doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com STOCK CRACKING!

OT, Today I was installing a lace on butt pad on my wife's Ithaca M37 featherlight 16 ga when I noticed it was cracking from the receiver back on both sides of the stock,{about an 1 1/2" ] So before it gets any worse I need to have the stock repaired ASAP. Would someone please tell me a good stock repair shop for just such a problem? THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT.

i would open the crack a little get some good epoxy and force as much as i can into the crack and use surgical tubing to bind it,(wrap the tubing around the stock to hold the crack till dry) .if you wrap in wax paper first it will save your tubing for the next gun. mc

I agree with mc. This is not usually a difficult repair. To add just a couple hints; first make sure the cracks are not oily. No glue or epoxy will adhere to oily wood. Also, if you carefully cover the areas surrounding the cracks with good painters masking tape, you can minimize the mess from epoxy squeeze out after the surgical rubber tubing binds the cracks closed. Lastly, when mc said to use good epoxy, he was talking about something like Brownells Acraglas or West system clear epoxy. I would avoid the clear five minute type epoxy. It's just not near as strong. Type II yellow wood glue also makes a very good repair on clean wood. We all see many old stocks repaired with gray and white epoxies that will certainly hold, but look like crap. Of course, we also see stocks repaired with stove bolts, wood screws, fish plates, and baling wire. The fact that you came here looking for advice suggests that you aren't that kinda guy. With a clean joint and good clamping, a clear epoxy or type II glue repair can be almost undetectable. Good luck. I'm sure others can suggest a good stock guy in your area should you decide not to do it yourself.

Waxing the varnish surfaces before gluing will keep the "squeeze out" from adhering to the varnish.

Here is what I did to a pump gun stock head that the top one third had cracked off.
Sounds like your's only needs the head repair seeing it's not come off. You can also spread the crack a little and wick in super glue; Loctite Control formula.
I used 7/16" Stanley staple gun staples vertically across the crack. Drilled holes for the legs, made a channel from hole to hole so the staple would be a little below the surface of the face; filled the holes and channels with acraglass along with a thin layer of acraglass on the stock head face to have a perfect mating of the stock and receiver so it won't happen again;inserted staples; applied release agent to the receiver; installed stock and snug the bolt. After curing, and removing it looked like the pic. You will have to look closely on the left side to see the crack there; right side you can see.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/displayimage.php?pid=6703&fullsize=1

I've used the wateriest cyanoacrylate glue I could get for this a number of times--no need to spread the crack at all, just apply to the crack at the head of the stock and it will wick in. Do not use tape around the sides of the crack, as it will wick under the tape and glue the tape down, requiring mucho cleanup--wax or something you could easily wipe/scrape off would be a better idea.

THANK YOU GENTELMEN, I've been convinced to do the repair myself with all your helpful information I should be able to do it. THANKS again for input and pictures they where very helpful. I've always been told There is no such thing as try! Ether you Do or You don't, So I will.

Second David Furman's advice. It works great!

JC

Suddenthunder, when you get the stock off, the dark shiney spots are where the stock and receiver was making contact. The other bearing surfaces are what needs a touch of Acraglass. I also put a touch on the wood where the trigger guard meets at the end.

Great advice on the trigger guard, I'll do that while I've got it off. THANKS AGAIN.