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Glue vs Epoxy (Gun Stocks)


Clay Thornton

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Dang-nab-it, the stock on my SKB broke over the weekend. 

From what I can tell as well as some of the Gents that looked at it, I am luck and it it is a very clean break.

I would like to know what people are using for gluing a stock like this back together?  One Gent told me basic wood glue, no knock on that idea, but if there is something better I would like to know.

 

Let me know what your suggestions are.  Thanks so much in advance!

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I use only Brownells Acraglas epoxy on broken stocks.   Waterproof, solvent proof, permanent, generally stronger than the wood.  Clean joint of any residual oil or grease.  If joint is in the grip, I'd reinforce with at least wood dowels, and probably hidden steel all-thread or even screws.  Pull joint together with rubber tubing.  Brownells has all the components, including dye to make it possible to get very close to color match on the wood.

 

good luck, GJ

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Long Term, Metallic Fasteners and Wood don't play well together.  If reinforcement is needed, Dowels are you best bet.  Insure the grain of the dowel and the stock are at right angles.

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Every break is different. SKBs are very weak all the way through the wrist of the stock. There is very little wood to play with.

If it is a non-supporting piece on the side of the action, it is best to very carefully align the broken piece and re-adhere with titebond III wood glue. Done properly you will never know it was broken without getting very close.

Splits down the side and into the wrist need support to hold the wood together. I use a 1/16 brass rod drilled at 90 degrees to the split and held in place with SLOW CURING epoxy on the rod and wood glue on the split face. 

If the wrist has been damaged it is usually because of poor bedding and hundreds of firings. All stocks should be bedded to the recoil lug BEFORE they are damaged. SKB's wood is not the best grade of walnut. As you can see the wood separated along the grain lines.

The picture illustrates poor bedding of an SKB stock. If the stock had been bedded this might not have happened. $500.00+ to replace with a new stock. This gun came apart in the shooterss hand in the middle of a stage.

To help prevent this from happing again, a stock made from Bastogne Walnut would be an extra benefit. 

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If I put a metal reinforcement (steel or brass) in a stock, it's going to be set within epoxy, coating the surface of that metal anyway.   The reinforcement will be kinder to the stock than the steel of the action and barrel, which are in constant contact with the wood furniture for the life of the firearm. 

 

good luck, GJ

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13 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Long Term, Metallic Fasteners and Wood don't play well together.  If reinforcement is needed, Dowels are you best bet.  Insure the grain of the dowel and the stock are at right angles.

Not trying to pick a fight here.  I honestly don't know.  Can you please explain the above?  I could understand if you were talking about nails or screws holding two pieces of wood together but all the stock repair reinforcements I've ever seen were brass rod or old drill bits that were glued in place.  Wouldn't those pieces of metal be stronger than wooden dowels? 

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4 minutes ago, Shooting Bull said:

 

Who could I contact to get one of those? :)

As far a I know, I am the only person making SKB stocks from Bastogne Walnut.

It is one of the few woods that will hold up to a 50CAL.

 

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Shooting Bull,

 

Wood Moves.  It expands and contracts with changes in temperature/humidity.  Metallic fasteners don't expand and contract to any measurable degree and eventually will become loose.  It does take a while.  With modern adhesives such as Epoxy, Tightbond III, Gorilla Glue, the glue joint is actually stronger than the surrounding wood.

 

Ace-of-Hearts most important reply concerns incorrect fitting and bedding of the stock to the metal.  After repair, if the stock is not correctly fitted and bedded it WILL break again, just on different grain lines. 

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I received some private emails asking what should be bedded?bedding points.pub

The orange arrow points to where the through bolt is treaded into the recoil lug on the stock. When they make the factory stock they often do not make this portion of the hole in the stock large enough. Make sure this entry point has sufficient clearance for the bedding compound to make good contact with the metal all the way around.

The yellow arrows point to spots where bedding compound should be in order for all the recoil to be transferred into the stock at these points. If metal touches the wood at the forward scallops (especially where they come to a point) or at the rear of the top and bottom tang, then the wood will split and fail.

Stoegers have much the same problem along with a long list of others.

If your stock fails - Collect ALL the pieces and get the stock fixed. A cracked stock will eventually fail. Usually at the most inconvenient and expensive time.

Factory SKB stocks, if you can find them, run $500.00+ and still need a pad and to be fitted and bedded.

 

 

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Duck Tape... that's the answer. :P

 

 

Snakebite

 

 

No doubt that these guys have some good ideas. My own limited experience leans me toward wood dowels and Tite Bond wood glue when possible. One old method is to inlaid a piece of cooper over both sides to reinforce the break. 

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