Question about recontouring a rifle stock with auto putties like Bondo.

V

VaniB

New member
I know that not everbody has done this or knows about it; But years ago I bought a composite Remington HS stock from an auto-body guy (and "gun-nut" on the side) who had completely reshaped and recontoured his .223 VSSF Remington rifle into a completely different looking stock so that you wouldn't even recognize it. I own this rifle to this day. It's one of my favorites, and wish to try my own hand at making a custom stock like that myself in a 7mmMag.

BUT, instead of buying an expensive $200-$250 HS stock to tear apart and learn on, I'd like to start with an Ebay or GunBroker used $75-$100 laminated wood stock. Does anybody know if applying auto-body materials like BONDO (or "Duraglas" to be exact), can hold properly onto the outside of a woodstock just as it does to composites? I know the tricks about roughing up the surfaces for better adhesion, but was concerned too about the temperature and humidity changes that affect wood more then say an HS composite stock.
 
have you considered using epoxy-based resin and fiberglass sheets or matting? West Marine sells such for boat repair and it will stick just fine to wood. I cannot say about relative expansion rates with temperature. One can also take regular epoxy glue (bought in "economy size" from Home Depot) and soak fiberglass and lay up layers.

I fiberglassed a plywood boat floor and stringers once that way and several years later and many times in the water, it is all well.
 
Dont try it on a stevens 200...

I tried quite a few brands of epoxies and stuff and nothing would stick.That dern stock was made of teflon or something
Got myself a Boyd's -pics coming up soon!:)
 
I've made a couple of 10 meter air pistol grips using Bondo to get a form fitting grip. It bonded well to the wood base and has held up for a little over a year with no problems. After the Bondo cured I sprayed it with the textured paint that is used to restore auto trunks. It's the best pistol grip I've ever had.
Bill
 
Bondo will certainly work. The concern I'd have would be shrinkage. It's a polyester base resin and over time as the "stuff" sweats out of it it'll shrivel on ya', causing low spots that you'll see through the finish. Especially if you use it in any kind of volume.

Recently I began using epoxy and baking soda for little spot repairs. It's a trick used in composite RC airplanes to fillet and blend around control surfaces.

It sure sands nice.

Good luck.
 
Epoxy and a filler called micro-balloons (can be bought at marine/RC model shops). The higher the micro-balloon content the easier it is to sand, plus it's light weight.
 
wlb said:
I've made a couple of 10 meter air pistol grips using Bondo to get a form fitting grip. It bonded well to the wood base and has held up for a little over a year with no problems. After the Bondo cured I sprayed it with the textured paint that is used to restore auto trunks. It's the best pistol grip I've ever had.
Bill
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Is that the rubbery kind of finish-like that is sprayed in the wheel wells, or in truck beds too? I want the finish to be rough just like on the HS stocks. I was told to use that sought of product, and then spray over it with auto paint. I intend to use a spray gun with one blocked orifice to produce the final fleck paint streaks as seen on Remington stocks. I like that "fleck" effect.

I was told too not to use BONDO, because on large areas that are being built-up, BONDO doesn't work as well. I only mentioned "Bondo" by name because most folks recognize the name and will know the nature of the work I'm proposing. I was told to use "Duraglas" for really building up large areas that previously did not exist.

From what the input sounds like, a laminate wood skeleton will be no different then starting with a composite HS stock.
 
Bondo

Last June (09) I started on a project of reshaping/ conouring my Stevens 200 stock. I used Bondo (sometimes in globs) and pieces/ strips of wood here and there. I'm still reshaping and filling here and there on occasion to end with what I think I want. It's been hot, cold, and wet with no adhesion problems. have not gone beyond a basic rattle can finish until I'm done shaping.

Wyatt

Yes this is as crude as it sounds :eek:
 
AJ300MAG said:
Epoxy and a filler called micro-balloons (can be bought at marine/RC model shops). The higher the micro-balloon content the easier it is to sand, plus it's light weight.
Click to expand...

a big caution on micro ballons: they will float in the air/light breeze....allowing you to inhale them....so a mask when pouring/mixing them.

not as light as fine moly powder but close.....

( i use to bulid remote controlled submersibles...we used micro ballons a lot)

mike in co
 
Mike in Co, you and that other guy from Washington are on my ignore list due to needless arrogance and/or rude dialogue. I can't hear you, but can only see your name. Well duhhhh....anybody with any common sense would know not to return to my threads as I had already asked you. Have you no pride?
Does that line high-lighted in red remind you of anything? It should; That's your quote in my other thread, and your way of communicating with others.


FARMBOY,
I wonder if our buddy eljefe who was having trouble getting epoxies to stick to his Stevens 2000 rifle stock hadn't tried BONDO or other such kind of auto materials? Let us know how your stock comes out, or better yet post us a photo of it later on as it starts taking shape. Thanks.
 
VaniB said:
Is that the rubbery kind of finish-like that is sprayed in the wheel wells, or in truck beds too? I want the finish to be rough just like on the HS stocks. I was told to use that sought of product, and then spray over it with auto paint. I intend to use a spray gun with one blocked orifice to produce the final fleck paint streaks as seen on Remington stocks. I like that "fleck" effect.
Click to expand...

It is NOT the rubbery Urethane type finish. It is the speckled gray/white finish used to duplicate the factory paint of car trunks. It gives a textured, speckled gray/white finish. It is available in most auto parts stores in spray cans.
 
wlb said:
It is NOT the rubbery Urethane type finish. It is the speckled gray/white finish used to duplicate the factory paint of car trunks. It gives a textured, speckled gray/white finish. It is available in most auto parts stores in spray cans.
Click to expand...

Bill,
hmmm?....car trunk paint? I havent owned a car in the last 20 years to remember and know what you're referring to. I only own a big pick-up truck, SUV, and a van. Am I not typical of "new age", and a part of every environmentalists nightmare?! :D I'll have to check that stuff out.

"Gravel Guard, Tekton TK-38" was mentioned to me by the auto-body guy that did the original custom stock. He sprayed the PPG paint right over it. But, perhaps he buys all his stuff at professional auto body supply houses, and I would do well to check out more readilly available products as you have mentioned.

Thanks for the tip. I feel confident now that an inexpensive used $70 wood laminated 7mm Mag magnum stock will be a good donor stock. I'm relieved not to have to start with a used $200 HS stock :)
 
wlb said:
I've made a couple of 10 meter air pistol grips using Bondo to get a form fitting grip. It bonded well to the wood base and has held up for a little over a year with no problems. After the Bondo cured I sprayed it with the textured paint that is used to restore auto trunks. It's the best pistol grip I've ever had.
Bill
Click to expand...

Bondo will eventually crack. how long 'eventually' is has to do with storage, changes in humidity, temperature, etc., and of course stress from usage.

under sunny SO CAL skies with a relatively stable temperature and our severe ozone penetration, i have seen Bondo crack in about 18-24 months. this was a high stress situation, usage wise.

your mileage will vary.

the biggest factor that affects its longevity is thickness of area applied. Bondo was originally designed for around a max of 1/8 inch. that is primarily why fiberglass was eventually developed as a viable replacement for it in auto body repair. too many body shops spent too little time flattening and smoothing dents before using Bondo as it was originally intended. You ended up with a nice looking repair -- for a while.

Fiberglass has better dimensional stability partially due to its internal cohesive properties that minimize the amount of air in the 'fix'.

sure, you can slobber it on and sculpt it like Michaelangelo. Just don't expect the Vatican to ask you to display it there anytime soon.
 
VaniB
The only thing i have to share with you is a thought i had while reading your post. The HS stocks has a aluminum block to help act as a beading surface, hopefully resulting in better accuracy. The cheap stocks you thinking about using will not have this feature. So unless your not going to bead your rifle, the cheap stock will not be so cheap after you pay someone to glass bed the stock. Maybe the a nice used 200$ HS is still a better bet? I have had several of these HS stocks over the years and only a couple actually fit the bottom of a remington 700 action. Even so i still feel like some type of beading is better than non at all.
I had a little CZ 527 204 ruger varmint wood stock, that i made a Palm swell for with micro lite non shrinking bondo and it worked quite well, I had to drill some holes in the area that i applied the bondo, and even screwed a couple screws into that area for something to have there so the bono had something to grab ahold to. good luck and let us know how it turns out. Lee
 
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One thing, that is a little off topic, but worth mentioning, is that you can use a Bondo modified stock as a master to send to a stock duplicator.
 
Boyd Allen, that is a great point! I used to shoot sporting clays, and with a shot gun fit is everything. If a shotgun doesnt fit you you might as well not even shoot it. I traveled the country and competed at the highest levels. One thing we used to do was bondo our stocks on our Beretta 390's so that they fit us. I have a round face, and i needed a high cheek piece to get proper eye/rib alignment. Our guns were ugly but we kicked a lot of butt with them. Once we got them just were we thought they should be, we would go to wenig's and have them double check everything, and they would use those bondo stocks to make us nice new walnut stocks. I have spent the day at wenig several times and i have seen there duplicator and it is a pretty neat process. That can make up to two new stocks at one time. One machine did it by hand and the other was automated. Pretty cool!! Lee
 
Boyd Allen said:
One thing, that is a little off topic, but worth mentioning, is that you can use a Bondo modified stock as a master to send to a stock duplicator.
Click to expand...


Hmmm.....I had never thought of that either!! What a simple but very efficient solution to a somewhat complicated project. Unfortunately, the stock is a short action, and this time I want it done in a long action.

There was a time last year when I had contacted this same auto-body guy and provided him with another HS donor stock and my new 22x47L barreled action. I left the price open. He dragged his feet and so 3 months later I offered him $500.(way above what he confided to me that he was planning originally to charge me for it). But, he still never came through, and after a few months I made a friendly (but disappointed) visit to his house and took my HS stock and Remington action back. I still have that used $200 short action HS stock with the hollowed-out butt and detached pad sitting in my closet. : I ended up doing a refinished thumbhole stock myself.


Thanks for that idea. :) I will not forget it.
 
Minwax = wood bondo

Minwax makes a product that is designed for a filler for wood, that acts and smells just like good old auto body filler. Now I don't know if they have done something special to it so that it sticks better to wood, but I have used it in thick sections with no issues, which is something to avoid with the auto filler/bondo stuff.

Its called Minwax High Performance Wood Filler, can get it at HomeDepot. Use it to restore sections of rotted out would. It shapes well with tools and sand paper, is tough. It takes stain heavily (not an issue with paint). If staining, clear coat over, then apply colorant to match the repair.
 
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