This is a simple repair. If done right it will never give you trouble again.
First you will need to clean the cosmoline from the area. This is very important due to the fact that no repair will hold for long if there is any oil in the area.
Also, the handguard is made of Elm and Elm just loves to soak up oil.
You will need to use Acraglas or Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy (clear with 30 min set time) Glues are nice, but I have had to repair many stocks that had glue repairs that have failed.
First apply the resin to the area from the inside then flex the crack to work the resin into it. Then Clamp it like in the repair thread. (hog tie)
Once this is set, approx. one hour, use a dremel tool to remove some wood from inside the handguard. Cut a small strip of fiberglass colth to fit the area.
Wet the are with the resin and put the cloth in place. Apply a little more resin on top of the cloth. Once this is cured, dress it up and your done.
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=137&t=50964
Here is the reason that glues don't work that good. Glue sticks to things very good, but just doesn't stick to itself very good. Most glues stay a little soft and others dry too hard. Too hard = brittle.
Glues may be fine for some things, but stocks are a little different. You will be subjecting your repair to recoil. This is a big factor in how your repair should be done.
earlthegoat2 Sorry that you were unimpressed with the repairs on the M1 Carbine wrist repair.
I've been at this for over 23 years and one thing that I will tell you, not all cracks can be pulled back together rendering it invisible. It has a lot to do with how long the stock has been cracked and how much dirt and grime has gotten into it.
The technique that I use to repair stocks, is what I call Blind Repair work. I do my best to hide the repairs so that they are not seen or very little is seen.
That M1 stock never would have been repaired by the military, it would have been thrown out.
Now I will add brass screws and wood wedges if someone wants the look of an Arsenal repair, but they are just for looks.
But I am always willing to learn something new.
But here is one that should impress you.
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=137&t=97944
Now I know that there is more then one way to skin a cat and even more ways to repair a stock.
But when I repair a stock, I want it to last as long as the gun or longer.
I stopped taking in stock repair work over a year ago, due to my health, thying to catch up on back log work, my own projects and enlarging my workshop. The last part is taking longer then it should. :banghead:
hexum77 Here is an offer I put out from time to time. Send the handguard to me with $5 to cover return shipping. I will repair the handguard and ship it back to you. The work will be done for free. Just PM me for my address.
