WWA Info Exchange

Today while cleaning my old 6A, I noticed a thin hairline crack as shown in the pics below. It's a little hard to see from the outside, but easy to see in the 2nd pic. I suspect it's not from abuse, but just the age of the wood that caused it. 75 years of humidity and temp changes.

With the barrel/receiver installed it doesn't move at all, and doesn't seem to affect the accuracy or operation of the rifle, however with the stock removed there is a slight movement.

So, I have 2 options: Repair or leave it alone.

What would y'all recommend; Option A or Option B? I have an idea of how I might repair it, but will hold off on that until y'all can chime in on possible repair actions.

My concern is that the crack may propagate farther, and eventually be a more serious problem. This gun will eventually be willed to one of my daughters, and I'd like to keep it in good shooting condition.

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I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

I say repair! Work fro the inside so the repair doesn't show.

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"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean

That's my inclination. So what would you suggest? I'm thinking a couple butterflies or splines on the inside, or possibly a small diameter dowel at the top of the crack. Don't have much room or thickness to work with, so either way would be a challenge. Can't spread it far enough to inject any glue without risking further propagation.

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

My first thought was glue in the crack may not help much since the wood may have been exposed to gun oils and cleaning fluids etc.

I thought 2 old style really thin brass screws countersunk o pull it tight and then when it's tight a real thin dowel or two into drilled holes (fresh wood) with tight bond 2 in the holes. Not sure if you have room to do something like that or not?

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"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean

It's an idea worth considering. Thanks.

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

GENE: Is there any chance that you could bake the stock warm enough to open the crack even just a little? If so then you could blow some thin epoxy into the crack with some modest air pressure. Some capillary seeping should occur like soldering copper pipe I would think that some tape or such on the "show" side of the crack at each edge would slim down the chances for major clean up or refinishing. Once the epoxy has cured out then do the mechanical repairs with the dowels and screws.

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Everything was new once.
newtooth 311
Rochester, MN

Would thin superglue work.
Maybe pull it through using vacuum from the other side.
Stuff always runs were I don't want it, fingers for instance.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

Another good idea. Y'all are just full of 'em

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I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

Maybe a combination of ideas might work.

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"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean

Hey Gene,

I vote for the thin cyanoacrylate glue. I would use a syringe or on of the needle like aftermarket applicators, and work from the inside.

Cheers,
Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

Gene on the inside I would widen and deepen the crack as much as you can without reaching outside. Make it 1/4" wide on the inside, then fill with epoxy. I would use Brownells Acraglas gel. Use a clamp to hold it together first and apply the anti sticking stuff on the outside on both sides of the crack, let it dry and then release the clamp, Force the epoxy into the slot until it just squeaks out the outer side apply a clamp to squeeze the wood together and let set. It will never move again and you may not even see it on the outside. One thing on the package it says to mix the epoxy for 4 minutes, be sure to mix for at least that long.

Duct tape the old gal up

Little bear, you just proved you are a true maniac (Maine native)

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Uncle Fixit

If it moves and is not suppose to....DUCK TAPE! If it doesn't move and is suppose to.....WD40!

Rog

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Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

My method of repairing cracks and preventing further cracking is to first drill a fine hole just past the crack to relieve the stress. And then use a hyperdermic needle to "shoot" some glue into the hole and crack. For larger cracks I use an expanding polyurethane glue and a dowel pin . It is amassing how much glue will start expanding out where you could not see any crack. For fine cracks I use a thin superglue.