The guy that has built the last 3 rifles for a friend and myself uses Devcon steel putty. I saw a video on youtube where a guy likes Devcon titanium putty.

Another smith I used a long time ago stated that "Devcon steel liquid, steel putty, Brownell's Acraglass products, Marine Tex (used by a lot of top bench gun smiths) all suck. The absolute best, hands down is Score-High Pro-Bed 2000...good stuff."

Personally, I wouldn't have a clue what constitutes what sucks. That could mean that the smith just doesn't like working with it even though it's intended function is great.

So, to you who bed rifles, please tell me what you like and don't like and why. I'm just trying to learn...thanks.

How much money does scorehigh pro bed 2000 cost? $40 for 1 oz?

I like acra glass gell, kind of a milky white clear color

I used some of that Devcon Plastic Steel too. Its black/very dark gray mixed up. I like it also. Its good stuff. I broke up and hammered on some excess left on my mixing board to test it. Very hard. More hard and will brake rather than flex. Thick gel, No voids or air bubbles either. Can run down to the local hardware store and get it

Less expensive than acra glass gell. Had some acra glass go bad when stored for a few years

From the beginning I've used Acra Glass Gel. Since it has always worked fine for me, I've never really had any reason to use anything else. I did try plain Acra Glass once, way too runny. I like the fact that Acra Glass can be dyed as needed.

quote:

I like acra glass gell, kind of a milky white clear color

I have used this for years and if you want to color it, the dyes that Brownell's sell color it very well. The Gel is easy to work with compared to the regular Acra Glas but so are Devcon and MarineTex.

I never really liked Acraglass Gel.

The problem people have with regular Acraglass is an easy fix.
Brownells has a product called Floc. It is fiberglass fibers that are really tiny.
Just mix it in with the Acraglass and it thickens right up

As noted, there are numerous bedding compounds, mixes, etc. out there, but Marine Tex is highly regarded by a large number of both casual 'smiths as well as pro's. Military folks often use Marine Tex when bedding work is done.

Marine Tex --
most of the time, i use the grey .. Tiggertate turned me onto that, and it is superior, in everyway to acra-whatever and steelbed. I have used a couple different devcons, which are great. Heck, in a pinch, i have used "megastick" and spot bedded a 300 winmag about 20 years ago... and it STILL shoots .75 or so,

jeffe

I will have to try marine tex next.

I could not find anyone local that carries it so ill have to order it and have it UPSed

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
How much money does scorehigh pro bed 2000 cost? $40 for 1 oz?

According to this it is $18.99 for 4 oz & $39.99 for 16 oz.

So, is anyone willing to TRY the pro bed 2000?

I'll ask each of you to post what your opinion of a bedding compound is supposed to be .

What makes it a good or great compound ?. What's the intended purpose of bedding an action ?

What is the compounds sole purpose . Riddle me these answers and I'll show definitive proof

which compound excels in your particular requirements . Fair enough ??.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc224/375:
I'll ask each of you to post what your opinion of a bedding compound is supposed to be .

What makes it a good or great compound ?. What's the intended purpose of bedding an action ?

What is the compounds sole purpose . Riddle me these answers and I'll show definitive proof

which compound excels in your particular requirements . Fair enough ??.

Sounds good to me. Since I'm clueless on the matter, will you PM me with your reponse?

Bobby Hart skim bedded my rifles with BISONITE.

I'm a pretty big fan of Acraglass Gel.

either vasoline or ky jelly

Is Microbed in the toothpaste tubes still available. I've used that a few times.

Rich

I was gonna say Foam or Feathers?

For rapid, effective bedding of inexpensive hunting rifles, the old Microbed in the tubes...unfortunately no longer available in either tubes or "pots".

For target rifles, either Devcon or Bisonite.

For "display" guns, Acraglas.

What the Hey ?. No one has stated what they want from a bedding compound ?.Or it's intended purposes

and what makes one better than another ?.

Stability ? Rigidity ,inertness to chemicals holding the whole skeleton together while

running .577 proof rounds ?. Give me something to work with here !.

KY will do it there Butchloc but boy does it slick up the cases not to mention your trigger finger !.




Devcon is a TOP NOTCH epoxy or in Putty form an excellent choice for bedding compound as are

others . Marine Tex works well also although it's not what I personally would use .

Because I've used about 250 gallons of it for it's intended purposes over the years .

West systems Epoxy is very good also as is Yale Lord and on and on .

I knew a fellow who used JB Weld and it's still working today 17 years later !. Would I use it NO

not for bedding . But then again I don't carry water in a Goat skin bag either .

Devcon, the one thicker peanut butter like stuff. Its not so runny like the other.

Okay, Doc, I'll list the whys of my choices which I named in my first post (above).

Microbed - which I listed for quick, accurate bedding of inexpensive hunting rifles. I liked it (when it was available) because it was the ultimate "easy" in measuring and mixing. (Just squeeze equal amounts out of each tube and stir them thoroughly together.) It was not runny, and had a fair working time, but then set rather quickly afterward. Was also very easily trimmed with a knife about the time it really started to plasticize. Downside and strength was COLOUR. Dark Brown. Looked okay if seen peeking out slightly from around a bedded action, but colour could not be easily altered, in case one was doing a more deluxe rendition.

Devcon and Bisonite. My equal choices for bedding target rifles. I Like the strength of the stuff once it sets up, and have found it almost indestructible over the long pounding delivered by across-the-course target guns. I have some which have been bedded with those compounds since the mid 1970s and are still shooting quite acurately. Devcon, in particular is available with aluminum, steel, titanium, or other metal powders as fillers. So, it is workable with common machining tools, and weight can be adjusted where that is important. - Again, colours are not easily adjusted for appearance...Bisonite in particular being a sort of flashy pink
appearance to me.

Acraglas - I like the runniness of Acraglas. Soaks into & reinforces otherwise insubstantial wood areas, and flows into small clearance spaces easily.

Even more, I like the ability to dye it when it is a liquid waiting to be used. Over the years with alkanet root and a few other common dies, I found I could almost exactly match wood colours. I disliked the Gel very much, as for me it always tended to produce more bubbles when set than I would have hoped for, but I found the regular stuff great, and even used it on some varmint rifles as an exterior stock finish.

The one real inconvenience of it to my eyes was the overwhelming need to carefully mask any bare wood you did not want it to soak into. Once in there, it AIN'T coming out, and as it won't absorb stock finish as wood will, if some is accidentally spilled on an exterior surface of the stock, it will make getting an even finish over the entire stock very, very difficult.

Not asking for your evaluation of my uses, I am old and set in my ways. Am just responding to your comments about none of us listing why we choose what we do.

AC ; I will agree 100% !.

You obviously have used these products more than once as your accounting attested to .

For any of you unfamiliar with clear epoxies , they can easily be tinted or colored

with appropriate resin dyes or pigments ( fiberglass or epoxy uses the same type ) .

Epoxy once mixed in correct portions will begin it's cycle of Plasticizing or Exothermic

conversion . In reality the latter is a heat by product of the cross linking process .

Micro balloons , cabosil , microfibers ( to many to name ) chopped fiberglass being very common

or metallic shavings powders , wood fibers , certain plastic fillers preferably powdered form .

May all be mixed in so as to thicken too peanut butter consistency if you prefer .

For fuzzy or suspect wood strength , I prefer to use undiluted clear epoxy

( as AC stated DON'T get it on the exterior or finish side of the stock ! )

I paint it in allow it to set up " Soak in " is more the point , then proceed to bed the action

by adding and coloring any of the above additives which ever one suits my needs for a particular

project .

Thickening an epoxy is generally referred to as Thixtropic agents .

Micro fibers can be A-Z carbon ,Kevlar, Dynema , Boron , you get the Idea .

A note ; When I paint in , I generally don't allow full cure before bedding as this makes for

a " FULL PROOF " Bond . Jeffco , West systems ,Hysol ,Scotch Weld to name but a couple of

epoxies .There are bunches of manufactures who make excellent quality . A supplier listing below .

http://www.ellsworth.com/displ...tid=936&Tab=Products

I'm not a Gun Smith but have expertise in the area of Adhesives Coatings and their

specific Structural properties as well as most anything used in structural applications .

Wood being another one as well as a life long hobby working in it .