I have a used 1982 vintage Mod 38 airweight with the original grips. It looks to have received a small blow on the right grip that made a small crack that doesn’t effect the structural integrity of the panel but looks like it may shear off into a pointy splinter someday. Unfortunately it’s the same grip panel that has the sn stamped into it. Any tried and true methods or products to permanently reattach the split without messing up the original grip finish?

I'd suggest using one of the two part epoxy glues. Use the one with the longest cure time as its usually way stronger than the faster epoxy's. Try applying it with a toothpick and get as much into the crack as possible. Then let it cure as per the directions and do the cleanup. Hope this helps. Frank

I'll give that a try. Thanks! Was thinking about wood glue but I'm pretty sure there is enough oil soaked into the wood to make wood glue a poor choice.

ff - I have used a very thin superglue that is found in hobby stores and it leaves no residue.

If you've got oil soaked wood, its a new ballgame. First, I'd get rid of the oil. Unless you want to refinish that grip panel, I'd try just a spot cure. I'd get a small amount of acetone (I love the stuff) and try gently dripping a tiny drop at a time into the crack. Orient it so any excess runs toward the inside of the grip, not along any finished surface. Then let it dry for a few minutes in the sun, or on a register. Then try the drop or two of superglue (remember, acetone will usually dissolve superglue.) Then if you have some way of applying pressure, try to close the crack in the few critical seconds the glue takes to dry. If not, don't worry about it.

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Dick Burg

Tried the super glue. The wood just soaked it up and the shard of wood seems to be reattached. Thanks for all the help!