Custom Stock Repair

This article focuses on the repair of a laminated vintage 1960’s Bench Rest M98 Mauser .300 Weatherby Magnum covering how to use different glues and epoxies to repair major splits along with re-enforcing pins for additional strength. The first step to any fix is identifying an appropriate repair method and forming a plan. When this rifle came into my shop it represented a classic piece of Bench Rest history with the old school rails under the forearm and bottom of the butt stock.

An aluminum diamond plate bottom piece supported the leaded forearm. With a total weight of 63 pounds including the rails, keeping things tracking smooth on the bench bags was not a problem. I couldn’t even consider scrapping this stock and fitting new wood to the action — this is apiece of history! This rig would have to be made good as new and restored to its old shooting glory once again.

Upon first inspection several areas of the maple/walnut laminated stock needed some deep thought and consideration on the best methods for repair. First, the thumbhole grip area was split completely through along with deep splits in the cheek area continuing up to the thick receiver tang. One large chunk of laminate was wedged out from the side, just rear of the trigger guard. To finish off the damage, several finger cracks weaken the cheek area on top of the butt stock. How to repair this?

I looked around the shop and noticed some bedding compound that would serve as an excellent bonding agent. It was the Pro-Bed 2000 (part My initial impression was that it was a total loss due to the extreme damage. #643-447) available in eight-ounce containers at Midway USA MidwayUSA.com). Pro-Bed is already brown in color and mixes into a firm paste-like form that won’t leak out of the holes. This filler was used to replace the missing pieces of wood to reshape the stock.

I also used a CA glue (Cyano-Acrylate), better known as super glue, for the finger cracks. My preferred glue is available from Highland Woodworking Highland Woodwork ing.com) as they carry a large variety. I needed something very thin so I ordered the Formula #146121 available in a two-ounce bottle. The last glue needed was something to bond the deep splits. I chose Tite-Bond III wood glue. I recommend purchasing fine tip syringes with Tite-Bond as this allows you to put the glue right where you want it.

Both can be found at a local hardware store. Now that those decisions were made, I completely stripped the stock of the barreled action and all the metal attachments knowing the entire stock would need to be refinished anyway when the repairs were completed. With all the damage to the stock, the first step will be to replace some of the wood to reform the shape and to add strength so the finish can be removed without further damage. Then the crack repair would be blended in.

I did some carving with an X-Acto knife to remove enough wood to allow room for the epoxy and to have a flush fit on the laminated wedge when I replaced it. A dry fit on the laminate wedge proved to a very good fit. Next, I needed to pry open the cracks along the top side of the buttstock which would allow me to fill the cracks using the syringe filled with Tite-Bond III wood glue.

A bit of thought proved otherwise! Pro-Bed 2000 was applied first, then I moved on to injecting the wood glue, pumping Tite-Bond in until it oozed out. I wiped the area clean tightly clamped the joints and left the stock clamped for three days to allow for a full cure. A note regarding epoxy cure time. Even though the left over epoxy on the bench has hardened, the epoxy under pressure in the stock will need more time to fully cure. Be sure to follow the manufacture directions to allow for a full cure.

The next step required installing stock re-enforcement pins. I chose to make my own out of 1/8-inch hardened bolts. After cutting the bolt heads off, I used a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel and cut a slot into the bolt end for turning into the newly-drilled pin hole. The location of the pins were placed where the stock was split completely through to hold things together and prevent it from pulling apart at the joints in the future.

I filled the holes with some marine-grade epoxy, available from a local hardware store, again using a syringe and turned in the pins until they were below the finish lines. This allowed me to hide the holes with colored epoxy when finishing later. Letting this cure I This added needed structure to the glue and epoxy treatment. now have a solid and stable stock that can be stripped and sanded to expose crack lines that will be filled with the CA glue.

The stock finish was stripped with an off-the-shelf liquid finish stripper. The results exposed several small finger cracks on top of the cheek rest that were filled and bonded together with CA glue. I flooded the repair area with the CA glue, keeping it wet to allow the glue to wick into the wood. Once

enough CA glue was applied I used a rag with mineral spirits to wipe the surface clean of excess glue. This allows the final finish to adhere properly, without residue. Next, I touched up the low epoxy joints with colored epoxy and sanded it to a blended and flush surface finish. Refinishing the stock is another project in itself and certainly another article.

I chose the vintage look and my preferred hand-rubbed method and am enjoying the satisfaction of preserving what was initially thought to be a hopeless project. Conclusions The day may come when you are faced with the decision to repair or replace a broken stock and I must admit upon first inspection it looked bleak and beyond repair. Only after carefully considering several repair methods did it become a reality to fully repair and strengthen this stock that will endure for years to come.

Remember, epoxies and glues all have there purpose in crack repair. Be sure to carefully consider the repairs to pick the best adhesives Below left and A very nice example of bench rest history successfully restored! to repair the crack, chip or chunk. When finished, the rifle snugged up perfectly into the repaired vintage laminated stock. It had turned out beautifully! The cracked joints blended nicely and nearly undetectable.

The satisfaction of knowing repairs this complicated can be done and having that satisfied customer is the very best advertisement you could have. AG

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