cracked stock

[bothenook]

so i've seen it a number of times where you guys all had fixes for cracked wood. I have an old friend, a Lyman GPR that has been used and abused for years. Still shoots straight and still looks like something you might want to hang on a wall for display. Not beautiful, but serviceable. Anyway, the master clutz was showing a youngster how to load and shoot yesterday, and let the gun drop about 4 inches onto a concrete pad. the ding on the butt was easy, mr. file to the rescue. but.....i now have a crack on the toe that runs about 3 inches up the stock. this is no museum piece, but I'd like to fix the crack so it doesn't get any worse. Someone posted about a glue that they used that ran into the crack and stabilized it. Anyone remember what the thin glue was, and where I might find it? Please note that I am not a woodworker. at best, I am a wood butcher that can do rudimentary things. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Doak]

I've always used super-glue. Cyanoacrylate (spell?), chemically. It capillaries well, deep into cracks. Cleans up w/acetone. Sands well. Scrapes well. Stores in freezer well.

Gotta work fast, cuz it goes off quickly. Apply plenty, along full length of crack, all sides. Tape, clamp, rubber-band, the crack tightly closed, whatever works best. Poke a glue puddle, somewhere along the crack, w/bamboo skewer, to see if it's hardened. Maybe wait 1/2 hr. for good measure.

Refinish surface along the crack.

Done.

Kindest Regards,
Doak

 

[J-Bar]

Photo would help; there is more than one fix.

 

[243winxb]

Depending on where its at, i like to drill holes and use brownells acraglas. The liquid kind, not the putty.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I learned this trick from a guy who rebuilt wood guitars. It might work for you.
Thin some Titebond Type II (waterproof) glue with a bit of water and use a hypodermic needle to force it into the crack then clamp up overnight.

 

[MEHavey]

Superglue comes in various viscosities. Get the "Superthin" type sold in any good bookshop. It will immediately wick throughout the entire crack and secure it in seconds.

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

without seeing it hard to say for sure.
But superglue is not always the answer in every situation.
First find the end of the crack.
drill a small pilot hole at the end.
In most cases this will stop the crack from propagating further.
then get a hypodermic syringe and needle.
Use this to get glue all the way to bottom of hole and fill hole.
Very gently open the crack a bit, and work glue all the way down length of crack. no hypo? then a sewing needle and patience.
smear it good. glue works by settling into all the visible and invisible crevices
and then drying and locking the two halves together.
and in this case good quality wood glue works better than superglue.
Now clamp the crack tight up against the the main part of the stock

And if need be you can do what the old timers did, add decorative tacks

I'm guessing they don't teach this in wood shop anymore

 

[bothenook]

Stock crack left side by bo thenook, on Flickr

Looking at the stock, there is a crack on the opposite side as well, closer to the toe. That gives me the feeling the grain is at an angle, and that the crack goes all the way through the wood. Fortunately there is a bit that is still attached, otherwise I'd have had a window in the stock at the buttplate..... not a good look if you ask me.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Perhaps you can remove the toeplate and drill a pilot hole for a #8 or #10 sheetmetal screw long enough the span the crack. Counter-bore the pilot hole for the screw head. Then, force glue into the crack if you desire, install a screw in the pilot hole and cinch it up tight, and reinstall the toeplate to cover the screw head.

Good luck with whichever method you choose.

 

[J-Bar]

The thumbnail shows a crack repair on a Winchester 97 buttstock. The crack extended to both sides.

I used a Dremel to dig trenches at a right angle to, and across the crack. Cut off a wood screw to fit in the trench, tap it firmly into the wood to fix it in place, then secure with epoxy. The method was given to me by a gunsmith, not my creation. It is a very strong repair.

Your GPR stock is narrow, so you can probably only install one screw, but that should be sufficient. As others have suggested, getting some adhesive into the extended crack is a good idea if you can do it.

 

[Buddy]

Titebone II

I am a woodworker and I agree with the use of Titebond II wood glue and a woodscrew under the toe plate. Remove the toe plate and butt plate. Gently open the crack just a little using a thin tool such as a thin screwdriver or a knife blade and force glue into the crack. Work in an area where any tool marks will be hidden by the butt plate. Pre-drill for a fine thread drywall screw, long enough to bridge the crack, where it will be hidden under the toe plate. Fine thread screws work best in hardwood and course thread screws work best in softwood. Use a little bar soap on the screw and it will drive easier.

 

[david58]

Resourcinol glue is amazing. I have repaired guns with it, and once I have refinished the area you truly cannot find the crack without magnification. It is a two part glue, once (still?) used to make plywood. The bondline is almost nonexistent, and the bond is stronger than the wood. You can get it on Amazon. I have always gone to this stuff, whether fixing a cracked wrist on an original shotgun, or doing inlaid repairs on stocks with booboos. You don't need screws, pins, or anything else, just the glue.

David

 

[whughett]

I use these in my shop as a repair for cracks or to fasten joints.

http://www.amazon.com/Miller-Walnut...&qid=1461157160&sr=1-9&keywords=miller+dowels

They come in a variety of woods but do require a special stepped drill bit.

 

[MEHavey]

That crack is totally contained within the metal buttplate angle.
Superglue it. (remember... SuperThin)