Refinishing Gun Stocks

[Big Sarge]

I am near completion of a simple picture guideline for refinishing gun stocks, if anyone is intrested. should be uploaded close to the end of feb.

[Clinotus]

Interested.

[HardJeepGuy]

Interested.

Same here. I have a few dinged up stocks on older, inexpensive .22s I'd like to try my hand at.

[Danube]

Count me in as well.

[Gooch]

I want to refenish my 870 stock. Looking forward to this.

[Fang]

is it done yet
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is it done yet
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is it done yet
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is it done yet
is it done yet
is it done yet
is it done yet
is it done yet
is it done yet

[Big Sarge]

close , I just suck at photograhy, trying to arrange a proffessiol to help

[Big Sarge]

137

138This is why its taking a while , Aint she a beaut..........

[Big Sarge]

The guy wants it stained gray, with black diamonds it's been a hard task just trying to fix it first B 4 throwing the first hint of stain.

[Big Sarge]

everything that I am using , I will list in better detail Fri 2/19 139

140

[Miso Beno]

137

138This is why its taking a while , Aint she a beaut..........

It's definitely seen better days.

[Big Sarge]

I have asked a few people what they thought , if this would hold up against recoil. The majority said no . I mixed wood putty, liguid nails glue, a hardener, used aluminum foil to help mold it . I baked it 0n 150 degrees . I have repeated this step 4 more times151

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[Big Sarge]

Be sure to sand with course sandpaper in between bondo applications, its hard to get smoothed out ,fine just wont work until your ready to start the staining process

[Cyrano 4747]

So how are you getting around the propensity of Liquid Nails to fracture under repeated stress (like firing a gun)? Most epoxies that people use for major stock repair are specifically designed for taking sharp, repeated jerks across a single axis of motion, precisely the sort of fatigue that tends to pop liquid nails apart in short order.

I say this as someone who "repaired" a few cracked rifle stocks with liquid nails back in the day, had them fall back apart after 5-10 shots, and had to learn which materials would and which wouldn't hold for that kind of application.

[Miso Beno]

So how are you getting around the propensity of Liquid Nails to fracture under repeated stress (like firing a gun)? Most epoxies that people use for major stock repair are specifically designed for taking sharp, repeated jerks across a single axis of motion, precisely the sort of fatigue that tends to pop liquid nails apart in short order.

I say this as someone who "repaired" a few cracked rifle stocks with liquid nails back in the day, had them fall back apart after 5-10 shots, and had to learn which materials would and which wouldn't hold for that kind of application.
If it's a shotgun forearm they shouldn't be under too much stress. I'm actually having a hard time identifying the stock parts but I heard shotgun mentioned so I'm assuming this is part of a double gun. If it fractures a simple high strength two part epoxy mixed with wood fiber should do the trick.

Also, when are you going to redo your traditional refinishing thread?

[Cyrano 4747]

Also, when are you going to redo your traditional refinishing thread?

Was that directed at me?

I'm socked under with work and wedding prep right now. I'm working on getting some hosing of my own together, and when that happens I'll be making some permanent versions of some of my previous, more transitory writings from the past.

Really I don't think I'll substantially change too much of what I've done up until now. There are only so many ways to write up degreasing a milsurp rifle stock and treating it with BLO. If there's interest in that kind of thing I could have a rehash and rethink of a past project done up in a few hours work, tops.

[Miso Beno]

Was that directed at me?

I'm socked under with work and wedding prep right now. I'm working on getting some hosing of my own together, and when that happens I'll be making some permanent versions of some of my previous, more transitory writings from the past.

Really I don't think I'll substantially change too much of what I've done up until now. There are only so many ways to write up degreasing a milsurp rifle stock and treating it with BLO. If there's interest in that kind of thing I could have a rehash and rethink of a past project done up in a few hours work, tops.

I think its a spectacular post and I love the technique. Heck if you wander on over to the sharkfin thread (http://230grain.com/showthread.php?t=67598) you can see me usin'.

[Big Sarge]

To be honest , I wish I would have tried a different stock to do a how to for you guys . Will it hold ,hell I dont know. It was his gramps 940e Stevens 12 guage single shot. I told him I would give it a shot. But with the liguid nails was applyed to the wood itself first ,with wood putty and a hardener I use for drywall on top of that . When I got the Idea to bake it cause it was takeing forever to dry, It held on to wood putty alot better after it cooled it seemed like . The first coat was the only time I used liquid nails , Thought I would try something diff, I have pecked on it with a hammer everytime before I put another layer on , its not cracking and it seems to be holding . As far as 12 guage recoil ???????????????

[Big Sarge]

tested durability, and The Big Oak Tree won .... Starting over

[Miso Beno]

You're going to want to look into two part epoxy like we mentioned before. I'll ask around and see what my gun plumbers prefer for major repairs.

[Cyrano 4747]

You're going to want to look into two part epoxy like we mentioned before. I'll ask around and see what my gun plumbers prefer for major repairs.

From what I recall in the milsurp community, the general consensus is that a mix of some kind of bedding compound with a bit of saw dust and maybe some dye for color is the repair of choice for REALLY muched stocks.

I think I recall some guy over on surplusrifle who used something similar, but also worked in really, REALLY loose-weave fabric into it, basically making a large repair that was similar in properties to fiber glass.

Anyways, the guys who really, REALLY know their shit with this can do amazing things. I saw a thread on a mauser stock done by a guy - it was either a Vz24 or a Turkish rifle that had basically broken in half at the wrist with significant material loss (I believe due to rot). Anyways, by the time he was done you almost couldn't tell that it had ever been broken - it was amazing.

Here is a guy doing a repair of a cracked in half stock with Devcon epoxy (http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=81743)

edit: Here's a Gew88 that this guy basically brought back from the dead. (http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=84869) I'm pretty sure he's the one who did the amazing Vz work I'm thinking of.

son of edit: AH HA! Here is that Vz24 I was thinking of. (http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=137&t=45795) Yeah, it was the same guy as the G88 stock. He's really a magician when it comes to these things, but thankfully he also does a lot of how-tos. I've read a LOT of his stuff getting ready to do a few stock repair projects of my own.

[Danube]

Any updates? Can Bondo really be used for this application?

[Miso Beno]

Any updates? Can Bondo really be used for this application?

He already mentioned that i failed a stress test. I might try working up another stock repair thread if I can get this M14 build off of the ground.

[Cyrano 4747]

Any updates? Can Bondo really be used for this application?

Like Miso said, his repairs proved not to be that durable.

The big issues is that gun stocks, even components that we don't usually think of as being under stress (like shotgun pumps) are given periodic, repeated, sharp shocks. A lot of materials, especially the type that come in tubes or tubs an harden over time, really do not do well with those sorts of stresses and will eventually crack or shatter. Super Glue, for example, seems like wonder adhesive, but it's actually very brittle to those sorts of impulses, and especially repeated strong impulses in the same direction.

Check out some of the links I posted above and you'll get a lot of commentary from a guy who REALLY knows his stuff when it comes to stock repairs. The long and the short of it is that some materials were designed to withstand those stresses and work just fine. Bedding compound is one such material (how useful would it be if it shattered, chipped, or cracked under gun recoil?) and is generally used as the base for all really successful repairs.