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Any decent epoxy will do. You don't have to use Brown-give-me-all-your-money-ell's.


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Acraglas Gel works great, isn't that expensive. The proven performance, at least to me, is a valuable consideration. And the Gel is easier to use than the original product.

The Gel fills in the gap and is very strong. With the brown dye, it'll match the surface finish fairly well. By wiping off the excess after the "squeeze", the gap is filled, not perfect without a refinish, but good enough for a using gun.

After drilling the crack with a drill like 1/8", rotating and pivoting the bit until the entire crack is cleaned out, I use a paper clip or a small piece of wire to work the Gel into the gap. The big "squeeze" with a padded vice is the trick.

And the internal cross pin will strengthen the fix even more.

DF

Last edited by Dirtfarmer; 04/21/16.
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The main thing I don't like about the Gel is its viscosity. Having spent half of my working life in a custom wooden boat shop, and in my own shop, I have forgotten how many 50 gallon drums of epoxy we went through. I know from epoxy- but that's not to say that I can't learn some more. One thing I do know is that a better bond to wood will be effected if the wood is wetted out first with un-thickened epoxy which will soak into the surface better than thickened stuff will. Then, stir in the thickening agent (I use colloidal silica- the same stuff that people assume is "fiberglass" in the Brownell's kit) and proceed with the bedding/repair/glue-up on top of the wetted surface(s). This isn't germane to the question at hand re: filling a crack, but is something to think about when doing other projects.

Last edited by gnoahhh; 04/21/16.

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I prefer mixing cotton flock with standard composite epoxy resin. Really tough abrasion resistant (and structural) stuff if heavy for filler use. Definitely need to wet the substrate first, good idea always. Kinda overkill for fixing a stock though.


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Which explains a lot.
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When I worked in the Browning gunsmithing shop we used epoxy to repair cracks, the crack was prepared and the epoxy was mixed then both the stock and the epoxy were placed under a heat lamp. This warmed the wood and spread the crack slightly while thinning the epoxy. Once the epoxy and stock were warm the epoxy was applied to the crack and back under the heat lamp. The stock was carefully observed when the epoxy was just about hard the excess was carefully scraped off. A rag with rubbing alcohol was used to wipe the surface, if done carefully the repair could be leveled with the finish and no refinish would be required.

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Originally Posted by gunswizard
A rag with rubbing alcohol was used to wipe the surface, if done carefully the repair could be leveled with the finish and no refinish would be required.

Now, that sounds like a good idea.

Brownell makes an Acraglas solvent that I like. It cuts the epoxy and is good for cleaning up.

I'll have to try the alcohol trick.

The Gel is sorta thick, but with a gap cut thru the crack, it does go in with a wire/paper clip. Its consistency really fills the crack. I've used the std. and the Gel, prefer the Gel.

If someone was going to try to wedge the crack a bit, the std. product would probably be better. Those cracks aren't that easy to wedge open, IME. The drilled out gap assures good coverage of the material and the Gel doesn't need wood to wood contact.

DF

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Gel, or any filled epoxy, is the wrong viscosity for soaking into the crack. Use an epoxy specifically developed to penetrate wood, like WEST (Wood Epoxy Saturation Technique) epoxy.


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Do you try wedging the crack?

DF

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With the WEST product, it's not really an issue,...the stuff WICKS.

Can't say that I see gel as much more than a SURFACE application.
...and like G said,....there ARE better and more affordable products than that B-team stuff.

"Acraglas Solvent ?" brownells doesn't "Make" that stuff, they buy it in bulk re-package and quadruple the price.

It's sold as "epoxy thinner" everywhere else. Just regular toluene, I'd guess.

GTC


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Thanks for that info.

WEST looks a lot easier than what I've been doing.

From what I've learned on line, the WEST system is for boats and such, I don't see it offered in a small kit suitable for fixing a cracked gunstock.

I'd still put in the hidden cross pin to reinforce
the repair and I'd use the Gel for that.

DF

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We have some VERY capable and learned wood smiths that decry the use of metal in epoxy repairs,....and I CAN certainly see the value in using arrow shaft, fish pole, and my own personal fibrous, and somewhat absorbent choice,.....BAMBOO.
Chinese takeout places HATE me,....I only go to the ones with the good round sticks .

That said, I DO use a lot of stainless TIG filler rod,....I prep it by spooling the appropriate machine screw thread sized die on, loosely fitted, and than, holding the die, swill beer while the lathe does the grunt work,....Voila!,...Stainless "re-Bar" !

No comebacks on any stock repairs yet, for more years than I really care to acknowledge.

Liquid acraglas, thinned with that evil smelling "thinner" makes a damned good preliminary "Soak",....but a word of caution, it DOES seem to accelerate the cure,...so all ducks in a row is (as usual with any bedding) the order of the day.

Ed,....take that stock and plunk it in a piece of ABS sewer pipe, or a rocket storage tube,....fill it with NAPA's diatomaceous earth based floor dry and stick it in the HOTTEST spot you can find,....agitate periodically.
That big ML's stock, and MANY others have had that ride here,....and does it ever pull oil ! I just leave em' out in the Summer,....that black ABS, or OD green cardboard gets too hot to hold.

GTC


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-- “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”- Mark Twain





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Here is my technique for what it is worth. Many times you can't open a crack without making it worse or only minimally, so getting epoxy in very deep is tough. I use original Acra glass or any quality "thin" long setting epoxy. As already mentioned long set is key and much stronger. I use a shop vac and tape the nozzle to the off side of the crack. They usually go all the way through. Seal it as best you can. Mix your epoxy at at least 70 degrees so its thin, thinner the better. Start the vacuum and start feeding the epoxy in on the off side. You will know right away if its going to work as it sucks it right in. I use a toothpick for small cracks or a small syringe for larger. The vacuum will disperse it through the crack. When it is all the way through and dispersed, remove the tape and hose. Clamp it. Never had one fail yet.

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12Oclock. Like that vacuum idea. Thanks.

Any cyanoacrylate believers for this, such as Satellite City red?


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Open the area under the crack with a Dremel and use a #4 screw with JB weld(no head) Drive it in and relieve the wood/metal interface a bit
Carefully sand the existing crack and apply finish and it should be near perfect

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Originally Posted by MtnBoomer
12Oclock. Like that vacuum idea. Thanks.

Any cyanoacrylate believers for this, such as Satellite City red?

I think those dry too fast for what is being proposed. Like someone posted, the slow driers are the strongest. And you'll need work time to do the vacuum trick.

DF

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Good question on the cyanoacrylate drying too fast for crack repair, especially if in contact with wood or other porous material. I mix it with wood dust to repair checkering diamonds. Not much open working time after it touches the wood dust. Repairs take seconds then you can recut the diamonds in minutes. I would be afraid it would dry before I could clamp the crack closed.

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Originally Posted by crossfireoops
...Ed,....take that stock and plunk it in a piece of ABS sewer pipe, or a rocket storage tube,....fill it with NAPA's diatomaceous earth based floor dry and stick it in the HOTTEST spot you can find,....agitate periodically.
That big ML's stock, and MANY others have had that ride here,....and does it ever pull oil ! I just leave em' out in the Summer,....that black ABS, or OD green cardboard gets too hot to hold. GTC


Thanks, Greg, I'll give it a shot.

Ed


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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Thanks for that info.

WEST looks a lot easier than what I've been doing.

From what I've learned on line, the WEST system is for boats and such, I don't see it offered in a small kit suitable for fixing a cracked gunstock.

I'd still put in the hidden cross pin to reinforce
the repair and I'd use the Gel for that.

DF



I use West System exclusively in my shop. The last bottle of yellow glue I had dried up years ago.

West System isn't just for boats. It's good for what ails you. A West rep told me one time that all epoxy resins come out of only a couple spigots in the U.S. What makes the different manufacturers different is their proprietary hardeners.

West System markets a "repair kit" for a couple bucks with enough stuff in it to bed a couple rifles, fix a dozen cracks, or glue your girlfriend's lips together while she sleeps. It contains resin, hardener, colloidal silica for thickening, and popsicle stick for stirring.


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Where can I get this West repair kit? Sounds like the ticket.


It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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gnoahhh,
What he said >
Originally Posted by JGRaider
Where can I get this West repair kit? Sounds like the ticket.


Ed


"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell



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