71/84 Mauser worm holes in stock

[water bug]

I hope this is the right place to ask this. If not please suggest other places. I have a Mauser Modle71/84 stock that has wood worm holes around the wrist. How can I fill these so the patch blends in? I think Acra glas will not take stain so would show. Any Suggestions welcome. WB

[I'll Make Mine]

To get a sound patch that will take stain, you'll need to cut out enough wood to completely remove the damage, then glue in a perfectly fitted patch and rasp/sand it down even with the original wood. For glue, the ideal (in terms of the bond not showing) would be hide glue (you can make a good substitute from unflavored gelatin you get at the supermarket; there are recipes online but I don't have a link handy). Hide glue, properly applied, is stronger than the wood, takes stain almost like wood and sands like it isn't there, plus it can be released with mild heat (steam from a boiling kettle will do the job, though it may take some time to penetrate a deep patch to release the bottom center).

Epoxy (20 minute or slower) is the next best choice; the epoxy bond line will certainly show, but at least the glue will hold as long as the wood lasts. Once fully cured, it will sand well enough that the bond line can be made smooth. Carpenter's glue (aliphatic resin, yellow glue) will also hold, and when applied correctly, is as strong as the wood, but it won't take stain and doesn't sand the same as wood and may cause the bond line to stick up after sanding out the patch, or require considerable effort to get the bond line even with the original wood.

[PS Paul]

Sound advice there, I'll Make Mine. I've tried carpenter's glue with sawdust mixed in. Although the sawdust was very close to the color of the stock (I tried to use the same wood and approximate color), the stain part was a failure. Thankfully enough it was a cheap ($50.00) SKS that I purchased in a parking lot sale about 25 years ago when such things were not considered felonious!! ha-ha. I think your suggestions would work well.....

[Charley]

Sure looks to be Powder Post Beetle damage. Where was the stock stored? Do you have any idea of how long the damage has been there? If not, Before doing any repairs, I'd suggest a thermal treatment, it is a huge PITA to make a repair and have damage start to show up due to continued insect life. Easiest thermal treatment is to simply wrap the stock in plastic sheeting, and stick it in a freezer for 24-48 hours. No wood boring beetle I know of can stand a cold soak of that duration.

[water bug]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I am not a fine wood worker, don't think I could make a hole to put in a patch and make it look like anything. GOOD advice about the freezer. I have no idea where this was stored. Bought it at a Gun Show from within a pile if 30+ various stocks from one of the dealers. So no history. YES it does look like wood powder worms or beetles.... WB

[I'll Make Mine]

I am not a fine wood worker, don't think I could make a hole to put in a patch and make it look like anything.

This might be a good project to learn on, especially if you didn't pay much for the stock and/or don't have an action that fits it at this point. You can also practice on a piece of scrap wood before you try the real thing (recommended if the stock is of value to you as other than a learning tool).

The trick for a patch is to taper the ends, like \__/ -- cut the same taper angle in notching the stock and in making the patch, but cut the patch a tiny bit (1/16" or so) short and leave some extra thickness; fit it by shaving the small side (what will go in the bottom of the cut) with a plane or coarse sandpaper, one plane stroke or a few sandpaper strokes at a time until it just contacts on both ends and the bottom at the same time. Then apply glue and clamp in place until the glue sets, and you're ready to shave down the exposed part of the patch to match the original contour (easy to do with a razor plane -- $15 at a hobby shop that sells R/C airplane stuff; I prefer the David, but the Master Airscrew is also good and easier to adjust).

It's really not difficult, and the proper tools are pretty cheap -- and it's a nice skill to have, since it's applicable to any wood item, not just gun stocks.

[Ed in North Texas]

Just a note that the epoxy can be colored to hide the glue line better. If you are good at color matching, you might make the joint really hard to see.

Ed

[gnoahhh]

IMM's advise is spot-on. There is no short cut when faced with repairs like that. Anything less will look like Bubba did it!

[Multigunner]

Accragalss gel comes with dye packs that you can blend to match with some effort..
I'd give the frezzer suggestion a try, then soak the stock in a strong solution of trisodium-phosphate and water. TSP should kill anything, either creepy crawlies or mold deep in the wood.

Let dry , rinse with household hydrogen peroxide, let dry again and defur any raised grain.

Then experiment with the dye packs, only a pinhead of dye is needed to dye quite a bit of accraglass gel. Be sure the dyed glass is still translucent rather than a solid color.Try your best looking match to what the wood will look like after applying any finish you choose on pieces of scrap wood.
You may never get a perfect match to already finished wood but you can match the finish to the patch.

I've used dyed accraglass to build up broken away places around inletting on antique shotgun stocks, by coloring to match blackened and oil perished wood rather than what the wood would look like if new. Everything blending in and the repair invisible.

[water bug]

Thanks all for the suggestions. It is true I do not have much in the stock ($10) . I do like to save things from the junk bin, and I do have an action that could go in it, if I save it. WB

[bob208]

the patch repair is the way it was done at the arsenal. i have a 1917 enfield with some patches in the stock and a greek 98 mauser with some well done patches.

[Beekeeper]

It depends on what you want the stock to look like after the repairs!
If you are going for a new look I would suggest using small pieces of walnut inleted into the stock and held with acea glas.
If you want it to be a beater stock use acra glas and a small ( meaning very small) amount of colloring to fill the imperfections. file and sand to contour and finish.I use common old wax paper and masking tape to hold the acra glas in place untill it cures.
You might have to make several applications of glass this way but it makes sanding fairly easy.

I have a 1888 Commission rifle stock I repaired and it is about 70% acra glas but is still functionable. If done right and finished right you have a hard time finding it.

On your stock since it is an original I would opt for the small pieces of walnut and then a good finish.
You will still be able to see the lines but if you play with the wood you can make the grain line up as much as possible to make a lot of the disapear.


beekeeper

[303Guy]

The advantage of repairing the damage without removing any wood is that the blending line will be irregular making it blend in better and in any event it will look more natural than a sharp line.

[Multigunner]

Accraglass will also migrate deeply into wormholes and cracks by capilary action while setting up.
The added reinforcement below the surface can prevent future problems from the weakened wood.
Applying in layers with slight variation in coloring and shading can mimic variations in the wood itself due to grain or old staining by powder residue and oil or solvents.

[303Guy]

... Applying in layers with slight variation in coloring and shading can mimic variations in the wood itself due to grain or old staining by powder residue and oil or solvents.Clever idea!

[gnoahhh]

As an aside, in so many threads of this nature, a lot of people start talking about using Acra Glass for wood repairs. Mind you, it's good stuff, but it's nothing more nor less than over priced epoxy. Acra Glass Gel is the same thing but with colloidal silica pre-mixed into the resin. When making simple repairs on gun stocks, just go to the hardware store and get a couple tubes of two part epoxy and save some money. There's no need to worship at the throne of Brown-give me all your money-ell's. Even when bedding rifles into stocks I use regular epoxy with colloidal silica mixed in as a stiffener- its been working fine for me for years now.

[uscra112]

For wood like that, West Marine sells a thinned-out epoxy resin that will wick deeply into porous wood and strengthen it immensely. Boat restorers use it to salvage wood that's rotten. It works.

I agree that looks like what my Dad called "powder post beetle" damage, which a wood expert once told me is actually fungus, not beetles.

[Ed in North Texas]

For wood like that, West Marine sells a thinned-out epoxy resin that will wick deeply into porous wood and strengthen it immensely. Boat restorers use it to salvage wood that's rotten. It works.

I agree that looks like what my Dad called "powder post beetle" damage, which a wood expert once told me is actually fungus, not beetles.

There are generally two products on the market for rotten wood repair, Gits Rot epoxy and Rot Doctor epoxy. The Gits Rot is much thicker than Rot Doctor (Rot Doctor has about the consistency of diesel fuel, Gits Rot is significantly thicker.

I don't know if West is selling "RotDoctor" brand thin epoxy, West Marine branded by RotDoctor, Gits Rot, or something else. Gits Rot is pretty well known in boating circles and elsewhere, Rot Doctor has been pretty much limited to being known in boating circles. Rot Doctor has their own website: http://www.rotdoctor.com/ . I doubt the amounts they sell are small enough for this type of repair though. Boat damage is usually more extensive and in need of greater amounts (besides, a boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money).

Ed

[Charley]

For wood like that, West Marine sells a thinned-out epoxy resin that will wick deeply into porous wood and strengthen it immensely. Boat restorers use it to salvage wood that's rotten. It works.

I agree that looks like what my Dad called "powder post beetle" damage, which a wood expert once told me is actually fungus, not beetles.

Your wood expert is mistaken. Wood rot caused by fungal damage looks completely different from wood boring beetle damage, whether powder post beetles, false powder posts, anobiids, etc.

Sorry, I'm an entomologist. Don't mean to preach, but they are very different.

[303Guy]

Always glad to hear from an expert. Sets us straight!

I've use polyester resin thinned with paint thinners to penetrate rotted wood followed by less thinned then straight resin. I can't say it's better or worse but it worked for me.

I use regular two part clear epoxy mixed with saw dust and more recently, wheat bran (easier) to make up a filler and bedding material.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/WhetBranbedding001.jpg

File saw dust can be mixed thicker and the wood source can be matched to the colour of the wood being repaired - a bit of experimenting is required though.