How To Repair Cracked Handguard

Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper hand guard?

After a year and a half I have finally started cleaning the cosmoline out of my Yugo Mauser. I accept a hairline crack in the upper hand baby-sit that starts at the thin cease and extends about 3 or four inches. Looking at it from the front of the baby-sit information technology is in the 2 o'clock position. No wood is missing and if the fissure is pressed closed as it is past the front ring, it is substantially invisible. I programme to heat equally much of the cosmo as possible out of the area around the crack and then the question of repair technique arises.

Have any of you mil-surp folks encountered this trouble and if so, were yous able to successfully repair it without creating an obvious glue line on the outside of the hand guard?

Member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper hand guard?

3 by Woodsman

Marlene wrote:Yep. I take.

Cheers for the respond Marlene. What mucilage did you lot apply? Other than getting out every bit much cosmo as possible, did y'all have to apply anything to farther clean the the crack prior to gluing to improve absorption and bonding?

Fellow member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper manus guard?

4 by Bricklayer

Acetone is the universal solvent for oils. Soaking or irrigating the crack with it may help.

'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked Grand-48 upper hand baby-sit?

5 by senorgrand

I had to repair a handguard. I used some very small detents as dowels, by and large to prevent shifting every bit the glue set. And so I built a frame to insert inside the handguard (I think I used modeling dirt and a wooden dowel). Then I used a strap clench to concord the whole thing in identify.

YMMV

"Person, adult female, man, photographic camera, Television receiver."

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper paw guard?

6 by atxgunguy

Photos might help diagnose what y'all practice for your item case. I know in that location'due south a textile threshold on certain repairs.

LGC Texas - Central Region President

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky 1000-48 upper paw guard?

vii by Woodsman

Stonemason wrote:Acetone is the universal solvent for oils. Soaking or irrigating the crack with information technology may assistance.

Thanks, Mason. I have a can of acetone that I've been using for final cleaning of the metal parts after soaking them in mineral spirits. I merely wasn't sure about applying it to wood that that has been in cosmo for ~65 years.

Fellow member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper hand guard?

eight by lurker

if you tin can become the cosmolene out (see:acetone), elmers is actually an first-class wood glue. they make a very nice glue, titebond 3, which is waterproof. clean it, apply mucilage, allow it set in a vise for a twenty-four hour period or and then.

i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky M-48 upper mitt guard?

9 by Woodsman

atxgunguy wrote:Photos might assist diagnose what you do for your item example. I know there'south a material threshold on certain repairs.

Proficient point. I'll snap a couple when I become home this evening.

Member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper mitt guard?

10 by senorgrand

BTW, I used gorilla wood glue...

"Person, woman, man, photographic camera, Idiot box."

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper manus guard?

12 by Woodsman

atxgunguy wrote:Photos might assistance diagnose what you do for your item example. I know at that place'south a material threshold on certain repairs.

Here are some pictures. The woods is merely a 16th inch thick where it goes under the forepart ring and an 8th inch through the rest of the crack.

Member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky Thou-48 upper hand guard?

13 by Marlene

Goddamn small phone typeface and the incorrect spectacles! I looked too quick and idea y'all was someone else. Sorry for the undeserved level of smartassery.

Low viscosity super glue is perfect for that.

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper paw baby-sit?

14 past CDFingers

The wood has shrunk, so information technology cracked. The space in the fissure represents how much the wood has shrunk. Two things: First, yous'll never get the cosmo out of the wood enough to trust just glue. Second, you have to make full that gap, as the moisture has left that space.

Recommendation; fill the gap with acraglass. With proper masking and an center to color, that would be the best manner to ensure information technology would fit back under the butt bands and flanges and such,

CDFingers

.
If I had a gun for every ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Zhytomyr

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky K-48 upper hand guard?

xv by nigel

CDFingers wrote:The woods has shrunk, so it cracked. The space in the cleft represents how much the forest has shrunk. Ii things: First, yous'll never get the cosmo out of the wood enough to trust just gum. 2nd, yous have to fill that gap, equally the wet has left that infinite.

Recommendation; fill the gap with acraglass. With proper masking and an eye to colour, that would exist the best way to ensure it would fit back under the butt bands and flanges and such,

CDFingers

It's a clamped piece that closes when clamped. So the adhesive bond doesn't have to be that good. Besides if information technology fits nicely against the fore-terminate now, it'due south all-time to bank check that calculation material won't add a pace or a gap somewhere.

Sleeping accommodation's empty, mag'due south total, condom's cleaved.

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper hand baby-sit?

16 by Woodsman

[/quote]
Information technology'due south a clamped piece that closes when clamped. And so the adhesive bail doesn't accept to be that good. Also if information technology fits nicely against the fore-finish now, it's all-time to check that calculation cloth won't add together a step or a gap somewhere.[/quote]

Yup, the crack is very tightly held closed past the front ring and I didn't even know it was there until I took the wood off the rifle, even having brushed and wiped the entire rifle with mineral spirits prior to disassembly.

Thank you to everyone for you comments and suggestions. Side by side step is getting rid of the cosmo to the maximum extent possible. Then I'm inclined to try superglue and come across how it goes. I'll send pix..

Member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked One thousand-48 upper hand guard?

17 by inomaha

I use a 30 minute 2-ton epoxy I found at an automotive store. I utilize 30 minute because I work too slow to get everything lined upwards using five min epoxy. I mix in wood dust so it will take stain and not leave a glue line. Probably overkill for your crack, but that method works pretty good when yous're fixing broken pieces with larger gaps. You lot tin can sand the epoxy and the wood dust takes some stain to blend information technology all together.

I've fixed several stocks and forest pieces. With larger breaks I utilise reinforcement screws and/or dowels. I accept a large wad of rubber bands that I use to hold things together. I keep tying more on until everything pulls tight, so I lightly sand off the epoxy and the safe band pieces that dry out to information technology and impact upwardly. But put your handguard on a dowel the right size (covered in something to keep information technology from sticking like wax paper you tin can sand away) so information technology maintains shape when you lot tighten information technology up during the gluing process.

You can see one of my projects and the results hither.

viewtopic.php?f=54&t=30720

P.Southward. my winter project this yr is to bluish this and a couple of others I've fixed up.

Brian

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky M-48 upper manus guard?

eighteen by Woodsman

Thanks Brian, more nifty ideas. You're right, this fissure is too fine for saw grit, but I'll make a mental note for hereafter reference. I'd been thinking almost a ways to stabilize the piece during the repair and the dowel and wax paper is perfect. I also have some aluminum tubing from an old CB antenna that may work. Skillful luck with your blueing. That is a project gun..

Member, LGC

Re: Ideas on Fixing a cracked M-48 upper hand baby-sit?

19 by inomaha

Here's my latest which will probably take iii contumely screws and birch caps. Maybe merely wood dowels. I wish the temp set up he used wasn't duct tape as it pealed the finish off with information technology. Only yous don't discover many $100 mosins these days then information technology's worth the endeavor.

Brian

Re: Ideas on Fixing a croaky Grand-48 upper hand baby-sit? Neat gluing splint for future reference

twenty by Woodsman

inomaha wrote: Tue Nov 28, 2022 4:59 pm I utilize a xxx minute 2-ton epoxy I establish at an automotive store. I use thirty minute because I work too slow to get everything lined upward using 5 min epoxy. I mix in wood dust so it will accept stain and not leave a glue line. Probably overkill for your scissure, but that method works pretty good when you're fixing broken pieces with larger gaps. Y'all can sand the epoxy and the forest grit takes some stain to blend it all together.

I've fixed several stocks and wood pieces. With larger breaks I employ reinforcement screws and/or dowels. I have a large wad of rubber bands that I use to concur things together. I go along tying more on until everything pulls tight, then I lightly sand off the epoxy and the rubber band pieces that dry to it and touch up. Just put your handguard on a dowel the right size (covered in something to keep it from sticking like wax newspaper you can sand away) so it maintains shape when you tighten it up during the gluing process.

You can see ane of my projects and the results here.

viewtopic.php?f=54&t=30720

P.S. my winter project this year is to blue this and a couple of others I've fixed upwards.

I was gear up to go buy a dowel since I didn't have any the right diameter. Simply that was going to be 2 or three feet of dowel when I demand a couple of inches Then information technology occurred to me to try one of the 12 cc Monoject syringes that I keep effectually for diverse hobby projects.

It turned out to exist an admittedly perfect fit.

The syringe, low viscosity superglue, wax paper, condom bands and 24 hours did the trick..

Member, LGC