Traditional Muzzleloading on the Cheap

Member’s Work Bench => General Gunsmithing => Topic started by: zimmerstutzen on July 13, 2012

Title: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: zimmerstutzen on July 13, 2012
This morning at a yard sale I purchased a Traditions Deer Hunter rifle for $30.  A few screws & a sight missing.  It had been a kit gun and the stock looked like it was finished and varnished without any attempt at sanding.  However, the real surprise when I was checking it over was that the barrel had been glued into the stock.   It is definitely not epoxy.  I think it is just rubber cement, but the stuff is even oozed and hardened around the barrel tennon.   

I guess the instruction manual was lost when the guy put it together. 

I have most parts to fix it, just that I'm not sure how to handle the glue issue.  Extra fine razor blade maybe?   
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: texasranger on July 13, 2012
maybe a new stock is in order, or maybe try and heat the glue a little.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Hanshi on July 13, 2012
Regardless, at $30 you have a win-win situation.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Dogshirt on July 13, 2012
Rubber cement would not "Harden", merely set up. I'm guessing it to be one of the "Elmer's"
family of glues, perhaps yellow carpenter's glue or Titebond. While one or two of these glues
are waterproof, most of them will let go if soaked in water. Also, white vinegar and warm water
will break down some of them. A product called Goof Off will also disolve them, but this MUST
be done outside as the fumes are not good for you!
Gluing metal does not usuall work too well, as there in no "tooth" for the glue to bond too, so
hopefully your major problem will be the tennon. Good luck!
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: zimmerstutzen on July 13, 2012
This stuff, is mostly clear, just slightly gray.  I grabbed a piece of it with a needle nose pliers and it stretched like a stiff rubber band and eventually the piece I grabbed broke loose.    Unlike a rubber band, the stretched out piece didn't just snap back, although it did slowly contract.

Now that I think of it, it does seem a bit like that clear tub caulking.  the barrel won't budge.

I may put it in a box with my wife's hair dryer blowing in it for a bit to see what happens to the glue.   If it gets softer, I know heat will do it. 

Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: mongrel on July 13, 2012
Wow. I thought I'd seen and/or heard everything. Thanks (I think) for something totally new.

Without knowing what adhesive was used, there's no telling the best way of breaking the barrel loose from the stock. Trying heat on the piece you removed is an excellent idea.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Dogshirt on July 13, 2012
Quote from: mongrel on July 13, 2012
Wow. I thought I'd seen and/or heard everything. Thanks (I think) for something totally new.

Without knowing what adhesive was used, there's no telling the best way of breaking the barrel loose from the stock. Trying heat on the piece you removed is an excellent idea.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Watauga on July 13, 2012
So they were trying to bed the barrel with GLUE and got a little carried away? hdslp pnic pnic ROFL
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Baldy on July 13, 2012
I'd try heating up the barrel  --- but only after I made sure it was not loaded.  If it is something like silicone caulk, water won't do too much to it.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: beowulf on July 14, 2012
never know what you`ll find at yardsales and flea markets ! I agree with the guys , a little heat might do the trick ! once you have the barrel out then you can clean out the barrel channel !  good luck , and let us know how it works out !
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: crazell on July 14, 2012
Nice find !!  thmbsup thmbsup
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: Dogshirt on July 14, 2012
I did a brief search on removing silicone caulk and found a link to this.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2151182

I am not promoting it, don't know if it will work, but it says it will, and may soften other caulking
as well.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: zimmerstutzen on July 28, 2012
I goy water up as hot as I could near boiling) and poured it down the barrel. 


It took a few minutes, but the glue became somewhat pliable again and I could pull the barrel out of the channel.  It still took some strong arms to get it.
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: beowulf on July 28, 2012
that`s a start ! dntn and now the fun begins !
Title: Re: Bufered gun needs help.
Post by: texasranger on August 07, 2012
good job how about some more pictures of the barrel and stock