Who is the GOD of Stock Repair?

[kaylaindy]

Hey guys, I'm getting closer to actually "shooting" my Limited Edition Rosso Red Wolf. I have the broken stock (pictured).

Is there someone out there who is considered a MASTER of stock crafting who maybe able to re glue this and re-gloss it so you can't even tell it was broken? The finish is beyond shiny, almost like a 1/8 inch thick layer of perfect gloss finish. I could do a mediocre job myself. ...maybe even a good job.... but if I could pay a little to get it done by a pro (who knows they can pull it off), I would prefer that. These stocks cost $900 when you could get them.

If anyone knows of a few guys who are super talented, established, and honest...let me know. Thanks!-Nate 

P.S. I got a free replacement stock from Daystate long ago...so don't feel sorry for me. 

 

[JCD]

I don't know about the 'god' status but Doug Phillips was 'the' go to guy on the old yellow. There isn't much meat there to pin, I'm thinking the hollow part would need to be sleeved, so not the normal repair. 

I honestly don't know what Doug is doing these days but this is the website: http://www.damagedwoodstocks.info/

 

[kaylaindy]

Thanks JDC! I'll check him out. Thanks for the insight on the sleeve too! -Nate 

 

[Arzrover]

I've seen a couple of broken stocks Alan Zasadny repaired that I couldn't find the joint. Not sure of his current workload though .

Bob

 

[profsrgary]

I have been a woodworker most of my life and have made some pretty impressive saves. Your stock can be repaired and be made usable but IMO I know of no one who could do as you ask which is make the break undetectable. Also at $70 to $80 an hour which is what the labor can run it could get mighty expensive. Craftsman of the caliber needed to do this job are used more to repair high dollar antiques. I guess what I am saying is you say if you can pay a little to get it repaired to a point where you can't it was even broken just doesn't mix. If there is someone who could do it, and I highly doubt there is, it would cost more than a little. You do have two pluses as I view your pic. First the break is with the grain which will give you a strong glue joint as opposed to cross grain and second the finish is probably lacquer which is more easily repaired than other finishes. Good luck! Gary.

 

[socaloldman]

+plus for profsrgary. He is much closer . That is no hundred dollar repair job. 3 to 4 hundred minimum for what you are asking.

 

[kaylaindy]

Wow, Thanks for the insight guys! That’s a good point that it would not be a cheap repair. I may end up glueing it myself and either using it as my everyday stock or selling it to a Red Wolf owner. I have seen a few repaired Red Wolf stocks for sale. I will definately check into a repair job from the guys who were recommended. I’m writing down the names too, in case I need work on something down the road. Thanks again for the great info! -Nate 

 

[JCD]

Stick the largest CF tube in the gap as you can and fit the battery. You can heat and deform CF tube but it's not fun. Epoxy the rest, sand it smooth and paint it. . You'll have a functional stock for $25 (plus your time) invested than sell it refinished or put on the gun and sell the 'new' one. 

 

[Flintsack]

I would glue it together myself with clear Epoxy. Because the break is on the grip, you have the opportunity to striple the entire grip, and thus cover the wound. 


mike

 

[Motorhead]

Get a small amount of 2 parts WEST SYSTEMS "Finishing / Laminating Grade" epoxy. (Or any Good hobby grade THIN finishing / laminating grade epoxy ).

Make sure the 2 broken half's fit together .... Soak each breaks bare wood for @ 10-15 min. Then assemble to two half's and clamp for correct alignment.

Most laminating epoxies stay soft for hours and in this case let the compressed break ooze some and Don't wipe away all, leaving just a little bit at the crack line..

Set aside until the epoxy is at a hardness of old bubble gum. At that time using some good tough clear cellophane tape, place it around the crack being as even as you can to not have wrinkles. may take several pieces.

That done, with your finger or a small squeegee type wiper flatten out the slight epoxy line at the crack line best you can leveling the surface under the tape.

Set it aside for a day or more. When you remove the tape the epoxy surface under the tape will be perfectly smooth for the most part. If done correctly they should be little to no pockets or voids along the crack line. If there is, fill em and tape em over ... repeat.

The JOINT WHERE BROKEN is now actually stronger than the wood above or below the break ... Indeed true !

With some careful profile sanding with progressively finer sand paper you should be able to get a near seamless blending. Polish with rubbing compound for last lustrous finish. Any wood lost is filled and color layers of the laminate will be kept intact.





SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DO YOURSELF ?



Have done many threw the years with very good results ... Tho not something I would take on for pay with a required result being promised.



Scott S.

 

[kaylaindy]

Scott, Thank you. That sounds like a great plan. I think I will try your method. -Nate 

 

[Revoman]

Last contact I had with Doug Phillips, he stated that my stock (shotgun) was one of his last. He had grown tired of fixing and was moving on. No more stocks. That was in around 2015, so it's been awhile. Maybe he's back in to it, but I wouldn't bank on it.

mike

 

[B]

Just use tidebond glue like this one https://www.homedepot.com/p/Titebond-III-8-oz-Ultimate-Wood-Glue-1413/202960636 easy to work with and you can clean it with wet rag

so you may not need to refinish the stock.

Epoxy is messy, hard to clean and wouldn't give you stronger bond in this situation , I'll been working with wood for past 20 years so I glued few pieces of wood over that time.

Try it by yourself how strong the glue is , get a piece of scrap wood split it ,glue it together and try to split it again , I guarantee you will not split on the glue joint.

Later if there is enough room inside you could epoxy piece of aluminum flat stock to make the grip stronger.

Not trying to say that above posters are wrong ,both applications got their place in woodworking.

Hope that helps

B

 

[TrinityMaker]

Doug Russell is the god of stock repair and manufacturing. His company is Mad Dog Rifle Stocks. Even though many of the stocks he makes are designed around the Air Force platform (and Benjamin Marauder), all he does is rifle stocks. I guarantee he can fix that Daystate stock. He will even reinforce it with a steel pin running through the length of the area to be fixed. He will countersink it and fill it. If you've broken the stock 2x's in the same spot, that stock has a design flaw. I know he can run a steel rod through the stock because that's what he does on some of his stocks where the areas are thin. It gives the stock the ability to achieve the desired aesthetics and be super strong at the same time. If you're still in need of the stock repair, call him. He's a good old boy from Kansas. He's got a GREAT personality, and he's great at communicating his thoughts and ideas. 

The problem with gluing it yourself is you need to figure out how to perfectly align and compress the break while the glue is setting. If you can finagle a few clamps and straps to achieve this, then you'll be set. The glue joint will be stronger than the surrounding wood. But there's no guarantee it won't break again in the general proximity of the first break. I guess you'll never know unless you try. And fixing it yourself is DEFINITELY the cheapest route.

 

[kaylaindy]

I like the sound of Doug Russel at Mad Dog. I don't think I could compress it very well. I'll get in touch with him and see what he thinks. Thanks TrinityMaker! -Nate