How to repair hairline crack in wood stock?

A

AEM

New member
I've noticed a fine crack or split in the stock of my old British Jungle Carbine. It is a Jungle Carbine copy, actually, converted from a No. 4 in the sixties by Santa Fe Arms. The stock wood is a light colored, figured wood that is definitely not walnut - - don't know what it is. I really don't want to replace the stock, but I thought I'd better do something about the crack before it gets worse.

The crack is on the right side of the receiver, extending from the rear of the forestock (it is a two piece stock) toward the muzzle about two inches. I encountered some resistance trying to remove the stock (after removing the handguard, the front action bolt and the trigger guard), so I stopped trying to remove the stock before I was able to determine whether the crack goes all the way through. It seems as if the stock is pinned to the receiver at the rear, perhaps at the tabs which protrude forward out of the metal band that separates the forestock from the buttstock.

So maybe my first question should be how to remove the stock, then maybe I would know how bad the crack is. Once I know that, I'm hoping someone can tell me of a technique for gluing or fiberglassing the stock from the inside to make an inconspicuous repair.

Thanks and sorry for the rambling post.
 
I think I've figured out how to remove the stock

Apparently, you have to remove the stock bolt. Is that correct?

I'll try it and see if the crack goes all the way through.
 
you can buy allmost new stocks in 3 different lengths from?
Gun Parts Corp. cost is about $25, for a no.3 or 4,you can put your jungle buttpad on with some cutting,I tried fixing a Mauser stock with some super wood glue and it cracked in
the same spot after a few shots, just a option
 
AEM, mix up some epoxy, force the crack open and use a toothpick or something similar to force the epoxy into the crack. Either clamp the stock or wrap in surgical tubing until dry. George
 
Depending on location of the crack, you might try applying
epoxy to one side by forcing the split open a tad, then
from the other side, apply a shop vac to kinda pull the
epoxy mix into the crack. Saw this trick mentioned in a
old issue of FINE WOODWORKING regarding furniture repair FWIW.

Wrongpaw
 
AEM,

Just a couple of suggestions... If this stock still has a lot of the cosmoline or what ever else preservative that they put on the stocks, before any kind of epoxy or glue will take hold, you'll have to get that stuff out of the wood. There are many different ways of doing this, but all employ time and effort. The aim is for the wood to be as dry as possible before you start.

My trick on very fine cracks is to use Super Glue. It will leach into fine cracks, and it drys realitivly quickly. It's a trick that's used with Bowl turners, and it's also used to keep lose knots in Knotty Pine from falling out.

If the crack is too wide, or deep, then you can use the epoxy that's been mentioned before, but do look at a stock bedding epoxy while you're at it. Brownell's Arcaglass, or Arcaglas Gel are a couple. In a lot of cases, this material can be tinted to match the color of the wood, and if you're careful enough, the 'fix' will be almost invisible.

Good Luck,
Unkel Gilbey
 
Thanks to everyone for the good suggestions and advice. The crack is almost impossible to see right now, unless I flex the forend and it widens a bit. Since it is so thin, I think I will start with superglue.

As a kid I spent hours rubbing linseed oil into it, but that was 35 years ago, and the rifle has had a long time to dry out, so hopefully the glue will stick.

The first step will be to get the buttstock off, so I'll see if I can find a screwdriver or ratchet extension that will work. One of these days, I'm gonna have to buy one of those B-Square stock remover tools!
 
One of the funnies/best ideas to take off an Enfield buttstock came from the C&R list. Guy said he bought a '75 Datsun for $200 that still had it's jack. The jack handle worked great for taking off the buttstock, and he even got to drive the car! On one end of the jack handle it is like a regular screwdriver. Just the size to use to get off that darn bolt that is DEEEEEEEEEEEEEP in the buttstock.

I tried it using my '92 Nissan Sentra, and it worked great!
 
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