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K98 Laminated Stock Repair Question

4.3K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  MGMike  
#1 ·
I found a german late war laminated stock with cupped buttplate which should be correct for a HT that I am working on. It is a capture stock but in overall good shape. It should work, at least until I come across something better I'm willing to pay more for... So naturally it was covered in Cosmoline when I unpacked it. I spent some time reading up on the best way to remove Cosmoline without ruining the finish or risking delamination. I decided against harsh chemicals and set out to sweat the grease out. Next, wrapped the stock in paper towels followed by a trash bag and put it on the rear speaker deck of my car in the sun for the day. For about a week I changed out the grease soaked paper towels each day, rewrapped and rebaked. I know it's probably impossible to get all the grease out but I think I've removed a large amount of it and after wiping down the surface of the stock each day it is noticeably less sticky.

However, I did notice a crack in the stock behind the recoil lug. Not 100% sure if this was there before the baking process just covered in some grease i did not see or if it emerged after one of the heat cycles. Regardless, I'm guessing it should be repaired before firing. So, after more research on stock repair, I was thinking about clamping the area back into position and then using Acraglas epoxy over/in the crack. I could also drill a hole or two from the topside to insert brass rod with epoxy vertically to reinforce the area. Attached are some pics of the crack.

So if anyone could provide some opinion on:
1. Best way to repair this crack?
a. Acraglas in/over the crack(only)? b. brass rod reinforcement applied in the vertical? or c. a combination of both?
2. If brass rod repair is best for long term use, how many rods? A single rod centered or two, one positioned left and right to balance the recoil load?
3. Not sure if I should try to bake anymore cosmo out before or after the crack repair? I was going to finish with boiled linseed oil after some confidence most of the cosmo was out. If I apply the BLO too soon will I trap the cosmo in? I imagine that's not good for the wood.
4. This is a bit off topic for this post but are RSM scope rings OK for the HTs or is there a better repro. option?

 

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#2 ·
I presume the crack ends at either end when a full laminate sheet starts. I'f the action and triggerguard are properly tightened it shouldn't be a problem for firing as most of the recoil will be distributed around the sides and through the magazine walls. Fixing it would be tricky as being full of cosmolean, no epoxy will be able to penetrate the wood, and using various chemicals to dissolve the cosmo might wind up also attacking the glue.
If i were fixing it, i would cut out a "V" groove along the crack to get down to fresh wood, and then load it up with acraglass. Cross pins might not be necessary here as it doesn't really take recoil in the horizontal area, and its not a structural part right there, top down might wind up splitting the sheets and causing them to break out given how thin they are. I've never actually pinned a laminate that close to an edge so i cannot say how well it would hold up. If I would pin that i would do it in an "X" pattern.
The crack does look parallel with the bottom of the lug, is there any forward and back play in the lug? The crack looks to be slightly pushed out compared to its mating piece which would indicate to me someone fired it loose (or overpressure) and compressed the wood, breaking the area behind the lug
 
#4 ·
Just from the pictures, you still have some cosmo in the stock. Get your hands on a cheap heat gun. Just remember to take it slow and don't get to close to the wood, you will see the cosmo seep out of it. When I do this I can tell by the smell of the cosmo when it's time to lay off on the heat and wipe it down, hard to explain. I like to use shop towels from an auto parts store, they hold up better and soak up more than the average paper towel in my opinion. I use them on my cast iron too, so it works.

As far as the crack, bedding would definitely need to be done, but finding a way to brace that section is beyond my expertise when it comes to preserving the value of the stock. There's plenty of people on here that have great advice on what to do, just take your time and learn as much as you can.
 
#5 ·
I've repaired quite a few over the last 40 years with Acraglas, clear fiberglass resin or Git-Rot (for dry rot in wooden boats). I like the Git-Rot because it's thinner and penetrates by capillary action into deep narrow cracks, especially when urged with compressed air. It's almost water-clear and won't leave a glue line if correctly clamped. Forget Crazy Glue, Gorilla Glue, G-B Weld, etc. which are milky or opaque when dry. Drip the resin in one end of the crack and wait for it to emerge from the other; that way you'll know when it's coated throughout.

The real key to success is to work out the clamping well beforehand; Don't reach for the glue until you already know exactly how you intend to clamp the joint so it will close completely, mate exactly and not show afterward. An assortment of soft-jawed ratchet clamps by Irwin or others is really indispensable. Make clamp jaws like templates from soft pine if needed to squeeze irregular contours.

Get the joint clean. Especially at the surface (unless you want to see a black line). Use acetone repeatedly --outdoors-- to saturate and degrease the joint. It will dissolve and evaporate the grease. Heat guns just thin the grease and drive it deeper. Orient the stock so the acetone drips out without unnecessarily running over the exterior of the stock; it will remove the color and make more work later.

Be ready to mop up all the excess adhesive when it's squeezed out.

The stock shown appears to be cracked also up on the right sidewall above the recoil lug. To push everything back into place you'll have to remove the lug. Do this VERY carefully to avoid splitting out the circular mortise in the sides, especially if the lug is set back even slightly.

The nice thing about repairing laminated stocks is that they tend to camouflage the repairs. Sometimes you need a magnifying glass to find where the crack was.

M