe slurry across the grain helps pack it into the lengthwise pores. The sanding dust will fill the grain nicely and after the first coat is dry just hand-rub additional coats until the sheen is how you like it. If it didn't fill all the grain areas to your liking after the first slurry sand, repeat it very lightly.

People say don't use emery paper because it leaves black grit...but this is walnut, not a blonde-finished sugar maple. Most aluminum oxide or garnet paper adhesive lets go when soaked in solvents.
Click to expand...
And this is done after the initial sanding and wetting of the wood?
 
It is winter time and several people sit in front of the computer and come up with things to worry about that they would not if they were out shooting.

If you thought there was a chance of it breaking, why did you buy it?

You will have as much time and effort into fixing an imaginary problem as you saved in dollars, and if you do not know what you are doing it will look like manure, cut it and insert rods indeed.

Don't open the box when it comes, send it back to Jim and let someone who is not so.... (insert here) buy it and they will be happy and you can buy something the internet experts think is "safe"
 
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James Kibler said:
All this hubbub... We fully disclosed that it didn't have good grain flow. Further, I would do absolutely nothing to it other than finish it as normal! I highly doubt it will ever break unless it takes an awful hard fall etc.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the insight boss! I wasn't terrified of it breaking but understood it could be more likely than other stocks, i wouldn't mind the cheap insurance. But if you have faith in it than so do i! I can't wait to get started on it!
 
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It's not internet expertise or whatever reason the self-proclaimed forum gurus want to cite to poo-poo any of the ideas put forth here, it is simply prudence. I doubt the wrist will break during normal, careful use, but set it down too hard one time and it's history. Remember, this is walnut, not maple. Walnut splits easily.

Drill down the wrist behind the tang and epoxy in a steel rod in there. Drill and install a wood dowel in the toe. Most originals I've seen with diagonal grain through the toe have broken toes.

Simple fix, no big deal. Just make sure the steel rod goes down past the tang bolt hole; epoxy is easy to drill back out to open the hole, the end of a file not so much.
 
I think it's a waste of time given the likelihood of a problem occurring. In the unlikely case it should break, just fix it. No big deal, especially in walnut. But this is just my opinion. I try not to invent problems that haven't occured yet. I don't know about you guys, but I have enough problems that are real! Everyone can of course do as they feel best.

Next time I have another with similar grain, I'll beat it around and film it. We'll see what it takes to break it. Don't think setting it down too hard would do a thing.
 
IanH said:
It's not internet expertise or whatever reason the self-proclaimed forum gurus want to cite to poo-poo any of the ideas put forth here, it is simply prudence. I doubt the wrist will break during normal, careful use, but set it down too hard one time and it's history. Remember, this is walnut, not maple. Walnut splits easily.

Drill down the wrist behind the tang and epoxy in a steel rod in there. Drill and install a wood dowel in the toe. Most originals I've seen with diagonal grain through the toe have broken toes.

Simple fix, no big deal. Just make sure the steel rod goes down past the tang bolt hole; epoxy is easy to drill back out to open the hole, the end of a file not so much.
Click to expand...

Personally i would leave it and let it break if and when what ill fate takes a left turn for the worse.

Then make a piece of art work with wrist repair.

I’ve reinforced Ferguson rifles with a steel shim beneath the lock area, but generally the design of that rifle is very fragile in that area, especially if there no arca glass on it for support.

Your method beneath the tang bolt I’ve done for Indian musket wrist breaks, i drilled all the way through the butt plate and epoxied it in place with epoxy in the threads.
 
James Kibler said:
I think it's a waste of time given the likelihood of a problem occurring. In the unlikely case it should break, just fix it. No big deal, especially in walnut. But this is just my opinion. I try not to invent problems that haven't occured yet. I don't know about you guys, but I have enough problems that are real! Everyone can of course do as they feel best.

Next time I have another with similar grain, I'll beat it around and film it. We'll see what it takes to break it. Don't think setting it down too hard would do a thing.
Click to expand...

Agree 100% Jim, i would only fix it if its broken, and it likely will never break.
 
20230618_203941.jpg

This original rifle never broke through the wrist, but the toe was broken several times and finally lost. The wrist was hollowed out severly for a large double-set trigger. As insurance I put a lollipop tang on it with a bolt passing through to the rear of the trigger plate and also replaced the tang wood screw with a bolt threading into the front of the trigger plate. Insurance against future breakage, needed or not, it is superior engineering.
 
James Kibler said:
All this hubbub... We fully disclosed that it didn't have good grain flow. Further, I would do absolutely nothing to it other than finish it as normal! I highly doubt it will ever break unless it takes an awful hard fall etc.
Click to expand...
thank you . too many willing to fix what ain't broke,IMHO
 
Wait until the worst case scenario actually occurs. Years ago my wife dropped her rifle from a tree stand (unloaded) and it cracked across the wrist. I was going to buy a replacement stock, but tried a simple repair first (nothing to lose). As I recall, I just forced Titebond into the crack and clamped it. To my surprise, after the glue dried the crack was barely visible. Sanding and refinishing over the crack made it disappear and the rifle has been performing as before. Walnut is easy to work with if a repair is needed. Just build your kit and get to the range.
 
After reading this first page, I am going to suggest (if someone hasn't yet) that a call to Jim would be a great move with questions about the wrist area and weakness. Jim has built many gunstocks and is maybe the best judge on stock strength.

Not sayin that an extra strength pre-fix is not a grand idea, but twer it me, a conversation directly with Jim would be my first go to.

Just sayin 🤷
 
Pratt said:
Just talk with the Kibler folks and return the stock for a replacement. Surely, they will see the flaw and replace the stock.
Click to expand...
The "flaw" was fully disclosed and I was aware of it at the time of purchase. Now it's become a forum kenundrum of whether to do a preliminary "fix" or just leave it be. I think I'll just leave it be. Plus if it were to Crack I could try my hands at something Like this!!!!
 

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