byf43 Mauser bring back Range report/Repair failure

[majspud]

The byf43 is now home; I have had it on lay away for two months. Time to share the before pictures before I tear it down and fix the duffel cut. I plan to do this slowly after I get advice so I don't mess this up. This is a nice rifle, all matching numbers where marked save the hand guard and bolt. The barrel is pristine.

I did the best I could with the photos; 25 total attached. Funny how a new rifle always seems to come home at night so the pictures lack natural light. Although I did get a few good ones with the close up feature.

The rifle is in excellent condition, period roughly finished laminated beechwood stock. There were a few surprises. The barrel does not have a serial number or barrel code, but merely "R" and a WaA135. The hand guard appears to be walnut, but nicely matching in color, and stamped 9371. Popping off the "brg" cupped butt plate the stock was stamped Ha 2 51 42, and the inside of the butt plate had what I think is a painted-on acceptance stamp.

Come Christmas I'll get the original and correct unmarked cleaning rod, a sight hood, and a nice sling to complete the rifle. Maybe I can also find someone who has a WaA135 bolt from a mismatch and needs a WaA26 (719b) from my mismatch; then the rifle will be mostly Obendorf.

Looking at ways to repair the duffel cut, some of the techniques look beyond my ability. I was thinking of compromising by hand fitting a section of beech wood if (I can find it, after sanding off the old glue) cut, carved, and sanded to the proper missing thickness, the two pin and brass tubing method in the cleaning rod channel, and some really good epoxy. I would finish with a touch of stain to match the finish as best I can.

As to the existing finish, I plan to only use a light coat of cut Tung oil.

All in all, I think I did well for $330.

PlymouthMauser
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[SKS Ray]

All in all, I think I did well for $330.

I'll say!

Heres a thread from Gunboards about repairing a duffle cut:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=4615

 

[USMA-82]

Congratulations! Nice pick up.

 

[majspud]

I'll say!

Heres a thread from Gunboards about repairing a duffle cut:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=4615

That's the thread I'm following, but instead of the plastic, I'm thinking of a wood shim to replace the saw cut loss, but still use the brass tubing in the cleaning rod channel, the two pins higher up, and some heavy duty epoxy.

MS

 

[m44]

Congrats on a nice score.

 

[stoneypete]

subscribing to thread. I can't see the pics from work.

 

[majspud]

Duffel Cut Repair In Progress.

Well, I've spent the day finding the pieces for and making the repair. I had to make several compromises. Copper tubing instead of brass. 6/32" machine screws with the tops cut off instead of threaded rods. No shim. I also used some serious gap filler epoxy instead of the Devcon. I sanded the old glue off and reamed the cleaning rod channel very slightly so the softer copper tubing would fit without bending. The fore stock piece was inletted and the machine screws placed. It took multiple fittings to get the counter holes inletted into the stock and all the parts lined up. Surfaces were cleaned with denatured alcohol. Epoxy prepped and set up, pieces fitted, and gaps filled with epoxy. Working fast here as the epoxy sets in 5 minutes. Used the saved saw dust and dusted/tapped the openings to try to get a wood finish. Mounted the barrel and screwed on the trigger guard - slipping in a piece of tinfoil between the barrel and the repair just in case. Set the hand guard, rear band, adjusted the gap for the spring, set the spring, and snapped on the front band. This rifle is very well behaved in that the front band and spring can be removed or set by hand with no tools or clamps - maybe it fits better as it is all original. So everything is curing should set in firing position. Sitting there on the workbench the rifle looks completely normal - there is no sign of any repair work from the outside.

We'll find out in 24 hours how I did. Hopefully all that's left is to sand the repair smooth and a touch of stain.

MS

 

[SKS Ray]

Rep points inbound for your dedication to the preservation and restoration on K98 type rifles.

 

[majspud]

Repair update with pics

A watched pot never boils and epoxy never dries. After eight hours, curiosity got the better of me. What if there was a problem? I gently and easily removed the front band and spring, and with a few taps of a hammer and a wooden block, the lower band came off without a problem. The epoxy had settled into the crack leaving gaps in the filling. I mixed up another batch of epoxy, this time stirring in sawdust, and liberally filled the gaps. After I used scrap pieces of cardboard and left the epoxy flush with the wood so there will be less for me to sand. I left the action and bands dismounted and the stock open as the epoxy that was there was set well enough to hold the repair in place with the proper gap and orientation. Now we wait for tomorrow.

PM

 

[SKS Ray]

Might be worth putting the barreled action in with some protection such as waxed paper near the repair area to make sure everything is straight.

 

[JuergenG]

Nice find and a nice project !
Keep the pics coming.

 

[majspud]

Repairs Complete

After 12 more hours the repairs were done. Everything lined up and fitted perfectly. I sanded and razored the extra epoxy, and stained the repair area. I thought the walnut stain I got would be too dark, but the wood and especially the epoxy resisted the stain, so the finish came out close. I then treated the stock with two coats of 50/50 Tung oil and Mineral spirits. The repair seems very stable and didn't give in the slightest under normal conditions, although I was not brave enough to hold the rifle by the bayonet lug alone to see if it was that strong. We'll find out at the range tomorrow how the rifle shoots and the repairs hold. I borrowed the cleaning rod from my bnz 43 to help put the repair together. I'll be asking Santa Claus for a correct unmarked blued cleaning rod, sight hood, and 1943 marked sling. This is/will be the most original and authentic of my 5 K98k's.

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MS

 

[stoneypete]

Fantastic job.

 

[majspud]

Might be worth putting the barreled action in with some protection such as waxed paper near the repair area to make sure everything is straight.

Sorry, asleep at posting time. On the initial setting I used tinfoil between the barrel and wood. On the second setting as the repair seemed pretty rigid as it was, I left it open to get more air. I propped the pieces carefully to maintain their orientation. Everything came out fine in the morning.

MS

 

[SKS Ray]

Looks great.

 

[Pilgrim]

looking good...congrats on a job well done.

 

[majspud]

A couple of last pics with pieces borrowed from other rifles. The cleaning rod is from my bnz43, sight hood and reproduction sling from my DOT44. I'll probably leave the sight hood on this one as the finish matches (98%). I'll find a little rougher one for the DOT; about 75% finish.

MS

 

[majspud]

Range report/Repair failure

Well, in high hopes I went to the range for the first time with the byf 43. Dug out my last box of Yugo 78. Rifle shot well, considering I was aiming at the bulls-eye and the sights were set for 150m. Distance was 100 yards, seated, with no rest.

On the 15th and final round, the repair separated one half inch. It may have started on the 14th round, but the shift was unnoticeable at the time. I checked every round for the first 5, then alternate rounds. I pushed the pieces back together, and when home for the photo I could almost not pull them apart. I had to look closely for the crack in the epoxy. One problem may have been the copper tubing; the section was 3 inches long, but when pushing the pieces together, most of it wound up smaller fore stock. Also the glue is fractured; the separation was not at one side or the other pulling away from the wood meaning the epoxy failed the strength/tension test under load.

Not sure what to do here. Clean it off and use another adhesive? Suggestions welcome. I may just decide to send it off to be repaired; again suggestions welcome.

PM

 

[stoneypete]

So sad. where do you go from here?

 

[SKS Ray]

Check out this thread from the Parallax forums:

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/33756

 

[majspud]

Check out this thread from the Parallax forums:

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/33756

I was considering that; as I have many sturdy rough edges, of trying a super glue gel (I have a good one at home that I used on my cracked bnz 43 hand guard). Worst case if that fails is to start all over again. This may just work.

MS

 

[majspud]

2nd effort

I decided to try the super glue gel.

Since everything still fits so snugly, I liberally applied a thick super glue gel and pushed the pieces back together. This is the same glue I used to repair my cracked walnut bnz43 hand guard. I'll put a few rounds downrange tomorrow and see if it worked.

MS

 

[USMA-82]

If nothing else works, might be time for a replacement:

http://www.sarcoinc.com/mauser.html

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=1088440&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

 

[mac1911]

have you considered trying a bisket to join the 2 together with some glue. or even possible in laying a strand of metal from piece to piece. I used loctite brad woodworx for some quitar neck repairs. Also a good gun friendly wood restorer can mend it well.
All though tough to describe. Friend repaired a simular piece on his gun. He used a dremel tool to cut out some material going length wise then with a snug fitting piece of hard wood glued it in palce. He also put two small plugs at each end of this patch job to prevent any splitting.

I have also seen some zigzag shaped long metal for simular reapairs. There is a wood shop supply store in brockton mass across from hospital. They had a crack repair kit that had many types and sizes of simular items.

 

[majspud]

Second Range Report and Second failure

Back to the drawing board. The super glue seemed to hold, although the epoxy was compromised elsewhere as the repair failed again on the 13th round of some hot 1950 Turk surplus. The remainder of the epoxy came off in chunks. Back to the drawing board; bigger pins, reset the tubing, getting a new cutting head and grinder for the Dremel, and a new sealant.

PM

 

[Pilgrim]

I second what mac1911 says.

I'd try a bisket or three. After regluing it in place use a dremel tool cut some 1/8 or larger slots from front to back. Glue some wood strips in them, let dry and sand smooth. The more the better.

Or if you have a bisket cutter, use it and inset commercial biskets, cut off and sand smooth..

You need some reinforcing to help support the butt glue job you did.

 

[SKS Ray]

There is a product that we use at my body shop for plastic bumper repair and for bonding metal to metal. Its a 2 part glue that bonds metal so well its stronger than mig welding.

I've never used it on wood but have heard from people that used it on concrete at home and they said it holds.

http://www.nortonautomotive.com/speedgrip-auto.aspx

 

[majspud]

(have you considered trying a bisket)

I'll need a clue here; what's a bisket? I don't think it's what passes for a roll in Texas.

MS

 

[majspud]

Does anyone have someone to recommend who repairs stocks? I'll be looking at and considering the repair over the week, and may even choose to pass it along if the cost is reasonable.

MS

 

[majspud]

OK, a biscuit is a shim. If someone had said shim, I would have caught on. Looks tricky. Would I use a Dremel cutting wheel to inlet semi-circular mount holes for the shim? But in the long run, wouldn't these be parallel to the repair and could pull? But I guess if I had good wood-wood bonding it would help hold.

MS