Is it hard to fix a badly cracked wooden foreend stock on pump shotgun?

[Sheepdog1968]

After 7,000 rounds through my 12 gauge Mossberg 500, the wood foreend stock cracked about two thirds the way down the middle on the bottom. No wood is missing. A friend of mine said to remove the foreend, take some 5 min set epoxy and gently spread the crack and put in the epoxy, clean pushed out epoxy, add some pressure and let dry and then sand scrape as needed.

Is it that easy? Do they hold up? Have you found a good circular object to stick in the middle when trying to tape, clamp as epoxy dries?


I have another wood foreend but would prefer to fix this one as I like the patina on it. I guess there are some advantages to polymer materials.

Of course, I think the shotgun is just getting even with me for having the indignity of lubing it last week was garage door grease (lithium grease in spray). Rather than cleaning it after 1000 rounds of use. Joking.

For what it's worth, it kept working for another round of 5 stand after it had cracked.

 

[Scooter22]

I've never had good results with " 5 minute epoxy". Depending on the size of the crack I'd use a good CA glue or wood glue and clamp it. I've used Zap-A-Gap (CA) with great success on many cracks. A good wood glue is stronger than the wood so that should hold. Plus it's easy to wipe off what oozes out. Good luck.

 

[gamestalker]

Epoxy works great. But what I did to reduce the risk of it re-separating, I drilled angled 1/4" holes into each half, apply epoxy, the put a clamp on it for 24 hours.

I have a 20 ga. 870 that the crown nut had loosened up on, thus resulting in the stock splitting. It hasn't come apart in 4 or 5 years of and a couple thousand rounds.

GS

 

[Jim K]

Unless cash is really tight, and you don't mind frustration, forget trying to repair that foreend and just buy a new one. You can even get them in polymer, which won't crack.

Jim

 

[X-Rap]

A picture would help but can a hole be drilled length wise through the crack? If so drill a slightly (1/32-64) oversize hole and fill with glue/epoxy and then drive a dowel (1/8, 3/16, 1/4) so that the glue/epoxy squeezes out the crack, clamp and sand and refinish after the repair.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Thanks for input. I could probably drill and put a small dowel into it. To prevent me from rushing it I will put a polymer foreend I have laying around on it in the meantime. If I put the other wood one I have laying around on it, I will never get around to fixing the broken one.

Once my 930SPX sells (on consignment at local gunstore) I was going to buy another 590A1 to match the one I keep as a home defense weapon. I was all set to put wood furniture on this new 590A1 because I like the look. Based on this recent event, I'm reconsidering and just leaving polymer furniture on it.

 

[rcmodel]

Use Hot Stuff CA adhesive.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...hesives/hot-stuff-instant-glue-prod13081.aspx

You can find it at any hobby or craft shop.

rc

 

[beag_nut]

Again, for the umpteenth time, what rcmodel said (says, usually).

 

[Kp321]

I always use Acraglas for such repairs. It sets slower than the five minute epoxy but is stronger. For extra strength and reinforcement, you could cut slots across the crack and use Popsicle sticks for reinforcing splines. I have seen military rifle upper hand guards repaired thusly that were still good to go half a century later.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Again, for the umpteenth time, what rcmodel said (says, usually).

I follow what RC says. Thanks RC.

 

[Scooter22]

I follow what RC says. Thanks RC.

CA glue?? Who would have thought?

 

[rcmodel]

I don't know what that is supposed to mean.

But I have been using Hot Stuff CA for repairing wood stock cracks for at least 25 years.

Never had one come back cracked again.

rc

 

[Scooter22]

I suggested CA glue in Post #2 but it didn't seemed to register until Post #10. The internet must have been sloooooow when I posted.

 

[rcmodel]

No, I know you did suggest it in post #2.
And it was what it would have suggested, and I did when I got to the party late.

For some strange reason, a few folks here believe me when I open my mouth for some strange reason?

You done good though!!

Rc

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Use a quality wood glue. There are, after all, reasons they're called "wood glues". They come in many different flavors...epoxies, cyanoacrylates, polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, etc.

One would do well, however, to take a close look at the cracked piece in question to figure out why and how it cracked. Not every repair method/glue is suitable, or simple.

If there is a problem with poor wood grain, because the piece of wood selected for the part was simply not a good piece for the function expected of it, then a straight up repair with any type of glue may only result in a subsequent crack near the same location. Such repairs may be more involved in order to reinforce the wood first.

If the crack is the result of excessive stresses brought about by using an improperly cured/dried piece, then it may not be possible to force the two pieces back together for gluing without excessive stresses to the wood...which may result in failure of the repair or a future crack again somewhere in the same vicinity.

Also, woods which have been heavily oil stained may be more difficult to repair depending on the type of glue used.

http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/03/types-of-wood-glue/

If the wood is not oil stained deeply into the grain, Titebond II or Tightbond III will work well. An epoxy wood glue would also be an excellent choice.

I've never used any cyanoacrylate wood glues, so I'll bow to rcmodel's experience with those.

 

[MEHavey]

"SuperThin" CA glue -- just as RCmodel and some others have suggested.
Don't spread the crack.
Don't try to jam enough epoxy forced down into the crack to bond.

Simply run the SuperThin CA along the crack and it will wick itself all
the way down into the wood to penetrate the smallest capillary crevice.
Hold together for 10 seconds and then run a wet paper towel along the surface.
Done.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

"SuperThin" CA glue -- just as RCmodel and some others have suggested.
Don't spread the crack.
Don't try to jam enough epoxy forced down into the crack to bond.

Simply run the SuperThin CA along the crack and it will wick itself all
the way down into the wood to penetrate the smallest capillary crevice.
Hold together for 10 seconds and then run a wet paper towel along the surface.
Done.

Thanks. I was concerned about spreading the stock.

 

[Sol]

Duct tape since nobody else typed it.

 

[lemaymiami]

I use lots and lots of "super glue" (mentioned here as CA glue in one form or another) but not for wood repairs (I was a commercial fly tier for many years among other things....). High end woodworkers use various CA glues all the time with outstanding results. A few cautions, though, for a quality repair... First make sure that no lube, wax, or polish has gotten inside that crack if possible (use lacquer thinner or acetone to clean out the crack area if you suspect any of the above are present in the area to be repaired -but only with great caution since either lacquer thinner or acetone will attack any existing surface finish that it comes in contact with....). Lastly if you suspect any moisture present in the crack make sure it's as dry as possible before going the super glue route. Any moisture present will kill the adhesive properties of super glue (I keep a small custard bowl with a small amount of water to kill any super glue that gets on my fingers when working with the stuff in quantity...).

As already noted thin super glue will spread completely into any crack by capillary action when applied so there's no need to spread the crack open (the way you need to with epoxy...) for the adhesive to cover every portion of the repair. After applying immediately add clamps or bind with turns of tape to hold the repair together tightly until is sets (setting takes mere seconds with superglue...). That damp paper towel previously mentioned will clean up any excess after your repair (and with super glue... less is always better as you apply the stuff). Hope this helps

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

It's coming up on a month soon...it'd be really cool to see some before and after shots, plus a bit on what repair method was used and any pros/cons encountered.

 

[Hookeye]

Repaired a couple of recurve bow risers with thin CA.
Held up fine.
Risers, not limbs, and those riser sections were away from the fades.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

It's coming up on a month soon...it'd be really cool to see some before and after shots, plus a bit on what repair method was used and any pros/cons encountered.

I put the CA in but in couldn't quite get the crack to close all the way. I will take photos over next few days and will reinstall the foreend for use in my Thursday night trap league.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Hmmm...

If you can't get the crack to close all the way, then you have stresses in the wood which are keeping this from happening.

When repairing a crack in wood, the usual assumption is that the pieces will naturally fit back together with a fairly seemless fit without having to exert any force to speak of. If this isn't the case, then simply gluing may not hold up, depending on the nature of the forces involved.

If that's the case, then you may be looking at a more extensive mechanical repair of the crack, which could involve such things as pinning the pieces together, screwing them together, etc, in order to keep the pieces properly aligned against the forces which are separating them.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I installed the cracked stock today that I had used cyanoacrylate product on to fix. Despite squeezing as hard as possible, I couldn't get the crack to completely close up. I let it dry for about a week before reinstalling. After about 10 rounds through, the cracked reopened. I was able to finish the 2 x 25 rounds of five stand. I'm going to call Mossberg as under warranty and get a new wood forend. I will have a local guns it fix the cracked one. From talking to an experienced local trap shooter, he says a gunsmith typically use expoxy and cross pin with a brass rod to fix. I'm not loosing sleep over it either way. I have the back up synthetic foreend I can reinstall in the meantime.

Below is,a photo of what it looked liked after I fixed it. The white is likely remainders of white paper towel I used to wipe off excess cyanoacrylate.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

If you're having this problem with the wood, given the nature and location of the crack, I don't think I'd bother spending any further time/money repairing it. Get a replacement and be done with it.