Super glue in wood stocks?

[charlie cleveland]

if youre gun stock is a shooter grade stock and you shoot lots of heavy loads the super glue will help from starting new cracks and old ones from running and re opening...it works for me...charlie

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I would keep sucking oil from the stock until no more comes out, before I went to step two. What do the experts say about that?

I am the current expert on removing oil from stocks, and I have the cancelled checks to prove it. To wit:

I finally received the buttstock and action of my HE Fox back after it required THREE incredibly complex de-oiling and extraction procedures, each of which took weeks to completion. The exasperation of the stockmaker was near complete when he finally identified the oil he was trying to remove as none other than Sperm whale oil! Perfectly natural that it would be that given the vintage of the gun (1923). It was a common lubricant back then, and of course, in the true spirit of the American way, more was better!

The extraction solvents used ranged from denatured alcohol to acetone to MEK to aromatic C9 hydrocarbon liquids. The original intended repair of the stock to correct a very old pre-splintering glue job that of course did not hold due to the oil soak had to be completely redone after the extensive de-oiling series.

Only last weekend, yet another oil-soak related saga will result in my having to have a new ejector forend made for another beautiful graded smallbore. Those of you who have been there can feel my pain in the wallet!

I don't have any experience in using Super Glue in sealing/reinforcing stocks and/or forends, but I can tell you unequivocally the VERY first thing I would do with these 100+ year old guns is to have the actions glass bedded by someone who knows what they are doing. It will save lots of headaches later on from cracking, splitting, chipping and splintering of the wood.

This simple but detailed process involves using accurately mixed epoxy, suitable release agents, due diligence in application and curing, and above all, attention to detail. But first you have to get ALL of that oil out!

[Bruce Day]

Sperm whale oil is indeed difficult to get out and defies easy combination with solvents. Dennis Smith ( The Stockmaker) had that problem with this C. A new finish will not adhere until the old oil is out, and it will take months with sperm whale oil.

Many refinishers, professional and amateur, use a dilute solution of isocyanide glue ( Superglue) to seal the inside of a stock head. If full strength, it will be too thick and may cause fit difficulties. I don't, instead using grease, not oil, on an action. Grease better stays put without running like oil.

[King Cobb]

I am actually surprised to hear that Bruce. I had never even heard of greasing a gun until I got my 1911, best baby shower gift ever, but everyone in your part of the world swore that in your area grease would gum up when it got cold. I have used rem oil on shotguns for ever and would have never considered using grease on a shotgun action....

[King Cobb]

BTW, I am fairly confident mine isn't whale oil, just some stuborn oil up in the head of the stock that hasn't all come out yet.

[Kevin McCormack]

The primary drawback to using grease on an action is that it can and will trap any small particles of dirt, grit, unburnt powder and the like, effectively creating a lapping compound-like paste that if not removed can act very similar to a grinding compound on sensitive bearing surfaces and joints.

[Bruce Day]

I use Pro-Shot Pro Gold grease. Not a lot, just a little on the hinge surfaces. I wipe it off at the end of the day so that any dust does not accumulate in the grease for very long. Rag and q tip.

I have hunted at down to -6 F without gun difficulties. Me yes, the gun no. I just think oil runs, maybe if only a very small amount was used, it would be fine, but people tend to squirt oil into the action. Everybody has their way.

[King Cobb]

Yes oil does have a tendency to run. Rem Oil isn't so bad. Now when I have gone hog hunting with the boys back home and they all break out their milspec gun oil for the ARs you have to spend half the hunt wiping oil off their guns as it comes out everywhere.

[Richard Flanders]

I never use grease on the inside of a gun but I'm sure there are greases that work. I use Ballistol which sticks like a very thin grease and never seems to harden up badly or run off. I hose Parker actions with it then let them drip dry before assembly. As for stocks, I use Mini-Wax wood hardener on punky inletting. It works very well. It's essentially a poor mans PEG treatment and similar to a super glue soaking. I've also used super glue to repair a lot of seriously smashed violin tops and backs and it works great. Much quicker than waiting for Tite Bond or hide glue to dry and holds very well. It's great for putting the small chips you get when you pull a tight tang or something out back in place; just put in a drop and the chip/splinter and hold it in place with a toothpick till dry. Model airplane builders use super glue on their balsa frames. Super glue comes in a variety of viscosities and I'm sure the thinner varieties would soak into a stock very well. Any supplier that supplies the jewelry industry or fossil preservation folks has super glue in bottles of at least a quart. I'll always prefer the wood hardner. It stabilizes punky wood. I've used it on violin and other stringed instrument fingerboards that had gotten punky from sweaty hands over long use. I apply it with a q-tip or small brush. I've mentioned this stuff on the forum a number of times and have never gotten any comments from anyone. Once you've tried it you'll never go back to anything else. It's a specialty product made specifically for stabilizing punky wood and is the best I've used for that. It soaks in better than super glue.

[Big D]

Richard - Sounds similar to "Get Rot" an epoxy product from the Gougeon Brothers in Bay City, MI. It's used to stabilize rotted areas in boats