In the past I have used Micro-bed and Brownell's Acraglass to bed actions and barrel channels. I am looking for a product that will allow me to mix small batches,(a couple of tablespoons) without using up the entire package. The last Acraglass product I used was packaged so the entire contents had to be mixed. Any ideas on a product that allows small quantities to be mixed?
You can get Acraglass Gel in 2 oz containers, mix as much or as little as you want.
Devcon is often mentioned, but costs more than Brownells.
Acraglass Gel works OK for me.
DF
Marine Tex gray is my favorite.
I'd like to hear pros/cons of Marine Tex, Devcon, Acraglass Gel and others.
DF
Brian how do you get Marine Tex thinner? It tends to not flow well for me and can stress bedding trying to get action set to the right level in stock. Heat it to thin it?
I've never thinned it Kurt. I know that it will still cure with a large variation in mix ratio, I misread the directions and was off by 20% the first couple times I used it and it still hardened like steel. Not sure it's recommended but maybe you could add more of the catalyst to get a thinner consistency. I don't know that heating it will thin it but I do know that it will cure fast if you leave it under heat, I use a drying cabinet with a heat lamp bulb to speed drying time.
Unless it's a heavy recoiling rifle (and even then it'll probably be ok), any quality epoxy thickened with suitable filler will do the job. I bedded my last few builds with hardware store epoxy thickened with colloidal silica (the floc that Brownells provides with their kits, but I have a big sack of it left over from my yacht carpentry days) and they are just peachy. Sometimes we overthink a very simple low-tech problem.
JB Weld has worked well for me in the past. Comes in tubes so you can mix as much as you like. Use a lamp to warm it up if you need it to run into smaller gaps. Won't affect cure time. I'd be willing to bet putting it in the fridge for ten minutes would make it stiffer so its less likely to slump, but I haven't tried that yet.
I use Brownell's Steel Bed around the lug on big kickers. Then I finish the bedding with Acraglass Gel.
It works well and I haven't tried those other products. That's why I was asking about them, not wanting to miss out on a superior product, if indeed they are superior.
DF
I've used JB Weld and Devcon Steel. I like the Devcon a bit better, as it is thicker and doesn't flow as much. A few seconds with a hair drier can thin it out a bit if a person needs a little more flow.
Go easy with the heat when dealing with epoxies. We had more than one epoxy rep decry the use of heat at shop meetings. (We used epoxy by the 50 gallon drum.) The only glue joint failures I endured were some that I applied heat to in order to speed things along or alter flow characteristics. Heat (as well as dilution with solvent) can do unexpected things to epoxy- embrittlement being the big one. Best to let it do its thing in its own sweet time. If you don't have the time for that, wait until you do.
Very good to know. Thanks for sharing....
Stocky stocks sells their own version of epoxy bedding gel( similar to Acra-Glas gel). I've used it on several rifles over the past couple years and have found it to be just as good as Acra-Glas. they sell bedding kits with the stuff or bulk containers with just the epoxy gel. Mixes in a 1 to 1 ratio just like Acra-Glas gel(I'll mix a teaspoon of resin and a teaspoon of hardener for small jobs and it works perfectly). $28 will get you 16oz of the stuff(A whole lot cheaper than Acra-Glas). Shelf life seems to be good(long).
Leftybolt
JB quick weld is what I use most of the time. I like to apply it in small batches. As it takes maybe 30 minutes to harden enough for me to remove the barreled action from stock and then apply some more of it to where I need it. Mind you, the quick weld is inferior to the regular JB Weld when it comes to strength, but because it hardens much quicker, less problems with sagging/running and etc. LOL, besides, what I use for a release agent (Imperial sizing wax) is very effective with the quick weld version, but is problematic with the regular quick weld.
Devcon 10110 and JB weld Industro...The devcon is stronger, but the JB works great in a pinch. Speaking of that, I need to get more Devcon!!! I'm also a JB quick user when I need to fill a barrel channel in quickly. It beats waiting 24 hours for something to cure and works great in a low impact area like the barrel channel. I've tried Brownells steel bed and it is harder than the hubs of hell and I see why Dirtfarmer prefers it in the recoil lugs of the "heavy kickers". It's a lot more expensive than Devcon 10110, so I haven't used the steel bed from Brownells in a long time..
BSA- where do you buy the Devcon? I can find it online but never see it in local establishments. BB
I've bought mine off of ebay, midway and amazon once I believe. Just wherever I can get the best deal on the stuff.... I just checked and Amazon has it for
$33.89 with free shipping. That's a damn good deal and you probably won't find it cheaper anywhere else. I'm pretty sure I bought it there last time, after paying $45.00 and $50.00 for it at Midway and ebay...
Devcon 10110
Thanks for that! Looks like I was not alone not seeing it locally.
JB weld is all I use anymore