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split forestock repair

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Kozmo

40 Cal
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
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Location
Republic of Texas
Hey fellas, last night I split my forestock down the barrel channel while installing the pin in the muzzle-end ramrod pipe. The pin hung up on the pipe tab next to the drilled hole and I stupidly tried to use force. It split cleanly along the channel about 4 inches from muzzle, across the barrel lug inlet. This is a kibler SMR and the forestock is very thin.

I've done many crack repairs on wood stocks, but never at a weak/thin point like this. I'm concerned about how stable the repair will be.

What glue do you recommend for this repair? Is it better to install the barrel back in the stock while the glue is drying?

Any other recommendations for the repair?

Thanks, Tom
 
Hey fellas, last night I split my forestock down the barrel channel while installing the pin in the muzzle-end ramrod pipe. The pin hung up on the pipe tab next to the drilled hole and I stupidly tried to use force. It split cleanly along the channel about 4 inches from muzzle, across the barrel lug inlet. This is a kibler SMR and the forestock is very thin.

I've done many crack repairs on wood stocks, but never at a weak/thin point like this. I'm concerned about how stable the repair will be.

What glue do you recommend for this repair? Is it better to install the barrel back in the stock while the glue is drying?

Any other recommendations for the repair?

Thanks, Tom

Have you called Jim Kibler?
 
Thanks all. I hadn't thought to call Jim. I have some titebond on hand - thoughts on how well it will work for this?
 
If you haven’t stained the stock yet, just beware the Titebond generally will not take color. If it gets into the pores of the wood, you will have to sand it down to remove that glue.
 
I fixed one that had exactly the same misfortune. I put Tightbond 3 in the split and put the barrel back in with a piece of wax paper between the stock and barrel than wrapped it tightly with blue masking tape. Came out perfect, almost invisible. The split is in the ramrod channel so it wont show anyway. Best to clean and align the holes with a 1/16 drill bit before tapping the pins in very gently.
 
Had the same crack, but mine was 8" long. Applied stain in the crack and surrounding areas , then used super glue and put the wax papered bbl in and wrapped w/ surgical tubing. After the Mcap was installed, no chance of splitting again. …..Fred
 
Titebond II or III. FAR superior than any epoxy. I detest epoxy. "It won't take stain!!!!!!" .... well, neither does epoxy. If your seam is well fitted, and pressed TIGHT, there will be virtually no visible glue line to worry about anyway. The crack should go back together tight.

Once the crack is back together, you can inlet pieces of wood crossing the grain to reinforce the fore end.. tie the fore end grain together, if you will.
 
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Thanks guys. Glad to hear others have solved this problem before. Yes, crack is in the rod channel. I used titebond and it looks pretty stable. I'm worried about it opening with shooting, so think I'll inlet a cross piece, or maybe a threaded pin to strengthen it.
This is my first build and I've learned a lot so far. Last night learned that hitting a pin harder when it's not moving is a dumb move!
 
So as I understand it, the crack is inside the barrel channel, and doesn't show through to the outside wood? Or, the crack is under the RR where it exits? In that case, I would get some very sheer fiberglass cloth (like 1 os, or maybe even some nylon window screen. Gouge out the crack or somehow get fiberglass glue in there and lower the barrel channel inlet to let the screen sit in there flush. I would do it the full width of the barrel flat. Then of course, it's an epoxy job from there. You could drop a drop or two of stain in there too if you want to help camouflage the epoxy if you want. Not too much. A little goes a long way here.

Use your (protected with waxed paper) barrel as a mould, and put in your glass on top of the screen. It only has to be deep enough to bury the weave. You get no appreciable extra strength from the epoxy itself. and yeah, wear gloves, because epoxy resin can sensitize your skin and eventually make you allergic.

Don't let it completely set up rock hard though. Take it out of there when the resin is in the "really stiff putty" stage. It will shave off much easier then, and 90% of the curing is done. Just don't put stress on the spanned and reinforced bonded area yet.
 
You all go to a lot of trouble to fix a crack. I bought a Kibler kit second hand, the previous owner apparently tried to pull a very tight barrel out of the stock by pulling up on the muzzle while holding the forestock and cracked the forstock. The crack was about 2" long from the outside into the barrel channel.

I am a bow maker and cracked bow wood is normal for me. If super glue will hold on a bending bow limb it will hold on a static piece of gunstock.

I superglued the crack and held it closed with my fingers until the glue set. People might say "that's not strong enough", but, the forestock doesn't have a lot of tension on it or shouldn't have. I also saturated the bare wood inside the barrel channel all around the crack with super glue to harden it. Wood saturated with thin super glue turns into concrete.

Here is my fixed crack, I don't see it ever coming apart, that area of wood just sits there. The cracked area is about 3" behind the rear entry pipe. The crack starts right above the pin and angles down. Look close;

kibler crack.JPG
 
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The pins that come with Jim's guns are long so I put a slight taper on the end that will go into the stock first. I just chuck the pin in my hand drill and spin the pin against some sand paper or the belt sander. Don't need much of a taper, just a little to start the pin as it travels through wood, tendon, and wood again. Once the pin goes through from one side out through the other side of the stock, the holes are lined up and you should not have further issues.
 
I use 5/64" music wire for pins, I drill a slightly undersized hole, don't have a 5/64" bit, I round the end of some pin material, chuck it up in my drill and run it through the undersized hole in the stock to enlarge it slightly, the pins then go in easily. I can push them with my finger nail but they are tight enough to say in 100% of the time..
 
Nice job Eric. Gives me great hope. I think the titebond I've used is going to work. Sealed nicely and appears to be a solid repair.

I worried over drilling the barrel and pipe lugs but the predrilled holes on Jim's sticks make this so much easier. Still, on the muzzle lug, I managed to offset slightly and the tapered pin hung up on the lug. I also learned the hard way about opening up the pin hole on these lugs!

Lesson learned
 
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