Krag Mishap!

[Charles Isaac]

After the wood was cleaned (stripped with "Dad's Easy Spray" then washed in detergent and coated with bone dust to leach any excess oil) grooves are cut into the areas to be bonded so that the glass gel will have a place to go.

[Charles Isaac]

This is the stuff-Brownell's Acra-Glas Gel.

[Charles Isaac]

The measure, wood paddle, cup, brown and black dye all come in the kit along with the hardener and the resin. Hardener is in the spoon and the brown goo to the right is the resin.

[Charles Isaac]

Equal amounts of the hardener and the resin are placed in the mixing cup.

[Drydock]

Cool!  edgification on th' innernet, whodathunkit!

[Charles Isaac]

Most nearly glued the camera to my hand in the process!

[Charles Isaac]

Put enough dye in it so that it will be a little darker than the refinished wood. I got it a little light, but it won't make a difference because the gun overall is far from perfect!

[Charles Isaac]

Mix for 2 minutes and try not to whip air into it.

[Charles Isaac]

Use a stick or small dowel to push the gel into the drilled holes. The blue cloth is padding for the vice.

[Charles Isaac]

Once the holes are filled, spread gel over the rest of the areas to be bonded.

[Charles Isaac]

Once all areas are covered with gel, insert the pre cut dowel. This is 1/2" birch and the holes are hogged out a little bigger to make room for extra gel.

[Charles Isaac]

Now the scary part-put the two pieces together!

[Charles Isaac]

Squeeze the parts together to force out the excess gel. Now to make it all stay put while it dries.

[Charles Isaac]

Here's the start of the clamping. It has to be clamped, but wants to slide apart when pressure is applied due to the slope of the wood. That "hundred mile an hour" tape will come in handy!

[Charles Isaac]

Here's the final clamping. The military grade duct tape is wrapped sticky side out and very tightly. The long clamp goes from the heel of the butt to the point seen in the picture and is merely to keep the parts from sliding apart and very little pressure is applied to do this.

[G.W. Strong]

I like the idea of wrapping the tape sticky side out. I had not thought of that. I use a layer of waxed paper and then use sticky side in. Same effect.

[Charles Isaac]

I can't remember where I got the idea for the backward wrapped tape Hopalong, but I have done the same type of thing as you did with the wax paper. 

Here's another shot of the clamping job.



All these fancy clamps are nice to have, but with a little frontier engineering, you can do the same things with items such as rope, inner tube, boards etc.

[G.W. Strong]

This is coming along nicely.

I have also used waxed leather sewing thread to wrap the pieces and hold them secure while the acraglass dries. Because it is waxed the acraglass will not stick to it and it binds to itself well. 

Here is what I did on a Infantriegewehr M1888 Commission Rifle.

[Charles Isaac]

Is that one of the 1888s rescued from the Turks? Looks good Hopalong!

Look in the background of this photo I posted earlier. What is it? -

[G.W. Strong]

Mine came out of Equador. I rescued 5 of them!

IN the background that looks like an M1888 Commission Rifle based on the side mounted bayonet lug.