can a stock dry rot?

[bluebayou]

Last year's project rifle was a M70 Black Shadow barrelled action that I put into a 670 stock.  This was a cheapo stock that Winchester made.  The Remington Classic stock, NEF Handi, and Yugo SKS stocks that I have are all hard to the fingernail if that makes sense.  I can't dent the wood with a fingernail or chip a sharp edge with a fingernail.  This 670 stock chips really easily.  The former owner drilled somekind of opening around the front action screw.  The wood is chipping around it.  Also, the inletting wasn't finished by Winchester.  The wood was left exposed inside.  I could chip it easily too. 

So without seeing the stock........is it just crappy wood?  Or is it dry rotted or something?  The factory finish is a shiny varnish or poly type finish that seems solid.  The rifle shoots well. 

[trotterlg]

Dry rotting happens when the wood is wet, so unless you have a flood in the gun safe it is not dry rot.  Larry

[bluebayou]

LOL

Okay, has anyone ever had wood that was dried out to the point of the fibers separating?  Mind you this is only where the wood is exposed not where the finish covers it. 

[iiranger]

Yes, I have seen old wood on various things that has come to a "flakey" state. "Dry rot?" I am not that well versed in wood. I would suggest consulting the cabinet makers or serious antique personal... They probably also know the way to save it, if possible... brownells.com also takes questions and might have good ideas. Wood without finish is never a good idea. Rare exception. Teak maybe. African rose wood, which is full of oil naturally. So I suspect this is an example why Winchester is out of business, again... luck.

[Smokin Joe]

Blue, there is a product used in the boat industry called "Gluvit". Check it out. It might just fix you up.

[Rangr44]

Why not save yourself the angina, and put another stock on it ?

I saw, in a post elsewhere, that there's a guy in Conn. who sells factory take-off stocks cheap.

(860) 345-3111

[bluebayou]

LOL

I love the rifle that I have built, but the wood chipped like that doesn't bode well for longterm use.  I think that it is my new favorite.

I was going to install some sling swivels today and the quality of the wood is giving me second thoughts.  What if the stud pulls out while I am climbling or something? 

[gunnut69]

Wood as you describe is called brash. It is just a poor grade of wood. I hope that you glassed the recoil lug and bedded the rear tang.. If not you'll likely have problems down the road. This would be a fine candidate for pillars. They'll hold the action/floorplate the correct distance apart and keep the bedding as it was. You don't say what the caliber is(unless I just missed it) but unless its a real banger like a 338 Win it'l likely be fine. Had a remington 788 as you described. Wood was sycamore.. and moved a LOT as the humidity changed. I full length glassed the action/barrel and finished the soft wood with thinned epoxy(added a fancy plastic grip cap and nose cap too). Don't remember the year but the bedding material was the Herters product... POI never moved again, even through some really bad weather.. All worked well but the epoxy finish ate the old steel checkering cutters like peanuts!!

[bluebayou]

That's not a bad idea about finishing with thinned epoxy.  I wonder if I have enough clearance in the inletting for that.  The inside is my main concern.  I TruOiled the inletting, but it still looks dry in places.  This 670 stock has real crossbolts in it for what it is worth.  The caliber is 270 Winchester, by the by.

I bedded the tang, recoil lug, and first 2 inches or so of the barrel (balance point). 

I guess that I am not really out anything if I just keep shooting it.  If it cracks or starts to drift then I will pony up for a new stock.

I drilled the sling swivels with the drill press today.........not 100% pleased, but it is okay considering the finish of the rest of the stock.  It is a keeper so I am not really concerned about resale value on it, but I don't want a crappy looking rifle either.

I guess that I wouldn't hurt to epoxy the swivels in place either.

[gunnut69]

TruOil or any of the oil finishes is NOT water proof, so will not fully seal wood. On the outside They are usually protected with wax. I would suggest you thoroughly wax the inletting to seal the moisture from entry. Polyurethane is water proof, as long as it's not penetrated and is what I often use to seal the inletting on a rifle.. Since the rifle is a 270  and already bedded I would suspect you'll be just fine..

[bluebayou]

I should have just used the poly.  I do on every other rifle, well except the SKS.

Okay, say that the TruOil is on the inletting and Johnson's paste wax is on top of that.......Call it good?  I can't put poly on top of the others can I?

[gunnut69]

Just wax the oil finish as you should any way and all will be well. Poly while it is water proof has faults too. If the poly is penetrated it can get moisture under it and since poly mainly sits on the surface it will pop loose. The result is usually a yellowish discoloration, and is quite common on the older Remington 700 stocks. The wax on the outside of a stock will hear off and have to be replenished, that on the inletting will need very little maintenance. Never use poly over any oil or wax. It will not adhere well.

[bluebayou]

Thanks.  I was hoping that you would say that.

The boat seats that I made didn't turn out too well.  I used cedar and polyurethane brushed on.  The poly lasted 1 year, turning gray quickly.  Now they are peeling into strips of plastic as the poly just cracked and swelled.  Very disappointed.  I imagine that I wouldn't be leaving a rifle wet for days at a time......but still it was surprising how quick the poly failed.

[gunnut69]

Cedar is very porous and any area left uncovered would quickly transmit moisture under the finish causing it to release. Also poly is available in exterior and interior compositions. the difference being UV inhibitors. If interior is used outside the plastic is decomposed very quickly..