Can't be good...

[coutios]

  This has been discussed in prior threads HowEver...  Been pulling out some old projects to get started on and found a problem.. 42" swamped barrel set into a nice piece of maple.  Barrel was set in by a good supplier in eastern Pa. a while ago.. I know it was a good job. There is now a gap 12 inches long .025 wide at the worst point. It's in the upper forestock area. I've closed small gaps with the soak and clamp method but nothing this wide..  What say ye

Thanks in advance
Regards
Dave

[Dave B]

For some wood if it still has good moisture content you can almost tie it into knots once steamed. If your wood gets too dry and its gapped that much  you run the risk of breaking the web when you try to clamp it back. It may be worth taking a thin saw to the inside channel area like I have seen some furniture makers when a solid top starts to warp up. the series of small cuts into the wood allow for the steaming to be more affective with out cracking any thing. I would cut a sieries of saw kerfs just half way into the wood inside the barrel inlet then steam the bejesus out of it. When the clamps come off I would use a bedding compound with chopped glass  to solidify the area.

[flehto]

Soak the area good and wet and install the waxed bbl and wrap tightly w/ surgical tubing. Some just wrap the tubing w/o the bbl but I've had good results w/ the bbl in. Works better if the wood along the channel is thinned down...Good luck....Fred

[TomK]

two one-hunredths of an inch? I wouldnt worry, it'll probably swell when the humidity goes up in the spring.

[Lord Calvin]

.025 is twenty-five thousandths of an inch. Thats a noticeable gap. I had
a barrel channel gap on one gun that close to an 1/8th inch. And the guys
here told me to wet it and wrap it/clamp it. I did, and everything came out
fine. And it never reopened.

Cal

[coutios]

  Thanks guys.. When I get to that point I'll probably go with the soak and clamp...

Regards
Dave

[Acer Saccharum]

surgical tube is the best clamp for this kind of thing, or steal your kid's inner tube and cut that into strips for a clamp.

Tom

[Birddog6]

I went to the drug store to get some surgical tubing one day & they said they don't carry it anymore      So much for slingshots, eh      Guess kids don't need slingshots playing video games.

Anyway I got a big roll of surgical tubing at WoodCrafts as I happened to see it when there.

One time I had a Jaeger stock the barrel had gaped wide real bad. Sawed with with the band saw straight down the barrel channel & then glued & clamped it back together. Then in the barrel inlet bottom flat I cut 1/8" slots every 4", 90 deg.  to the barrel channel & glued in lil cross sticks to reinforce it, then bedded the barrel over it.  That has been over 10 years ago & it has not moved.