Changing ergonomics of a stock

woods89

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Sep 3, 2014
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I have a muzzleloader with a synthetic stock that I bought cheap a few years ago. As a winter project I'd like to change the shape of the stock.The comb needs to be higher, grip wider, and I'd like to give it a wider forend. If I mess it up I'll just have to buy a new stock from Boyd's.

My plan is to rough up the areas with a file and aggressive sandpaper, run in a few small screws with the heads proud for mechanical reinforcement, apply filler/epoxy/whatever you all recommend, sand the living daylights out of it, and paint.

What is the best material to use for this? Epoxy? Bondo?

Also, it needs a recoil pad. Any pointers on installing a grind to fit pad?

Thanks!
 

SDHNTR

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Aug 30, 2012
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I have serious doubts about the epoxy’s ability to stick to, and flex with, plastic long term and in hunting conditions. I like to tinker too, but this one sounds futile to me. For your sake, I hope I’m wrong.
 

Geewhiz

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Wonder if bondo would work? It’s got a little flex in it and pretty good adhesive properties.
 

hereinaz

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I have a muzzleloader with a synthetic stock that I bought cheap a few years ago. As a winter project I'd like to change the shape of the stock.The comb needs to be higher, grip wider, and I'd like to give it a wider forend. If I mess it up I'll just have to buy a new stock from Boyd's.

My plan is to rough up the areas with a file and aggressive sandpaper, run in a few small screws with the heads proud for mechanical reinforcement, apply filler/epoxy/whatever you all recommend, sand the living daylights out of it, and paint.

What is the best material to use for this? Epoxy? Bondo?

Also, it needs a recoil pad. Any pointers on installing a grind to fit pad?

Thanks!
Use a stiff expanding type foam/light foam. Shape a bit undersized, and then run fiberglass and resin over it.

That might work better than giant blobs of epoxy or bondo. There is some product, IIRC that is moldable for grip customization.

I would just buy a boyds, lol.
 

BCoker

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Dec 5, 2018
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Phoenix Area
I used an epoxy called PC-7 after roughing up and giving some mechanical lock - in my case some small holes like I would bedding in synthetic- to thicken the grip and add texture to the foreend of a Savage syn stock. Been on 5 + years. I used a kydex cheek riser for the comb though. One tip for the grind to fit is to put the pad in the freezer for a bit before you grind. It will make it hard so that as you sand it won't flex. It makes it sand moraine wood. I also like to put chalk inside the scribe line so I can see it.
 
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Sep 19, 2020
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Just went down this road myself wanted more weight so filled the open cavity in the back of the stock with caulking mixed with bbs I figured that would be better than epoxy if something broke loose in there it wouldn’t rattle. Then I got some air dry clay and was initially going to mold a grip then 3-D print it and rivet it into the stock but after seeing how the clay dried and how tight it was adhering to the stock I decided to wrap it with some tape and roll on when/if it breaks I’ll go a different route. I enjoy tinkering and I say if you go into it with the attitude of knowing you’re gonna replace it if you don’t like it then just go for it. Love me a good shooting ugly gun! Got it out last weekend for initial load dev and looking promising so far!
 

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Ronin75

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Jul 16, 2015
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I have done what you described on the pistol grip area and forend of a bolt action rifle stock. I used Marintex it will bond to anything that has a rough clean surface.
 

Marbles

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A bit late to the conversation and too late for a winter project, but I think it would work. Use a two part epoxy with some flex to it (Marine Tex white), mix in microballoons as a filler (making syntactic foam).

If you are worried about it not bonding, you can do a single wrap of fiberglass around the entire stock, then sand and blend the edges. I doubt you would actually need that as long as you prepped the surface with course sandpaper. You could also drill three 1/2 inch holes on top of the comb, the fill a half inch of the stock with syntactic foam, sandwiching the stock between two layers of syntactic foam.

Marine Tex white is intended to flex. I used West System 105 as my epoxy, it has some flex to it. While I was working on a fiberglass stock (instead of plastic) mine turned out well. Page 3, post #47 of this thread gives more detail regarding what I did. https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/my-kimber-montana-tinkering.185233/page-3
 
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woods89

woods89

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A bit late to the conversation and too late for a winter project, but I think it would work. Use a two part epoxy with some flex to it (Marine Tex white), mix in microballoons as a filler (making syntactic foam).

If you are worried about it not bonding, you can do a single wrap of fiberglass around the entire stock, then sand and blend the edges. I doubt you would actually need that as long as you prepped the surface with course sandpaper. You could also drill three 1/2 inch holes on top of the comb, the fill a half inch of the stock with syntactic foam, sandwiching the stock between two layers of syntactic foam.

Marine Tex white is intended to flex. I used West System 105 as my epoxy, it has some flex to it. While I was working on a fiberglass stock (instead of plastic) mine turned out well. Page 3, post #47 of this thread gives more detail regarding what I did. https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/my-kimber-montana-tinkering.185233/page-3
Good info, much appreciated!
 
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