Cracks are usually fairly easy to repair. The crack is forced open and glue inserted, then clamped until the glue sets. I use common nails flattened and sharpened to create wedges of differing angles to pry open cracks with the aid of a hammer. I use an epoxy from WalMart that's sold in a tube that allows sqeezing out equal amounts for mixing. Small paper water cups commonly used in bathroom dispensers are used as disposable mixing containers and The large(4 inch) craft toothpicks are used as mixers and dispensers. Sometimes is a larger quantity is needed pop cycle sticks and tongue depressors, both available in craft stores, are used for this purpose. The glue must reach as much of the cracks surface as possible. Opening the crack and applying the glue is often aided by using an air blow gun to force the glue to the farthest reaches of the crack we are fixing. Gunstocks being difficult to clamp I use surgical tubing a lot to provide the needed clamping. It can be lightly rubbed with vasoline to aid in prevention on bonding but normally it will turn loose fairly eaasily.. Chips are more difficult as they must actually have material replaced. The replacement material should match as closely as possilbe and must be cut so the grain flows the same in the piece to be attached as the stock surrounding the chip. Butt plate cut offs and other scraps of wood provide donors for the transplant. If needed a bit more wood can be trimmed from the hole to avoid the joint crossing a grain in the wood and to allow the pieces to match a bit more closely. The joint between will likely never be straight and a bit of time spent fitting will result in a much nicer repair. The tools and glues used are largely the same excepting I use small brads as pins to strengthen the repair. These are made of brass to prevent rusting. Which will swell the pind and cause the crack to re-appear. I reccommend against the polyester glues that require water to dry. They foam or expand to fill voids and if clamping is less than perfect the will for cracks and repair pieces apart, making the repair more visable.. Also I've had poor luck with the 5 minute epoxies. The material I use is sold at Walmart and is advertised and '5-ton epoxy', although I can't for the life of me remember the manufacuter just now,,,CRS I suppose.. Hope that helps.. There are very few stock indeed that simply can't be repaired! Although in some instances it is inadvisable..
