Cracked SKS Stock Advice

[marksmandowntown]

My brother bought an SKS from Classic and asked me what he should do about the cracked stock.

Here's what I think: If he shoots it, the crack is going to get bigger over time and will eventually go all the way through. I figure that: 1) he could drill a hole through the stock and put a coarse threaded brass screw in it to hold the crack together, or 2) he could just buy replacement wood off Ebay or a tacticool polymer stock, or 3) just shoot the thing and deal with it when the crack gets too big to ignore.

Advice and comments appreciated.

[Gavelek]

I would choose the option #3, and if the crack bothers him still, tell him I'll take it

[penguin0123]

Take the receiver out, use a wedge to open up the crack (use common sense here...), and put in epoxy. Use a piece of paper (cardstock works well) to work the epoxy into the crack. Remove wedge and let set.

Add stalingrad screw if you are worried.

[TRAP55]

Send it back to Classic, or fix it.
To fix it right, it needs to be glass bedded with an "I" reinforcement from the inside, or it'll just break again.

[Tom-ADC]

Elmer's wood glue open the crack work some in, wrap or clamp, let sit overnight good to go.
Assuming the crack isn't full of grease or oil.

[jpscoot_21]

If the stock is dark and oil-soaked, a chemical stripper will remove that. A big staple or bent nail epoxied into a bridged cavity will keep it from re-opening there. Finally, the glued crack can be hidden by slipping a color-matched stained newsprint into the crack along with the glue. Clamp, and trim off the excess paper.

[marksmandowntown]

the glued crack can be hidden by slipping a color-matched stained newsprint into the crack along with the glue.

THAT sounds cool. I'd like to Google that, unless you have a link or something. What's the process called? I'll go check the gunsmithing forum.

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to go with the wedge/epoxy/clamp with JP's camo treatment on top.

[Twystd1]

I would not use epoxy in your particular case. It's too thick to get into the joint.

Try the following.
Try to open the crack up by using a wedge. Or better. Bending the stock enough to get the crack open at least 30 thou.

You can now force the glue into the joint using an air nozzle hooked up to a compressor. (More is better. The excess will squeeze out)

I use aliphatic woodworkers glue (Titebond) or Urea glue like Weldwood plastic resin glue. The latter you mix with water to whatever consistency you need.

If needed, either of these glues can be thinned with water to make it less viscous enough to get into the crack.

Both of these glues are STRONGER than the wood itself.

After forcing the glue into the broken area with the air nozzle.
Use a damp towel to wipe up the access.
Simply clamp it up.
Keep the wood warm. (70 degrees to 100 degrees works.)

Wait 24 hours. Go shooting.

I have fixed innumerable stocks and many other wood products this way.
It works like a charm.

T

[DennisCA]

Send it back to Classic; they make it right

[Gavelek]

I just fixed the crack on my sks stock with epoxy, will see how it will be holding up, planning to shoot tomorrow, let you know

[brianm767]

If there isnt all ready a stickie for your repair, Candyman is the expert to ask.
He has helped me several times.

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=137

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=137&t=44565

[Chach]

If you want to get serious about it, use one of these for applying the glue.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22068&site=ROCKLER

A regular syringe would work as well for getting the glue in deep into the crack.

What I would recommend is remove receiver from stock, open crack slightly with a wedge. Plastic or wood is preferential as it won't destroy the wood. Make sure there is no grease / cosmoline / oil in the crack. If so, clean it as best you can and let it dry afterward. Inject glue into the crack and then clamp in multiple places. Don't just clamp in one spot and call it good, multiple places is the key. Also, you want to clamp enough that the gap closes but not so much that you squeeze all the glue out as that is just defeating the purpose.

After doing that, if you want to make sure it's really secure then you can insert some threaded brass rod perpendicular to the crack. While the stock is clamped you drill a hole across the cracked area and then screw in the threaded rod. Cut off remainer and after glue has set (read your glue's inx) you may remove the clamps and sand the rod / glue as needed.

If you want to try and conceal the crack, I'd highly recommend against using the newspaper as previously mentioned. While the stained paper will conceal the glue it will also weaken the joint. Newspaper or brown paper bags are used by wood turners to temporarily glue pieces together while turning on a lathe. They apply glue to one piece, place paper down, add more glue and sandwich the other piece on top. It will hold for a while however it will just split apart along the paper.

To properly conceal you will want to mix some glue with saw dust and place that into the crack after placing some regular glue in the crack I recommend taking off the butt plate, sand a bit there to get some saw dust and then mix that dust with glue and push it into the top of the crack. Finger will do, small spatula or tongue depressor would be better. Flat head screwdriver even.

Hope this helps, good luck!

**EDIT** This may be in one of the links to surplus rifle, but it shows what I was talking about. Though i would recommend threaded rod instead of barstock.

[Gavelek]

Chach, you're absolutely right, my quick epoxy patching did not work

[Bobby Ricigliano]

My brother bought an SKS from Classic and asked me what he should do about the cracked stock.

2) he could just buy replacement wood off Ebay or a tacticool polymer

Advice and comments appreciated.

I hate to say this, but blade cut stocks are not easy to find. I have searched in the past on Ebay and found nothing but junk or spike cut stocks. I hope you find a solution. Broken stocks just kill it for me and I don't have the patience to repair them correctly.

[bohoki]

pre drill run a long sheetrock screw through clip off and grind down both ends