Tips or suggestions to improve look of old stock repair

[pietro]

.

Congrats ! That repair looks great !

[LAGS]

A friend contacted me weeks ago.
He has his Dad's Kentucky rifle that someone broke the stock in two.
He wanted me to order a new stock for the rifle.
But he doesn't know who the manufacture is , so I can't do that till I see the rifle.
I asked him to let me Repair the stock since chances are.
The stock may be hard to find.
Plus it is going to cost him a bunch just to get a used stock.
I told him.
Bring me the rifle , and I can give him his best option.
But if the stock is not repairable, it might be easier if I just built him a new stock.

[Rockingkj]

A friend contacted me weeks ago.
He has his Dad's Kentucky rifle that someone broke the stock in two.
He wanted me to order a new stock for the rifle.
But he doesn't know who the manufacture is , so I can't do that till I see the rifle.
I asked him to let me Repair the stock since chances are.
The stock may be hard to find.
Plus it is going to cost him a bunch just to get a used stock.
I told him.
Bring me the rifle , and I can give him his best option.

But if the stock is not repairable, it might be easier if I just built him a new stock.

For sure even most modern made ML a replacement stock can be hard to get or expensive. Evilbay has folks making a living parting out TC’s and selling every little part.

[LAGS]

Yes.
If the price is right , or the TC parts they are selling that need repairs , I buy the parts.
I use the parts to rebuild lots of TC's or even modify the parts slightly to build Parts Guns that are very functional.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would take a small file or more properly a "Rifler" and undercut the existing fix about 1/8" all around. Then I would mix up some JB Weld and color it with black pigment available at your local Surf Shop . Then start filling the cracks until they are completely full and a little proud so they can be sanded to fair. Then continue with whatever stock finish you were going to do.

What you are doing is "Embracing the Repair," instead of trying to hide it which you will never be able to do. Just to make it so that it doesn't look like the only place that was fixed use a Black Sharpie to enhance the grain near the fix. Find the heaviest grain lines and run the Sharpie over them and blend the new lines into the grain using an Alcohol Soaked Rag.

As far as leaving the metal like it is I would seriously consider using a Birchwood Casey Plum Browning Kit to return it to it's original color.

Point being,,, You will have to completely refinish the stock to make it presentable after the fix and then it will look half done if the Metal is not brought back as Well.

My .02

Randy

[Shawlerbrook]

A fairly close match to fill a void can be made from a mixture of glue and some sanding dust from part of the stock not visible. Randy has a good suggestion.

[Rockingkj]

Not perfect but I’m calling it done.

[Sasquatch-1]

Great job. I can hardly tell where the repair was done.

[LAGS]

Looks pretty good.
Are you adding it to your collection ?

[Rockingkj]

Thanks. at this point will join my other antique muzzleloaders. Looking forward to shooting it.

[georgerkahn]

Just got this old muzzle loader. It has a rather poorly done stock repair. Ideas or suggestions to improve the cosmetic appearance of the repaired area? The old gal has a pretty decent bore. Marked on the barrel unreadable name & MUZZY ?

A "trick" an Amish furniture maker showed me years back is to break apart wood where glued, and carefully scrape off dried glue remnants. Then, over a cookie sheet drill -- he used an egg-beater style mechanical drill with a 5/16" bit -- a few holes as deep as you might without coming through. Carefully tap all the sawdust made from drilling into a jar -- he used one from Gerber baby food. Then, do the same drill drill to a piece of pine lumber, with the sawdust from this detail in a 2nd jar. Armed with a Popsicle stick, he added white glue to the PINE dust to make a paste with which he filled all the drilled holes. Then, he made a similar paste of the shavings from furniture piece drilled holes, and used an index finger to put a very thin coat on both halves as he pressed them together. He used rubber cut from truck tire inner tubes as a "rubber band" to keep it held together. Followed was the application of the rest of the sawdust+white glue mixture to fill all cracks and gouges, leaving it just a tad proud. The next day he removed rubber and used both scrapers and sandpaper. Bion, the break was now invisible!

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK that came out pretty good. You embraced the repair instead of trying to hide it. .

Randy

[725]

I've added sawdust, from a matching type wood, to the epoxy when trying to make a fill. Without seeing the piece, I think I'd try to inlet a metal re-enforcing bar inside the barrel channel deep enough to be covered by a barrel bedding. Work the old glue off it and try and do a fill in the channel / cracks left behind.. Bed the barrel with the bar "submerged" under the bedding compound. Good luck.

[StrawHat]

I've added sawdust, from a matching type wood, to the epoxy when trying to make a fill. Without seeing the piece, I think I'd try to inlet a metal re-enforcing bar inside the barrel channel deep enough to be covered by a barrel bedding. Work the old glue off it and try and do a fill in the channel / cracks left behind.. Bed the barrel with the bar "submerged" under the bedding compound. Good luck.

While that might work on a cartridge rifle, there is not a lot of wood between the barrel and ramrod channel on most antique muzzleloaders.

Kevin

[LAGS]

I have glass bedded many ML rifle stocks.
One thing that I did.
Was to take a steel rod the size of the ramrod.
I put the release agent on the steel rod and placed it in the stock like it was the ramrod.
I carved out areas where I could put reinforcement for the stock.
With the steel rod in place , you could see how thin the wood was, and when you glass bedded the berrel in.
You don't end up with epoxy in the ramrod hole.
The steel rod also helps give the stock a little support when you clamp the barrel into the stock during glass bedding.
When done with the bedding.
Pull the steel rod out After you remove the barrel from the bedding.
It helps support the forend of the stock so you have less chance of cracking the stock again.

[country gent]

Leave it and create a good story for it. IE Thats where Great great grandpa ran out of balls and had to swing it like a ball bat

[LAGS]

That is a great idea.
But as I have bought many historical weapons in the past.
I concern myself with the weapon itself and even damage that has been repaired over time.
Lies on how damage happened ain't worth upping the cost of the gun.
Unless someone you are selling it too is part of the family.

[Shawlerbrook]

That looks good to me .

[Rockingkj]

Thanks to all. I have a particular weakness for old Muzzle loaders. We all love an antique gun in super condition and marvel at how it remained in that shape for 150+ years. However the old gun with honest wear and use has character and charm all its own. Fun to think about that tool being the grocery getter, defender of the homestead and so on. We are simply temporary custodians of all we own. I hope the next custodian enjoys and appreciates these things too.

[LAGS]

I love to see some of these old Muzzleloaders in good enough shape to take out Grocery Getting.
If they are not in that good of shape ,fix them and Add your own history to them rather than just display them.