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Side by Side stock repair


nabbers
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I have this complicated stock repair to carry out on a side by side kindly donated via the wanted ads from a member of these forums.  Its a fairly clean break at the wrist but someone has tried to glue it so I have to identify the glue and hopefully remove it.    I can clamp and epoxy resin it back together as stage one, then I reckon I need to add some strength to allow for recoil.    Its tight, with only 10mm x 15mm of material in the centre where the side plates are let in, and then a near junction of horizontal bolt holding the side locks in place and a vertical one between the tangs on the action. so say drilling for a dowel or rod through the centre with the grain would mean drilling that dowel for both those bolts and it being only 6mm diameter to negotiation the thin section of stock between the locks.

Another idea is to glue it together and then mortice out a 6mm slot vertically more or less hidden by the tangs say 40mm rather side of the break and form a sort of bridle joint, bonded with a key of hardwood forming the tenon and glued in place with resin.

Appreciate any thoughts!

IMG_1906.HEIC

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You would have to drill and peg through the hand to strengthen the break and glue it up. If it's just a cheapy to keep shooting it's what I would do. Have a search on here, there was a fella called Sacha used to do repairs like yours. Should be stronger after repair than before.

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I could restock it, but I like the idea of it being original and a neat repair part of its story.  I’m a joiner with a well equipped workshop, I’m tempted to mortise it out after  initially gluing it together and slide in a section of walnut and glue it.  Should be stronger than the original was.  More holes than Baker St underground in the optimum peg zone already so I’ve decided that’s a no no.  It’s a Rosson. I also think the action  should be polished steel not blued, would you agree? 

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9 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Possibly easier to find another old stock and head it up to the action!

I would like to see you do it .

8 hours ago, sam triple said:

seen loads of old stocks on ebay for sale

Yes and if you can find one that fits will you please also let me have the winning numbers for the euro millions  ?

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22 hours ago, Blackpowder said:

Unlike other posters I am not a gunsmith but would think before gluing the break would need de-greased.

 

Blackpowdwer

As a retired gunsmith I shudder when people try to glue up broken stocks like this ! And I dont care what any one else says I think it is a dangerous practice .

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Repair it if you will mate but with a lot of time effort and skill you will end up with a dodgy knackered old stock!.

Your efforts would be better used turning a nice stock into a thing of beauty, Lots around just begging for a bit of love.

Just my opinion.

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repairing an old stock can be done . In the usa there are several stockmakers that do this correctly and I have seen remarkable results. It's not just a matter of gluing the pieces back together. Degreasing,reinforcing replacing pieces and dying pieces to match,recheckering and refinishing is a pretty involved process. and if the gun was fit 50 years ago for someone else do you want to put it back where it was? Replacing a stock that the stocker makes to your dimensions may be a good option. trying to fit a stock from another gun is the worst option in my humble opinion as it is unlikely that it will ever fit properly. 20171224_085303%201_zpsr8l0n1qv.jpg?width=590&height=370&fit=bounds

Edited by simcgunner
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Stage one of the process complete.   I remove the old PVA glue someone had used with sparing amounts of boiling water and did some careful wire brushing of the broken ends.   It quickly came apparent that no gun oil had soaked as far as the break.   I mage a jig to hold the pieces together then glued them  using West System Marine epoxy resin, hardener, brown colouring and micro fibres.  The result is a very strong feeling joint and it seems almost unnecessary  to machine out a slot for a loose tenon but that is what I will do next.  Basically I will machine away a slot in the centre of the stock in the zone between the side plates approx 55mm either side of the break in the area hidden by the trigger guard and use more of the West System to glue the tenon in the slot.  

Aside from the  stock, any thoughts, anyone about the authenticity of having blueing on the locks, action and trigger guard etc?   My gut feeling is those parts shouldn't be be blued....    And it is loose on the action, is hampering on the lumps to tighten it up a naughty thing to do? 

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I strongly suspect that it's time to consult a gunsmith. Not a gun shop, not a mate who fired a rifle when he was in the cadets, and not a chum who is a motor fitter. A proper qualified gunsmith.

If you're planning to use this gun then it should have someone of genuine competence examine it, look closely at the action, very closely at the bores, determine if the thing is in proof, are the barrels bulged or dented or rivelled, is the rib loose, and all manner of other matters. There is a video on the internet of an elderly gentleman walloping the bejasus out of a shotgun to tighten it, on no account should anyone attempt to do this.

Your questions about tightening the action, mending the stock, and polishing the action etc lead me to suspect that with all due respect you are not really the person to carry out the work. The inclusion of a Do-it-Yourself book on gunsmithing in your photographs confirms it.

 

 

Edited by CharlesP
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11 hours ago, nabbers said:

very strong feeling joint

It may feel firm and secure when tested by hand; but will it withstand the stress of repeated firings? The injury that could result if the repair failed during firing doesnt bear thinking about.

7 minutes ago, CharlesP said:

walloping the bejasus out of a shotgun to tighten it,

I should think that `Gunman` & `Fil` are on the edge of a nerous breakdown if they get around to reading this reading this !

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Let’s just turn this around a little 

Are you going to be safe standing next to the person that is firing this gun ?

when repairing something you have to consider not only your personal safety but others around you 

As for Tightening it up with a hammer I’m assuming you were joking 🙃

anyway enjoy the project and hope it all goes well for you 

 

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55 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

As for Tightening it up with a hammer I’m assuming you were joking 🙃

Sadly far from it; it was an elderly man called Jack Rowe.  He did a number of videos for Midway in the USA.  I'm not sure whether to be sad, or quite what.  The videos seem to be well received by (many but not all) Americans - at whom they are aimed.  See the comments below the video on youtube,  They made a whole series of these with this chap, who died a couple of years ago.

 

Edited by JohnfromUK
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Oh dear,   There always seems to be this sort of nay saying negativity when I ask questions about mending boats, cooking, welding my truck chassis and replacing the brakes on my car as well, but despite that, so far I've never knowing harmed anyone by fixing old stuff myself and I've had fun learning along the way and saved stuff from getting scrapped because its beyond economical repair by experts.

Thought I'd share my enjoyment of the project of restoring a lovely old gun, didn't mean to freak anyone of a nervous disposition  out.   I don't need to ask questions here, there is lots of information out there on the net, but I've found people usually enjoy sharing knowledge and when I tried reloading and shot making processes not without their own risks, I got good advice here from people doing....not dour. 

I know wood, I've worked with it every day for 40 years so the above remarks hinting that my repair skills might be ****, are a bit tiresome to be honest.   I'm impressed with the West system Epoxy,  I can tell that the stock which was in two pieces is acting as one,  If I smashed it onto the bench now, with the intention of breaking it, I'm certain it would break elsewhere, not at the repair.   But I'm going for a belt and braces approach and am adding strengthening as described above.

Thanks for the positive advice and links to videos etc,  and no I wasn't joking, I've read many times about tighten up the bite of a shotgun using a hammer and have done that once previously.   I'm asking what the other options are, what peoples direct experiences are?

Nice story regarding the book, I borrowed it from the local library when I was 7, I was fascinated by how guns worked then,   the same library were selling off the same book 50 years later for 50p and I happened to see it.    Some great advice on recheckering etc in it.

 

 

 

 

Edited by nabbers
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