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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Filling Holes?


Kyle

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I'm working a sporterizing a military stock and I'm hoping it will look nice and not like a hack job when I finish.

 

The rifle has a spot on the bottom of the buttstock where the sling parts originally went and I'm not sure how to fill that hole so it will look nice and blend in with the rest of the stock perfectly.

 

Any suggestions on filling this spot so it blends in perfectly with the stock?

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Perfectly and hole filling? I think you will always see it. Putting a new sling there would be best. I will give you a few things to try.

 

Is there is any darkening around the hole? If yes, drill the hole a bit bigger to get to clean wood. Then chisel a chunk of wood from under the barrel. Cut and sand to make a plug to fill the hole.

 

Another trick is to use some sawdust mixed with wood glue. Sawdust from the same stock is best. Just mix a few drops of glue and sawdust to make a paste.

 

Maybe you can cover the hole with a brass or silver inlay. "dixiegunworks.com" has some. Have your name engraved on it and you have a custom hole cover.

 

 

Good luck...Skeeter

 

 

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I would bet that if you are going to stain the stock you might benefit from mixing a bit of the stain with the glue. My dad, a furniture builder for some 35 years, has thinned glue in the past with a bit of water (water based glue) with good results. If the stain is water based, a few drops in the glue before and then after mixing in the wood powder/dust might be the ticket. You can always experiment with the mixture before committing yourself to it.

 

LC

 

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I just find a dowell close to diameter, coat with Elmer's, pound it in, wait overnight, saw it off, sand it down, and call it good.

 

A Military stock can look good and make a great functional stock to be proud of, but it's always going to have "character" (it would be a shame if it didn't) and its never going to be a work of art.

 

Have fun with it and try to make it as good as you can. You'll be learning the skills that will help you make a work of art later (I keep waiting for this to happen to me).

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As soon as I build a rifle that looks as good (and functions as good as I imagine) that Z's 338-06 does, I might consider not referring to myself as Bubba.

 

But I don't mind being Bubba either. It beats the hell out of not trying. I really detest anyone who criticizes the products of others who are really trying to make something nice and useful. It's always those that don't have either the talent or the balls to do it themselves who criticize. Those few who are really good remember what it took to become that way and are (100 % in my experience) supportive of those learning and trying to do better.

 

It's so easy to criticize, and it's so difficult to really do something worthwhile - and it usually takes many - many tries for an industrious person to make something beautiful. Those that discourage the industrious on their way to learning to produce beauty are the ugliest people in the world, and I hate them.

 

I may be Bubba, but at least I'm not lazy and I'm trying.

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You can do an few things, which some of it is listed above, but you can do other things to make it stand out.

 

I did an Yugo M48 stock and place oak wood in the sling holes and sand it down to the stock. 1st make sure you have all the dirt and oil out of it. If the edges are not sharp, recut the edges with an sharp craftknife. After that. you can used any thing to be place in it, stone, wood, plastic, and even ivory. Try to use the right glue on this. I just used wood glue and I just let the glue run out after clamping and wipe up the runs before it dries. After that sand down to the stock. If there is an gap, just used some sawdust and and glue and rub it in and let dry and resand lightly, very lightly and with an very fine sandpaper.

 

On my next project, I am planning on making my wife an 260 Rem. with an black and red laminated stock with mother pearl inlets in the forearm(Her CB handle) and get the the metal parts nickel plated. I found an place that sells letter that is made from mother pearls.

spec.4

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The first hole I had to patch was a deep gouge in the grip.I inlayed a buffalo nickle in the hole,and done the same on the otherside but reversed the coin.It was a .22 Rem 33 single shot I bought for my little brother.He was 6 then and is 39 and still shows folks the nickles.Jerry

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