First Time Builder - How best to fix a gap, if possible

[jeboothjr]

I decided to take on a Lyman flintlock build as a new challenge to myself. Things weren't quite fitting together out of the box and from what I had researched on the internet, some inletting may be necessary. I'm afraid that I was a bit overzealous and took too much wood out from behind the tang. After I did that, I realized that I was probably just inserting it incorrectly. Doh! Did I ruin it or is there some way to fix it? Due to the area of it, I was concerned if it would be safe to fire. I saw that some things can be fixed with acraglas, but i'd like some advice. The link below has a photos with a variety of angles to show the damage issue.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1gmmoitpo4hcx0u/AACCdhvnG8N9U1ofTt15ojvka?dl=0

[Joe S.]

Tried to pull up pics,nothing but white screen.

[Mike Brooks]

It ain't ruined. Glad I don't have to fix it.....

[jeboothjr]

OK. It's a link to a dropbox folder. Here are some links directly to a couple of the photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/okz4xketc1vrcs9/20170920_165046.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1v7yk3r7f78we9/20170921_080808.jpg?dl=0

Hopefully these work. Thanks.

[jeboothjr]

@Mike Yeah. It's all a part of the learning process. How would you fix it, if you did have to?

[Mike Brooks]

Last time I told somebody how to fix something like that they didn't listen to anything I said and made the ugliest repair ever seen by man. I'll let somebody else with more patience help you out, nothing personal.  you'll get about a dozen ways to do it.

[jeboothjr]

No worries. Its good to know that there may be a few options. 

[smylee grouch]

Couldn't see the gaps if that is what you have but don't run away and join the circus yet. Careful glue and patch work is usually the way to go in such cases. Try to get wood from the same stock for the patches if you can and use a good carpenters glur like Tightbond or some thing like that.

[jeboothjr]

The gap is 1/8 in behind the tang/breech plug. I'm thinking of 2 options. Either I form a piece of wood matching what I took out and epoxy that in or I handle it with all acraglas and then dremel that to form. Do either of these sound realistic? I'll have to be creative to get wood from the same stock.

[smylee grouch]

Acraglas will sure hold it but it will look worse than the gap IMHO. Use wood from some other source if you have to, and stain it and blend the two together.

[Frank]

Lose the dremel tool.

[Mike Brooks]

Lose the dremel tool.

Best advice yet.

[elkhorne]

If possible, you might be able to get a piece of wood that small with the same orientation of grain from behind  and inside the buttplate if wide enough or inside the barrel channel. If you go inside the barrel channel, you could replace the wood removed with almost any similar wood and easily reshape the spot in the barrel channel since that repair would not show when the rifle is finished. To me, the big thing is getting the right size, shape and grain orientation. Hope these ideas help.

[TommyG]

JE, from what I am seeing in your pics, Elkhorne is spot on.  Unfortunately you have a gap where a tight fit is critical.  The breach end takes all the recoil and should have no gap.  I would cut a piece of wood with the proper grain orientation(end grain) to fit in the "gap" area leaving it a bit tall or proud and epoxy in place.  Once cured, file,sand, scrape to blend.  Getting a piece from the stock you are using would be ideal, if not, I would try to hunt down a piece of Walnut and use that.  Like Elkhorne mentioned, the grain orientation will be critical in this area to assure strength. 

[Pennsylvania Dutchman]

Dremel, ruining fine firearms since 1932
Mark

[little joe]

Wood does not look to bad.I would consider sodering metal to the plug on each side and making a medal rather than wood repair.

[jeboothjr]

Yeah regarding the dremel...I had a feeling it wouldn't get a warm reception.  I only mentioned it because I wasn't sure of the difficulty of forming acraglas as I've never used it. A dremel has not come near the wood of my project. I've been doing all of the forming and sanding by hand. I have little experience with any of this and I want a challenge for myself, so I'm trying not to shortcut anything.

I'll probably make my first attempt with a wood repair. I'm a little hesitant to take a chunk out of the stock, but I'll see I can find a spot. If not, I think I'll head out tomorrow and find some walnut.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Mauser06]

Personally I'd inlet the tang farther to move the breech back that 1/8".  To me, that's the easiest solution.


BUT....working with that kit, everything else is pretty well lined up.  The lock/vent and barrel pins etc. So that's probably not going to be an option to slide the entire barrel back 1/8". 



So....take someone else's advise.  Lol

[Dave B]

The sugestion by Elkhorne is a good one. I wouln't waste time with trying to match up the grain. You have a bad spot, end grain that short is going to be and issue under recoil. I would use a fill of some straight grained walnut with the long grain running up and down to glue in place first. Then deal with the cosmetics by taking the wood that Elkhorne suggested and do an inlet vernier over the repair matching the grain. This would be long enough to do a nice clean job of covering the indiscretion and not compromise the strength of the wood behind the standing breach.





I would use an Xacto razor saw to cut the portion that will be used for the Vernier sections. You may be able to use a saber saw with a Boch (best Saber saw blades ever)blade to cut this out but may need a bigger drill hole to make sure your plug of wood is going to be thick enough. You can epoxy in a replacement plug of random walnut when your done with the other stuff. The other ways mentioned will get the job done just as well. This is how I would tackle it.

[B.Habermehl]

Dave, has a nice solution. But I would inlet the lock inlet first. Then drop the barrel and standing breech in place and see where the touch hole is if the gun is flint, or where the breech lines up with the lock if percussion. Then you will need to establish how thick the shim needs to be. BJH

[Mike Brooks]

The tang screw hole is already drilled, the barrel has one place to be and that's it.

[jeboothjr]

The touch hole does line up nicely. I was inspecting it closer last night. The piece of walnut that has to fit the gap is tapered at the bottom. The bottom of the tang is touching (barely) the stock. Once I get the walnut, I'l form that. I think that's the direction that I'm going.

[Anonymous]

Many have made similar screw ups. Not exactly uncharted territory, especially for me. I like the suggestion of a welding repair. Beats the dailights out of any epoxy repair. Messed breech plug holes years ago on a build.... Local laser micro weld shop repaired in minutes. Didn't charge for repair. Gave him a $20 anyway and felt guilty.   Consider building up metal with weld. Property finished will look great. Epoxy will always be epoxy.

[54ball]

 Get a piece of European Walnut....maybe there is a Woodcraft store in your area. They have blocks of wood...maybe you can find a piece that matches pretty well if not use black walnut.

 Take said piece of walnut, place it in a vise. Take your tang piece and with the octagonal part flat against inlet the tang down to proper depth. With the tang inlet mark the octagonal and carefully cut out with a saw. Cut it a little big...outside the line. File it to match the octagonal breech face using the tang as a guide.

 Option 2.
 Same principle but do not inlet the tang..cut out a full octagonal piece.

 Once the piece is cut out fit it to the breech face of the stock once it's fit. Glue it in with titebond wood glue. Figure out some way to press it if you can. Maybe the weight of the barrel can be used but do not glue the repair to the barrel.

 After the glue has dried....at least 24 hrs

 If you cut the tang slot you will have less inletting to do. If you used an octagonal piece, you'll have to inlet the tang.

 Superglue or j b weld the barrel to the tang. Now the tang and barrel are one piece. Make sure all the gaps are clean...remove any bulging epoxy.

 Place this assembly on the stock and pencil around the edges of the tang. The only thing that needs cutting is the new repair or places of dried glue in the inlet. Once you get it started you can candle the tang and breech and inlet the barrel and tang straight down.

 Once it's down and it's right you can separate the breech tang and barrel. A torch and a little heat will do the trick. Scrape away all epoxy from the barrel and tang.

 After all this it maybe good to bed the breech but that's a different subject.