handguard help

[8mm Mauser]

Hey guys, so I just bought a yugoslavian m48 yesterday and noticed a problem. When I was removing cosmoline from the stock, I noticed a crack right in front of the rear sight on the handguard. Is there any way that this can be fixed or should I seek a new handguard? Thanks for the help.

[Shiloh]

I fixed mine. with the other cosmetic scuffs and bruises, you can't tell. Mine was not what you would consider a major repair. All the wood was there.

Shiloh

[8mm Mauser]

Mine has a tiny crack but it looks repairable. I was just wondering if anybody knew the process to fix a crack

[Shiloh]

I used Titebond wood glue available darn near everywhere. It looks like Elmers but it is tan colored.
I can't hardly tell it is fixed. Is there cosmoline or arsenal grease in the crack?? That has to be removed. I thing I wnt over mine with mineral spirits and waited a few days.

Shiloh

[TNsailorman]

I have not repaired a Yugo handguard but I have repaired one 1903 and one Turk handguard and used the same process. Both had small spits in the front edge of the handguard. I spread the crack just enough to get some solvent into them and poured a little break cleaner thru to make sure the wood was dry. After that dried, I made up a thin mix of glass bed compound and added a little brown dye. I again spread the crack a little. I then poured very carefully the thin mix into the crack until it started coming out the bottom of the crack. Then I wiped the excess off the bottom of the forearm and wrappped the front of the forearm with small rubber bands to hold it togather until the glas bed compound had tried. Worked like a charm. When it had dried, you had to look close to see where it had been repaired. Later I lightly 0000 steel wooled the forearm on the Turk, lightly stained it and refinished with Tru Oil. After I got finished, you couldn't tell that it had ever been cracked or repaired. james

[8mm Mauser]

Even though it is a very small crack, I dont want to pry it open at all. And since the barrel seems a little questionable, I dont want to do anything to the gun unless it shoots fairly accurate

[Artful]

That would leave a wrap to protect the cracked wood
http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerdog/generalstorage/piclinks/wirewrappedlithgow.jpg

[8mm Mauser]

I'm not very comfortable with putting duct tape on my rifle. I hear that it leaves a residue behind

[nhrifle]

If you decide to fix it and decide to refinish the stock, you can blend the repaired area with the surrounding wood. Usually, gluing a crack together will effect a good repair, but usually leaves a line where the crack was. To blend the repair, scribe a shallow "v" shaped line where the crack was fixed. Fill the crack with quick drying super glue, and sand over the repair. The sanding dust will mix with the glue and hide the repair. The stock can be refinished in the traditional manner.

[8mm Mauser]

I have seen videos on youtube like that. I think iraqveteran8888 does that at one point along with people sponsoring birchwood casey products.

[Artful]

I'm not very comfortable with putting duct tape on my rifle. I hear that it leaves a residue behind
If your refering to the picture - it's wire wrap - traditional field repair.

[nicholst55]

I've repaired small cracks with super glue (not the gel type). Degrease the crack with acetone, and allow several hours for it to dry. Gently spread the crack with an x-acto knife blade, and blow the super glue down inside the crack with compressed air (the 'canned air' for cleaning computer keyboards works just fine). Clamp, and allow several hours for it to dry.

[8mm Mauser]

I think ill just spread some wood glue on the crack and wipe off any excess instead of pulling it apart

[bcp477]

You may not get the glue into the crack, by just spreading it on the surface. If it doesn't weep into the crack, the effort will be for nothing.

The hand guards on these rifles are quite fragile. They really SHOULD have been made of laminated wood.

Something else you can do, which I HIGHLY recommend, is to glue glass fibre tape or fabric to the inside surface of the hand guard. This will help greatly in preventing future cracks. Degrease thoroughly, then use a thin epoxy for this - and carefully smooth out any wrinkles in the tape. Before you do this, however, you will need to check the fit of the hand guard to the barrel - make sure that the hand guard (inside surface) is not touching the barrel. If it does when installed, this will compromise accuracy. So, you may need to sand down the inside surface, before installing the glass fibre tape.

[lrdg]

If your refering to the picture - it's wire wrap - traditional field repair.

They were sold as grenade launching rifles back twenty years ago or so. The rational had to do with different pressures when using grenade cups. I
m not too sure I bought the idea but I have a good friend that bought one at that time.

[Ed in North Texas]

If your refering to the picture - it's wire wrap - traditional field repair.

That is a great way to temporarily fix a cracked stock, but weren't we told that the Brits also did that to reinforce Enfields for launching rifle grenades? That could just be a story to get rid of a few actual field repaired rifles, but I would not expect that to be the story of importers trying to unload whole lots of field repaired rifles. Those rifles were on the market in some numbers for quite a while. And while I could be very wrong, why would any country keep significant numbers of field repaired rifles in their inventory after the rifles became secondary war reserve? Enquiring minds want to know, at least mine. Any info appreciated.

[gwpercle]

I think ill just spread some wood glue on the crack and wipe off any excess instead of pulling it apart
Clean the crack with a little acetone , flood the crack and let dry, get out all dirt , grime and grease so glue will stick to wood. Let dry overnight. Use Super Glue, don't spread the crack if its tight,
the super glue will wick down into the crack. Don't use the gel kind. Give it an application , let cure and do it again, might even do it a third time to completely fill the crack. Lightly sand glued area smooth with 400 wet or dry and hit the spot with a rub of True Oil . Remove the handguard and do this on both sides of the crack...the glue should penetrate enough to effect a good fix. Epoxy would most likely be better but it is not thin enough to get down into a tight crack , thin super glue will. Getting it into the crack is the secrete to a proper fix.
gary

[8mm Mauser]

thanks for all the help guys. since i am planning to refinish the stock on it anyway, sould i do it before or after sanding the stock? thanks

[DCM]

Before sanding.
I understand not wanting to pry it open and make the crack worse but yo really NEED to get glue IN to the crack.
If you don't you will be doing the repair again and again.
The Exacto knife is an excellent tip, plus possibly a tooth pick to help push the glue in.

[phaessler]

I believe it is also important to remove any of the preservative products i.e. oil, cosmoline, varnishes, before gluing anything. A good fast evaporating degreasing solvent : brake cleaner, lacquer thinner. Then I would glue with Acra-glas from the inside, and use the flocking mat'l to add a little strength, you can even tint it if desired.
Pete

[8mm Mauser]

How would I go about getting ALL of the cosmoline out of it without refinishing it first? I find a heat gun works but that will only get me so far. It wont get all if it out. Thank you

[Artful]

Old method was dropping in a vat of boiling water.

The cosmo melts easily and rises to the top and the parts come out and dry fast due to the hot metal and water. - oil it up and your good to go.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaPhnRpgdu4

Second choice for me is Simple Green and hot water in a trash can provided no aluminum parts on it.

Ed's Red, Kerosene, Gasoline, Diesel or Mineral Spirits cuts it well if you use it in a safe fashion, like outdoors and not in a huge quantity, like in a coffee can, with a paint brush or acid brush. Away from sparks etc.

You should just wipe off as much as possible with cloth or paper towels and get down to the last remnants for the close work.
Dental pick and bore patch help get into crevices.

Two most important places to clean are bore and around the firing pin in the bolt so it moves freely.

here's a good links
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=4628.0

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/powder-keg/7857-trick-cosmolene-removal.html

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=486441

[8mm Mauser]

I actually used simple green to clean the cosmo off of my m48 and it was more scrubbing than soaking. I also noticed some cosmo splotches on the stock but not the handguard. I am well aware that there is much more cosmoline left in there but I have heard that you can never get it all completely out. I think I'll just give the wood glue a whirl and see what happens.

[Artful]

With simple green youhave to use HOT water - think just off the boil.
And their is always scrubbing to do with cosmoline.