• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Broken Mortimer stock

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
In that it is already glued, I would pull the barrel and drill from the breach face down through the wrist and into the butt. Epoxy a piece of rod10-12" long and it will never break at the wrist again. Yes, you will have to bed the breech, but that might be an improvement in that this is a hunting rifle.

Taking this one step further, poor barrel or tang bedding MAY even be part of the problem that is cracking the wrist. So if the bedding is not well done, this will help ensure the wrist won't crack again.

Gus
 
I've looked at the following picture a lot.

1628263297038.png


It looks to me like the board/plank the stock came from was slab sewn close to a large branch and that's why the grain is fairly straight around the lock but goes at a severe angle in the wrist. You can see how the cracks rather closely follow the grain when looking to the right side of the checkered area.

Gus
 
Folks, I often see suggestions not to use epoxy in applications like this. I have to politely, but for the most part, strongly disagree.

Epoxy failures are most commonly attributed to one of three things:

1. Using the WRONG Epoxy. Most 5 minute Epoxies are worthless for stock work, especially where sheer strength is needed in a job like this. I've used Devcon Clear 2 Ton Epoxy with a LONG set up time of between 20 to 30 minutes for decades and that gives great sheer strength and excellent filling capability.

2. Improper mixing. Oh, the stories I have about both epoxies and glass bedding compounds failures that were either not mixed in the factory recommended ratios OR were not properly and thoroughly mixed before use. It ain't rocket science to use the correct ratio's and thoroughly mix the compounds, but way too many folks get in a hurry and don't do it correctly. I spend at least two to five minutes with a Palate Knife or small Putty Knife mixing epoxy by scraping some up, folding it on top of the rest, and generally thoroughly mixing. I actually scrape/fold/mix the entire amount at least two or three times.

3. Improper preparation of the surfaces and especially with wood. Wood (or any surfaces to be joined) HAS to be clean and the surfaces need to be at least somewhat rough or the epoxy won't stick properly. Normally with a broken wrist, the wood on each side is already rough from the break. To clean it, use Acetone with a tooth brush or at least a clean rag, because when it evaporates, it leaves NOTHING on the wood that can negatively affect the Epoxy.

Gus
I agree 1000%. Using the wrong epoxy or incorrectly is usually the biggest problem.
 
Rather than have an ugly, highly visible repair with epoxy, why not initially join the crack invisibly with hide glue and then drill hidden holes for bolts, screws or whatever?
 
Rather than have an ugly, highly visible repair with epoxy, why not initially join the crack invisibly with hide glue and then drill hidden holes for bolts, screws or whatever?

Hi Rudall,

Now I think I begin to see what you meant earlier. Are you referring to the fact the glue line looks unfilled in the first repair?

If so, I think that may be from the way deerstalkert cleaned up the excess glue that "squooshed out" during the first repair and/or he didn't get enough glue all the way around the edges to fill it in - or a combination of both. This can/will also happen when you can't or don't get enough clamping pressure when gluing or epoxying two pieces of wood together.

One of the biggest tips I learned from doing it the wrong way was NOT to clean up squooshed out epoxy until after it had cured. Then cut it off with a razor blade if you can or file it off if not. That will leave a filled in glue line. One has to STRONGLY resist the temptation to clean off squooshed out glue in a checkered area until it cures. Instead you combine cutting it off after it cures along with very judicious use of "3 Square" or Triangular needle files to get it out of the grooves in the checkering.

When I fixed the shattered wrist in my Brown Bess Carbine, I had to deal with two pieces of wood that actually broke off the wrist completely, besides the crack through the wrist. I used Accra Glass internally, but spread a thin coat of dyed epoxy near the outside edges of the wood where they joined together. I tightly wrapped surgical tubing around the pieces to hold them in place. Still, I had to keep reminding myself NOT to touch the squooshed out glue until it cured. (Something I learned from fine wood workers.)

I cut most of the squooshed out epoxy off with a "safety edge" razor blade and used a fine file and then sandpaper to get it down to the surface level of the wood. Even though they were epoxy glue lines all over the wrist, after I did that and stained the stock, the only place I could see any glue line was a tiny place near the trigger guard where an extremely small chip came out and I didn't have it to glue it back in. So I just used a fine black magic marker to make it look like wood grain.

Gus
 
Last edited:
Amen. The first broken wrist I repaired was a freeby for a friend. I glassed up a cracked Win 97 shotgun wrist. I let the glass run onto the checkered and wound.up throwing in a recheckering job too.
 
Hi Deerstalker, I also collect Parker shotguns and there is a fellow called The Stock Doctor who has repaired many Parkers and is highly thought of . He has a website and maybe he will be able to help you . His work is first rate. Good Luck !
 
just got a quote from Pedersoli for a new stock . 850.00 delivered to my trembling little paws. Ain't happening. i will go out and cut down a tree and chisel a stock for that kind of money.
I saw a beautiful striped blank on another site for 500.00 Hmmmmmmmmm.
have some rawhide soaking so i guess that's next. i could buy a Kibler kit for 850.00 for petes sake.

I've been repairing broken wrists for years. Often the finer/fancier the wood grain is, the weaker & more prone to breakage it is. IF the wood is all there, that's half the battle. IF it's not been poorly "repaired" already, that's a HUGE plus, but not insurmountable.

Preparation is king. Get all misc crud off the mating surfaces, but do not compromise the edges that will show after. Easy to say & do if there is no glue there, but possible with a LOT of meticulous detail work. Be sure all glue, etc. is GONE from mating surfaces.

Materials
- A long length (8 ft) of surgical latex tubing. 1/4 inch diameter.
- I use Acra-Glas (not gel) with a bit of glass fiber flock (all from Brownells). Add a little brown die to match wood color so the glue line will not show when done.
- Prepare 4 3-4 inch long all-thread reinforcing dowels. These are necessary! They are not for alignment, but will reinforce the wrist against breakage later on. I use #8 to #10 screw threads at least 3in long, 4 if possible.
- About 6 short small diameter dowels, wooden toothpicks even, to prevent slippage. These dowels will allow tight, unmoving fit of the joint line.

Study carefully how the surfaces go together. Most times they will self align, at least in one direction, but will often slip along the grain direction when clamping pressure is applied with glue as a lubricant.

Tang(s), trigger bars, etc. are there for strength, too. If their fit is loose, here's a good time to glass bed them. If they're loose, they will lose most of this benefit.

All-thread reinforcing dowels are necessary! They are not for alignment, but will reinforce the wrist against breakage later on. Mating holes for these have to be co-linear (a drilling challenge!) but don't need to be really close to screw dia. Be careful to line up these long holes so you don't break out into exposed surfaces. A bit of slop here is good, as it allows fine fit adjustment and will be filled with glass epoxy.

Dry fit & adjust repeatedly until all mismatches are done away with and you have a little wiggle room in all directions.

Now drill & use small diameter dowels, wooden toothpicks even, to prevent slippage. Drill holes across the break from inside tang or other inlets so nothing shows when done (if possible, and it usually is possible). These dowels/pins will allow a tight, unmoving fit.

I use Acra-Glas (not gel) with a bit of glass fiber flock (all from Brownells). Add a little brown die to match wood color so the glue line will not show when done. You will have lots of time for assembly and fine fitting adjustments before it sets up.

Put blue painter's tape along the outer surfaces adjacent to the break line and trim for close fit. This will greatly assist clean-up after gluing.

Lay out whatever clamps you may need before mixing the epoxy.

Apply at least one good coat of paste wax to any metal parts that will come in contact with epoxy. Believe me, you don't want a strong joint here! Wipe a little wax on finished wood surfaces to avoid epoxy sticking there and aid clean-up later on.

Mix your epoxy/glass/die well & thoroughly. Then mix some more.

First fill the reinforcing screw holes and remove excess using the screw to push out most of the excess. Twist the threaded rod to screw it in and fill screw threads with epoxy.

Now spread epoxy mix on all mating surfaces, being sure to leave enough to fill all gaps in the joint. Avoid leaving voids or bubbles in the joint, but don't leave so much that you have a huge mess outside the joint to clean up later.

Start the small alignment dowels/toothpicks. You won't need to add epoxy to their holes.

Take a deep breath or two and bring the surfaces together slowly and deliberately.

Drive the toothpicks in to establish fine alignment.

Place metal parts. Draw down their screws lightly to assure fit. Not too tight now!

Try to wiggle and squeeze a bit to establish the glue joint.

Inspect closely for correct alignment.

Remove excess epoxy at joint edges and from metal part inlet lines.

Now wrap the wrist across the joint with the surgical tubing starting about the center of the length of the joint. Pull the tubing moderately tight while wrapping.
Try to get 3 or more layers of tubing wrapped the full length of the joint.
Be careful to avoid inducing any twist or bend to the joint.

Watch both ends of the joint to find and adjust for any tiny slippage. It's way easier to avoid misalignment that to dress it down after the epoxy hardens.

Now take the rest of the night to rest and ponder what what you've done.

After about 6 hours, begin to unwrap the tubing. The epoxy is not fully hardened, but almost.

You'll find it easy to remove excess epoxy on surfaces now w/o inducing sanding or other damage to the finish.

Chase any checkering ... carefully! Small needle files do a great job. Tread lightly.

A little touch-up finish to match checkering color or repair any little scratches and be amazed at how the damage has disappeared! One should not be able to see any evidence of the repairs. The wrist will now be much stronger than it ever was!
 
I've been repairing broken wrists for years. Often the finer/fancier the wood grain is, the weaker & more prone to breakage it is. IF the wood is all there, that's half the battle. IF it's not been poorly "repaired" already, that's a HUGE plus, but not insurmountable.

Preparation is king. Get all misc crud off the mating surfaces, but do not compromise the edges that will show after. Easy to say & do if there is no glue there, but possible with a LOT of meticulous detail work. Be sure all glue, etc. is GONE from mating surfaces.

Materials
- A long length (8 ft) of surgical latex tubing. 1/4 inch diameter.
- I use Acra-Glas (not gel) with a bit of glass fiber flock (all from Brownells). Add a little brown die to match wood color so the glue line will not show when done.
- Prepare 4 3-4 inch long all-thread reinforcing dowels. These are necessary! They are not for alignment, but will reinforce the wrist against breakage later on. I use #8 to #10 screw threads at least 3in long, 4 if possible.
- About 6 short small diameter dowels, wooden toothpicks even, to prevent slippage. These dowels will allow tight, unmoving fit of the joint line.

Study carefully how the surfaces go together. Most times they will self align, at least in one direction, but will often slip along the grain direction when clamping pressure is applied with glue as a lubricant.

Tang(s), trigger bars, etc. are there for strength, too. If their fit is loose, here's a good time to glass bed them. If they're loose, they will lose most of this benefit.

All-thread reinforcing dowels are necessary! They are not for alignment, but will reinforce the wrist against breakage later on. Mating holes for these have to be co-linear (a drilling challenge!) but don't need to be really close to screw dia. Be careful to line up these long holes so you don't break out into exposed surfaces. A bit of slop here is good, as it allows fine fit adjustment and will be filled with glass epoxy.

Dry fit & adjust repeatedly until all mismatches are done away with and you have a little wiggle room in all directions.

Now drill & use small diameter dowels, wooden toothpicks even, to prevent slippage. Drill holes across the break from inside tang or other inlets so nothing shows when done (if possible, and it usually is possible). These dowels/pins will allow a tight, unmoving fit.

I use Acra-Glas (not gel) with a bit of glass fiber flock (all from Brownells). Add a little brown die to match wood color so the glue line will not show when done. You will have lots of time for assembly and fine fitting adjustments before it sets up.

Put blue painter's tape along the outer surfaces adjacent to the break line and trim for close fit. This will greatly assist clean-up after gluing.

Lay out whatever clamps you may need before mixing the epoxy.

Apply at least one good coat of paste wax to any metal parts that will come in contact with epoxy. Believe me, you don't want a strong joint here! Wipe a little wax on finished wood surfaces to avoid epoxy sticking there and aid clean-up later on.

Mix your epoxy/glass/die well & thoroughly. Then mix some more.

First fill the reinforcing screw holes and remove excess using the screw to push out most of the excess. Twist the threaded rod to screw it in and fill screw threads with epoxy.

Now spread epoxy mix on all mating surfaces, being sure to leave enough to fill all gaps in the joint. Avoid leaving voids or bubbles in the joint, but don't leave so much that you have a huge mess outside the joint to clean up later.

Start the small alignment dowels/toothpicks. You won't need to add epoxy to their holes.

Take a deep breath or two and bring the surfaces together slowly and deliberately.

Drive the toothpicks in to establish fine alignment.

Place metal parts. Draw down their screws lightly to assure fit. Not too tight now!

Try to wiggle and squeeze a bit to establish the glue joint.

Inspect closely for correct alignment.

Remove excess epoxy at joint edges and from metal part inlet lines.

Now wrap the wrist across the joint with the surgical tubing starting about the center of the length of the joint. Pull the tubing moderately tight while wrapping.
Try to get 3 or more layers of tubing wrapped the full length of the joint.
Be careful to avoid inducing any twist or bend to the joint.

Watch both ends of the joint to find and adjust for any tiny slippage. It's way easier to avoid misalignment that to dress it down after the epoxy hardens.

Now take the rest of the night to rest and ponder what what you've done.

After about 6 hours, begin to unwrap the tubing. The epoxy is not fully hardened, but almost.

You'll find it easy to remove excess epoxy on surfaces now w/o inducing sanding or other damage to the finish.

Chase any checkering ... carefully! Small needle files do a great job. Tread lightly.

A little touch-up finish to match checkering color or repair any little scratches and be amazed at how the damage has disappeared! One should not be able to see any evidence of the repairs. The wrist will now be much stronger than it ever was!

A bunch of good tips there.

Gus
 
Granted, the repair isn't as fancy as others, it has and still does work. The rifle is in the signature picture. The stock was broken in two pieces. I used Accurglass to join the two parts and wrapped the repair with an old bicycle tire tube, cut down and stretched tight. After curing, I found some thin sheet brass to wrap the wrist and secured the brass with several wood screws. This is a .50 calibre rifle. The repair was done sometime around 1990. It is still as solid today as it was when first done.
 
Back
Top