Help split stock

[redthunder]

Alrite, Can anyone give some advice please i've got a BSA side by side 12g 30" its quite old from about 1950 double trigger but it shoots like a new gun. It had a faint crack in the stock by the pistol grip when i bought it but was very small but now its growing every time i go out. I don't want to change the stock because it fits me like a glove can anyone suggest the best way to repair it my local gun shop will charge an arm and a leg for the repair and probaly only do a half a job some one said to pin and glue it but will this hold what about these epoxy resins out there for sale they sound strong but are thick like tar and would be hard to get all the way in to the crack what's your opinion ?? cheers.

[EvoCars]

dont know about gun stocks, but carpenters, when fixing old antiques ect, they will split it completly, so take the stock off, gently seperate the 2 halfs, clean the break up and then glue it back togeather while its held tight, epoxy glue is good for doing things like that, should be easily as strong as new, if its a clean break and u dont let any glue dry on the outside of the stock u shouldnt even be able to see the crack

[Lord Geordie]

Sorry to say Glue OR epoxy wont do you any good

 

The crack is in the worst place possible NORMALLY a small crack you will get away with as they very rarely spread unless the crack is deep.

 

Once the crack spreads i am afraid it's time for a new stock as using epoxy or glue will not make a good repair the recoil will make short work of it

 

You really need to either have a stock MADE for you or try to source an old stock that will fit.

 

I have known of MANY people trying to use binds pegs and many other repairs and nearly ALL have failed in a short time.

 

The only one i remember that worked was drilling 2 small holes and inserting 2 screws to hold the stock together and filling with wood filler to hide the holes.

 

Most stock repairs like this are done for DISPLAY for antique arms etc.

 

Best course is to look for an old battered BSA you can get cheaply and use the stock as a replacement for yours.

 

LG

[Cranfield]

This is a difficult question, because its something that I wouldn't even try to undertake, my DIY skills are zero.

 

I think the expert will know if the crack is serious enough to need pinning, but most can be glued.

The difficult thing is keeping the wood clamped tightly, during the curing process.

[Dunkield]

I have fairly decnt DIY skills, but I would get a decent gunsmith to look at it before you do anything.

 

If you do decide to have ago you can open the crack up slightly and tip superglue in there, get the runny stuff from Zap.

 

Have a look in the DIY section for the pictures of the stock I repaired just like that, it is absolutely fine and had been shot many times with no ill affects at all.

[malcolm]

I have a small crack in my semi auto, which hasn't spread yet. The local gunsmith (whose carpentry work is impecable) suggested "Superglue" (carefully wiping off any access), if it had gone any further. I would have thought that "Superglue" would have been too brittle and PVA would have been better, but I think that this guy is good and I suppose its worth a go if you can close the crack completely. I suppose superglue is not very viscous and will flow easily into the crack. Where do you live? You may want to talk to him.

 

 

Edit: Sorry Stuartp, I've just noticed that you've already suggested that! I suppose a reconfirmation will do no harm.

[thestickman]

I would still let your gunsmith check it out - I took my old BSA Mercury air rifle in to get the barrel tightenned up (it wobbled) and he showed me how to do it myself and charged nothing! They're not all rip off merchants so you might be lucky!

As a pro stickmaker I get lots of sticks to repair so these tips might help if you decide to do it yourself.

 

First - if the stock has been well oiled over the years the oil may have soaked into the wood and any sort of glue will have difficulty sticking at all!

Epoxy resin can be made very runny - almost watery - by warming it up. Put the tubes in hot water for a few minutes before you mix them, but beware, the heat will also make the glue set much quicker!

Superglue is not good at filling gaps - so unless you can close the crack after putting the glue in, you'd be better off with Epoxy.

Neither superglue nor epoxy will stick to polythene - so once you've put in the glue, wrap a piece of CLEAR polythene bag (coloured ones may stick because of the pigment) round the joint to stop it sticking to your clamp.

If you can clamp the stock in a vice after putting in the glue, wrap some cloth, leather, carpet or similar round the vice jaws to reduce any marking of the wood.

If you can't use a vice - what about a couple of large Jubillee clips (hose clips) that wind up tightly. You can add them together end-to-end to make a large one if you can only get small ones.

You can buy litle tubes of "superglue remover" which also work on epoxy (I've used it). If you get glue where it shouldn't be, cover it with the remover and leave overnight. In the morning the glue will be soft and you can scrape it off.

 

Finally - if I was doing it myself I would use epoxy and a couple of wood screws through the crack. Collect the dust when you drill the screw holes and mix this dust with your epoxy to make filler paste the same colour as the stock. Use it to cover the screw heads.

 

I hope some of this proves usefull

 

Keith.

[Cranfield]

Its probably worth mentioning that most cracks in stocks are caused by oiling the wood , either excessively, or over a long period of time.

[Devilishdave]

The glue you want to use is called caskamite It will crate such a strong joint that if you were to deliberately try to break it it would not break at the old break. Caskamite comes as a pwder that you add water to. Split it, glue it and clamp it or if you can get the glue in without spliting do that. Once it has setDrill accross the grain about 5mm. Create the wooden pegs; do this by cutting 5mm square from a similar hard wood going with the grain. Drill a 5mm hole through a pice of steel. Tap your 5mm square through the 5mm round hole. You will end up with 5mm round pegs. Coat pegs in cascamite and tap them through the holes drilled in the stock and leave to dry. The caskamite on its own will probably do the job but the pegs are belt and braces repair. all that should cost you a few hours work at most. If you make a hash of it or it doesnt work then its time to source or make a new stock and you are back in the position you are in now. so you have nothing to loose.

 

http://websites.uk-plc.net/Ellis_Building_...sivesPVASBR.htm

 

Get 125g of Caskamite here for £2.85

 

Dave

[Highlander]

Oooops think that'll be a throw away. As LG says the crack sounds to be in just the wrong place and no amount of bodging will make it right. It could even be dangerous if the stock breaks in use, think about the breech recoiling in your face Have you had the gun checked out for other w & t because it might not be safe in other respects. Yes it costs but we're talking lethal situations here so how much is safety worth???

 

Cranfield's right too much oil isn't good for guns in the long term. The most common cause of cracking stocks is from oil penetration when the gun is stored butt down and the oil in the barrels/lock seeps into the wood and softens it.

[redthunder]

Oooops think that'll be a throw away. As LG says the crack sounds to be in just the wrong place and no amount of bodging will make it right. It could even be dangerous if the stock breaks in use, think about the breech recoiling in your face Have you had the gun checked out for other w & t because it might not be safe in other respects. Yes it costs but we're talking lethal situations here so how much is safety worth???

 

Cranfield's right too much oil isn't good for guns in the long term. The most common cause of cracking stocks is from oil penetration when the gun is stored butt down and the oil in the barrels/lock seeps into the wood and softens it.

The gun was hardly used it was a captains gun from the second world war it only fired a few shots each year the barrels are perfect not a pit anywhere i've put a good 1500 shells through it IN THE LAST 2 OR THREE MONTHS ( ROTTWEIL 32F ) i think the rotties have shaken it apart ill try that glue first, The one devilishdave was on about it may work if snaps then ill go for a new stock cheers

[Lord Geordie]

IF you need!!!

 

You can buy Blanks and fashion your OWN new stock rather than pay a top stock maker to fabricate one as they tend to charge silly prices.

 

Ask about you DO find stock makers who are the HOBBY type and do some fantastic work for little money + wood costs.

 

I met one in Norfolk last year at an Auction but never got his number as he said he charged £200 all in

 

In my opinion money well spent in some instances

 

OR as i say see if you can find an old broken BSA to match yours and liberate the stock

 

Best of luck

 

LG

[Graham M]

Is the gun insured against accidental damage such as being ACCIDENTALLY dropped

G.M.

[Jon-Boy]

being an ex cabinet maker, DONT use caskimite, its britle as **** when it comes to knocks, and especially recoil, dont use pva as if it gets wet, it will soften and open up again. Theres no real solution im afraid, you will always see the crack once it is there. Try your local police HQ, people hand in guns to be destroyed all the time, if someone happens to be destroying an old bsa, ask the the local force to keep the wood work for you!

[thestickman]

Try your local police HQ, people hand in guns to be destroyed all the time.

 

I tried this for getting old gunstocks for carving into stick heads. I was told that if guns were confiscated or handed in to be destroyed then the police were legally obliged to destroy them! This is to prevent any chance of guns getting back onto the market. The metal parts are crushed and melted down and the woodwork goes to landfill - absolute shame, but there it is!

[MC]

I agree with Jonboy about cascamite and PVA. However there is a solution. It is Polyurethane adhesive, it is similar to the expanding foam used for filling holes and fixing windows.

 

It is available in a runny form or a thick version. If I were you I would use the runny one, Gently open up the crack as far as you can and pour some in. nip the crack up with a cramp and leave to set. most of them set within an hour, but I would leave overnight.

 

In the morning the glue will have foamed up and filled all gaps and permantly bonded the stock. It will take some cleaning off but will result in a wel stuck joint.

 

Most of the major glue manufacturers make it, but in my opinion the best one is made by Winzer Wurth. If you have a joinery company near you go and ask for some, they will probably let you have a small ammount.

 

If you are near me I will do it for you.

[redthunder]

Cheers for the offer but im miles away from you theres a joinery down the road from me ill give them a try they might have some if not i could accidentally drop it if you know what i mean

[Quist]

There is one glue which will do the job.

Its called Balcotan and its used in building wooden boats so it is shock resistant and flexible.

I have used it for gluelam spars for a bridge and am very impressed. It is waterproof and shockproof.

 

You need to complete the split to break the stock. Clean the two halves so that no splinters prevent the halves from mating exactly, slightly dampen both surfaces and then apply the glue which will foam on contact with moisture.

Strap or clamp the two halves together using pre-shaped padded blocks so that you can supply max pressure.

Leave overnight to cure and then trim and polish.

Get it right because it won't come apart once you've done it.

 

Don't put too much glue on, less is more! Try it out on a scrap piece first.

 

Its the best wood glue I've ever come across but you'll have to buy it on mail order.