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Wood handle restoration?

GunMetalBlue
The wood handle on my .38 Police Positive Special has a very small, hair line crack. Any suggestions on how I should go about fixing this, if I can?
Thanks,
GunMetalBlue
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • p3skyking
    Pour a little Elmers into a syringe. With a razor blade or Xacto knife slightly prise the crack open and inject the glue from the inside of the grip. Remove wedge, wipe excess glue off, and clamp with a handful of rubber bands. Allow overnight drying and then clean them up.


    wings2.gif
    Stolen from, and with thanks, to Kiwibird
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  • GunMetalBlue
    thanks.
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    never, EVER, use any water based 'glue' on a firearm. Epoxy for wood is the only sure repair adhesive (brownells acra glass) and probably others. Force the crack open and get ads much into it as you can then clamp. or drill holes from an unexposed spot into the crack and fill with epxoy.
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  • wheeless621
    I repaired and refinished furniture for over fifteen years. I have to agree that elmers glue would be a big no-no on a gun handle, and even if it was ok elmers glue is a compression bond adheasive, meaning it has to have pressuer put on it for it to hold much of anything. I seriously doubt that a few rubberbands will apply an ample amount of pressure to do the job here. The acra-glass apoxy is a good idea. Or a similar product from Elite Finishing called perma-fuse would work also. pressure helps thes bond also but they will bond with or without pressure applied and rather than just laying on top of the wood sticking it together they actually soak into the wood to create the bond.
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  • p3skyking
    While the epoxy probably would be better, I've repaired hairline crack is handgun grips, shotgun butts, and riflestocks for over 30 years. Note that hairline is the keyword.

    Also, rubber bands are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to clamp the particular grip GMB inquired about, as anyone with experience will tell you.


    wings2.gif
    Stolen from, and with thanks, to Kiwibird
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  • rhmc24
    Use Devcon 2 Ton clear epoxy glue. Put wood under a heat lamp and get it warm, just where it is uncomfortable to touch, keep it warm for about half hour or more so it will get warm down in the wood. Mix and stir the epoxy well and apply it on the crack with a tooth pick. You will see the epoxy immediately get very thin like water or alcohol and the crack will drink it up. Keep putting little drops of the glue till the crack will take no more. Then wipe off excess glue. If the glue goes thru and starts messing up the checkering, have an old toothbrush and some alcohol handy to clean the checkering. Not too wet, just enuf to clean.

    Keep the grip under the warm for an hour and a half. The glue will cure completely. Usually I don't recommend spreading cracks because the epoxy finds it way by itself and spreading a crack has hazards of its own. Clamping is not necessary in most cases.

    Anything you do for the first time should be tried out on scrap to get the hang of it before doing it on a job that matters if you were to screw it up.


    Been there! Done that!
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  • GunMetalBlue
    Thanks guys! The crack is too small to wedge. My husband is affraid that any repair might lessen the value of the gun, or prevent me from being able to make any change to it in years to come. I don't think my gun is really valuable (certainly not a collector's item.) It's a 1973 .38 Police Positive Special. The handle is rosewood, ( if that makes any difference.) My husband also thinks that perhaps new rubber grips would be a good idea. I would like y'alls opinion on that. Personally, I'd like to keep it all original.

    I really appreciate all the wonderful info you guys provide. I'm certainly no gun expert. My father is though, but most of the stuff he talks about sounds like Latin to me. Even the mistake about Elmer's glue. I know you're not suppose to get a gun wet, but I didn't think of water based glues. You guys are invaluable to me.
    Thanks So Much,
    GunMetalBlue
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  • gotstolefrom
    You may be tired by now, but I will try anyway.

    Epoxy is a good adhesive, but it usually will increase the width of a 'hairline' crack. The no-no elmers are on point. Have you considered removing the grip and repairing it from the back. You say the crack is too small to pry...so I assume it will keep the grip in-tact upon removal. After it is removed, a small patch of epoxy w/glass fabric (fiberglass repair), may cinch it. If you don't have any glass fabric on hand, you can use a substitute. Just get the epoxy and fabric to carry the load that the crack can't.

    HEY...ITS JUST A THOUGHT

    Enjoy



    If we do not hang together,
    We will most certainly hang separately.
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