How to fill a hole in a wood stock?

[thunderchicken]

My dad has a brand new Henry single shot 20g. He wanted the stock drilled for a sling stud. Well he had my brother do it but he drilled it off center. So, dad had me come look at it. I drilled a new hole in the stock and installed the sling stud.

What can I use to fill the hole my brother drilled? It's a 5/32 hole with a 7/32 counter sink about a 1/8" deep. I was thinking epoxy. Does anyone make an epoxy that has a brown finish? This is a Walnut stock

 

[epeery]

I haven't used them myself, but this looks good on his web site.
https://stockdocusa.com

 

[natdscott]

It depends on what you want the final finish to be when you refinish it, which you will have to do to as fully hide the dumpster fire as it can be.

Clear epoxy mixed with fine (320 grit or finer) sanding dust from the actual stock forms a nicely color-matched plug that can then be dressed down and finish sanded to the same level as the surrounding wood. You then apply your poly, acrylic, epoxy, wax over the top as normal.

The old school method for large areas was to cut out a dovetail and cement a color-matched piece back in it's place. Doesn't sound like you need that much work though.

Don't let your brother touch anything else. Tough love.

 

[thunderchicken]

It depends on what you want the final finish to be when you refinish it, which you will have to do to as fully hide the dumpster fire as it can be.

Clear epoxy mixed with fine (320 grit or finer) sanding dust from the actual stock forms a nicely color-matched plug that can then be dressed down and finish sanded to the same level as the surrounding wood. You then apply your poly, acrylic, epoxy, wax over the top as normal.

The old school method for large areas was to cut out a dovetail and cement a color-matched piece back in it's place. Doesn't sound like you need that much work though.

Don't let your brother touch anything else. Tough love.

This sounds like it would do the job nicely.
After talking to dad, he isn't worried about having a perfectly finished repair. Basically he just wants to fill the hole and have a smooth finish.

Looking at wood fillers and epoxies online I came across. JB Weld brand Wood Weld epoxy. Anyone ever use this before?

I also thought since the hole diameter is 5/32 could I just fill the hole with a tiny dowel and cap the counter sink part with a 7/32 dowel cut into a tin disc and just glue it with wood glue?

I rarely work with wood so I am just a little out of my element here all advise is appreciated

 

[ashby koss]

3 options.

1) fill and try to hide it

2) dremel out a design and make a custom plug that does not match on purpose (metal?)

3) Make your brother pop for a new stock

 

[Hookeye]

Brownells Microbed is no more.
I have the Acraglass and dye.........but didn't use it.
Check for Midway (Larry Potterfield) vids on Youtube.
He's proly done one.

 

[Squirt239]

Dowel rod the same size and wood glue.

 

[schmart]

I would recommend using a replacement wood plug rather than any of the epoxy type methods. That way it can move with the stock, just as if it were original. Any epoxy filler, especially the JB weld mentioned, will end up harder than the wood and then as the wood expands and contracts around it, will end up crushing wood fibers and after a long time, can become loose.

In my opinion, the best option would be to drill the hole out to a standard diameter and then glue a wood plug cut from a board with matching grain. Since it sounds like you don't have a plug cutter, a wood dowel and yellow wood glue would be a good 2nd option.

--Rick

 

[JeepHammer]

Since this is family...
I'd start by beating the brother senseless so he doesn't do something equally stupid again...

If you don't have access to walnut more or less the same color (always lighter, easier to make it darker than lighter) drill the hole and insert a plug, work it down and refinish.

A second option that won't match as well, use 24 hour epoxy (NOT 5 minute epoxy!) And scrape/sand some wood off from under the butt plate.
Fill the hole with epoxy, mix your sawdust in the epoxy on top so it more or less color matches.

*IF* the sling hole mistake is just off where you made the correction, one old timer trick is to take a silver dime or quarter, bend it to fit the curve of the stock (coin silver works fairly easily) and drill a hole in the coin, use it to cover the hole and install the sling screw through it.
You can inlet the coin (carefully) to make it flush...

 

[Hawkeye7br]

I have a similar situation. I plan to drill the hole out to 1/4", and glue a standard 1/4" walnut dowel or plug in it. The underside of the forend is rarely visible, and I too don't care if it isn't a perfect color match.

 

[Gunsmiff12B]

Get a piece of dollrod, and if possible the wood that was drilled out, place the doll rod in the stock, and that the shavings, get them to more of a powdery finish, and mix it with wood glue, let that dry, and then coat over it with the same finish as the rest of the stock

 

[JHB]

Wood glue will not absorb stain it stays what ever color it is in the bottle. Plug the hole or replace the but stock.

 

[thunderchicken]

Well I think I Am goung to see if I can find a 5/32" dowl rod somewhere. Maybe a craft store will have one. Then I will use some 24hr epoxy wit so filings from under the recoil pad to blend the portion the is 7/32 ( only @1/8" deep). Even though the gun is brand new dad isn't too concerned about it. He just plans to hunt rabbits with it. Still sucks but I'll do my best to cover it up as well as possible

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[Gingerbeardman]

You can get small containers of stain at Menard's to try to match the color of the plug to the stock. If you wipe all the glue off as soon as you insert the plug you shouldn't see much of a ring after staining. In the past I have refinished entire wood sets to my personal taste, but the final finish was never as good as original, probably more a reflection on my diligence than the materials used.

 

[PGRChaplain]

How about inleting a small Brass piece to cover the foul up? Large enough to properly Center on the Stock.