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Posted: 9/23/2015 1:43:28 PM EDT
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Last season, a threaded sling stud pulled out of the forend of one of me deer rifles, while crossing a hay field. Rather than simply put it back the way it was, I have decided to change over all of my hunting rifle slings to quick detach. This way one sling can easily go between a handful of rifles and I don't have additional clutter in my cases. I have a drill press and a bunch of the steel cups that the QD stud plugs into ready to go.
My question is, what adhesive will work best to hold the steel cups solidly in wood and wood laminate stocks? My first inclination was to use AccraGel but it seems there might be something better suited. Also, if you have a specific technique to do this right, I'm all ears. 
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I just want to do this right. These are the few "pretty" guns I own.
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A clear epoxy will work best.
I wouldn't use a 5 minute type, I'd go with something with a longer set up time. One hour works well. The trick is getting a perfect mix. I use a powder scale to weigh each component even if it's a 50/50 mix. Degrease the stud with a solvent like Acetone or 90% alcohol. If the epoxy has a setup time longer then 5 minutes, I spend more time mixing to insure a perfect mixture that will cure harder. If you keep the assembly warm it sets faster and harder. Note WARM, not hot. A hair dryer pointed at it will do fine, or just put it in a warm place. Brownell's sell a perfect type as "Acra-Weld". http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/stock-bedding-adhesives/acra-weld-cartridges-prod20983.aspx Also, a better brand of one hour epoxy from a hardware store is good, just make sure you get one that cures clear, not yellow like many do. Anything you can do to help the epoxy to make a mechanical lock in the stock helps. This can be as simple as drilling or Dremeling a few under cuts in the hole in the stock, and making notches or holes in the insert. These will give the epoxy "locks" in the assembly so it's not just a matter of the insert being able to slip out. To come out the epoxy has to break off. If you can buy an insert that passes all the way through the fore end and has a recessed nut in the barrel channel that type doesn't need epoxy since the nut holds it in place. The fore end stud is the one under the most stress and is usually the one that pulls out. When you push the insert in some epoxy will come up out of the hole. To help prevent a mess, coat the stock around the hole with a coat of wax. Shoe polish wax or Johnson's Paste Wax works well. Apply a heavy coat and don't wipe it off. This will prevent any epoxy that gets on the outside from sticking. Insert a wood or plastic plug in the insert's hole, and apply wax to the exposed part to prevent epoxy from sticking to the outside. Wait until the excess epoxy is like a rubber then use a brass, aluminum or hard plastic "knife" to cut off the excess. Let the epoxy cure the full 24 hours. |
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Thank you, dfariswheel. This is exactly the kind of information that I was looking for. I hadn't even thought of undercutting the stock inside the hole to get better adhesion. Do you think plugging the hole in the insert with paraffin would work to keep the epoxy out of it? I figure that would be easy to scrap out most of it and a heated piece of wire would make short work of anything remaining.
Thank you again for your knowledge and time. |
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paraffin is a wax and will keep the epoxy from bonding. Use something else.
I've used modeling clay in the past, but that was in areas where I did not want the epoxy to go. If your going to drill the hole just head to a hardware store and get some dowels equal to the size of the hole you drilled, wrap with paper for a snug fit. |
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To close the hole in the insert you can use:
A small piece of tape cut to fit over the hole. Degrease the plug to allow the tape to stick. Partially fill with Johnson's Paste Wax just enough to close over the hole but not pack it in. After the epoxy is cured, heat the insert with a hair dryer while the stock is right side up and most of the wax will melt and flow out. Whatever comes to mind that will plug the hole to prevent any epoxy from getting in the hole, BUT which will be easy to remove. |
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