Here's some thing I've thought of trying on a stock head that has that the metal proud of the wood. First get all of the oil out of the wood. Then soak the stock head in water until it's just proud of the wood and then wick superglue into the end grain of the head and see if that wouldn't keep the wood expanded when it dries.
Don't think the cyanoacrylate would bond or cure if the wood is still damp. There is another product that should work, though. Simpson (the company that makes construction hardware and fasteners) has a line of epoxy injection products for repairing and bonding cracked concrete. Don't dismiss this idea yet. The product is marketed as the Crack-Pack Injection System (or something like that), and is available in several viscosities. These are designed to bond to damp or wet concrete and will cure in the presence of moisture. I have tried it on a couple of architectural projects and it seems to work as advertised. One of the products is very thin, probably like water, and should wick into the wood's end grain if it is not too wet.
Having said that, I still prefer the steaming method because the wood does not shrink back down after it has been steamed, and you can still use cyanoacrylate after the steaming.
