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I talked to a local smith about bedding the stock of a Remington KS. He's a big fan of Acraglas. I assumed it was old school with Devcon or Marine Tex being the better compounds.

What are your thoughts on Acraglas?

All I have ever used is Acraglass Jel. I have never had a reason to change. It is also handy around the house to repair all kinds of things.

Acraglas Gel has always worked for me and I've used it on about 15-20 rifles. My shooting buddy swear by Steel Bed.

It works good fixing furniture. Look up the tensile strength on Acraglas and then look at the spec sheet for Devcon or Probed.

I've used it for over 20 years and have had ZERO issues with it..

If your need is for a semi-flexible bedding compound where stability isn't the primary goal, either AcraGlas or AcraGlas Gel is your ticket.

Good shootin' -Al

WTH are you talking about, Al... While AG does take a couple days to fully set up, once that's done it ain't goin' nowhere..

It is all I have ever used as well with zero issues.

Relative to other bedding compounds, it is more 'flexible', due to the Nylon in it.

Now, that's neither good or bad...depends on the application.

I still use the Gel in some situations.

Good shootin'. -Al

It will work fine but in my opinion there are a few better options. Steel bed is my favorite, pro bed is good as well as marine tex. Some are thicker and are a bit easier to work with as well as being a 50/50 mix. But they will all work.

I too am a longtime Acraglas Gel user. No issues ever.

Just curious, but you do know that you can add steel to AG if the owner desires, right? I've got about three or so cans of various steel additions to AG that I can use..

Yes, I've doctored it up in the past to get it where I wanted it.....powdered tungsten worked the best. In the end, I chose to move to compounds that were more stable to begin with.

The Texas Bureau Of Standards did some independent testing of various bedding compounds that, while a bit dated, is still relevant when comparing older compounds to the newer ones.

Good shootin'. -Al

I have been bedding rifles in Acraglas (but not the gel) for fifty years. I dislike the gel because it is degraded by Hoppes#9. This is an unforgivable shortcoming IMO! By the way, the same thing applies to Devcon Steel or EK-10. Great product but Hoppes will degrade them. I have not tested Belzona or Marine-tex with Hoppes. Since 1971, I have used Acraglas, Glasbed, Devcon Steel, JB Weld, Acraglas gel, Bisonite, Belzona, and various other generic epoxies. My first choice is still Acraglas. GD

Only used plain Acraglas, never tried the gel.
It's runny, gotta work around that.

Have tried The Midway kit (Rimrock?).
Now that stuff was flexible. (Never seen soft Acraglas,myself)
Not impressed at all.


Have used to slow setting JB Weld.
Seemed fine. I don't really tear guns apart to evaluate bedding over time.

Also used Devcon from the hardware store in a pinch on one.
Again, happy.

I have used Acraglas, Acraglas Gel, Devcon Steel, Devcon Alum., and Marine-Tex.
I did not like how runny the Acraglas was, and Devcon lost their mind on cost so I now use Marine-Tex and Acraglas gel. for most of what I do.

Thanks all, I appreciate the input.

It's not nylon. It's colloidal silica. You can buy it separately from mainly places.

I've used West System epoxy for many years. Thickened with colloidal silica and, if you prefer, some powdered metals, it's no different than any of the other epoxies sold as bedding compound.

40 year tho probably not as much as Lee.

The MSDS sheet I have from Brownell's does list Nylon as a component. They have to be updated every three years...the newer one doesn't list any individual components of the product.

Yep...fumed/colloidal silica is commonly used as a thickening agent in two part epoxies and I use it where applicable. Pro Bed includes it with their kits, as do others. Interestingly, Brownells advises against the addition of any "flocking agents" to AcraGlas.

Lots of products out there that work well. And many that shouldn't be used. If your taking a gun to a professional to be bedded, I would always advise using what they are familiar and comfortable with.

Good shootin'. -Al

P.S. I'm pulling a 'glue in' apart shortly...always interesting to see the approaches used with those.

I've used West System to bed a bunch of rifles. It all started when faced with a project and needing a fresh batch of Brown-"give me all your money"-ell's goop and the drums of West System in the corner of the shop caught my eye. Not a lick of worry/issues with the stuff - but, as a disclaimer I never bedded anything nastier than .30-06's with it as magnums don't have, and never will have, a useful place in my life.

Acrsglas and Acraglas Gel....both good stuff! Have used it for 20 + years like many on this thread.

There is certainly nothing wrong with its stability. The stuff dries solid as a rock. The Gel version is really easy to work with. What’s not to like? Just follow the directions and it’s fool proof.

Sounds like the original poster’s gunsmith knows a thing or two about bedding rifles.

Leftybolt

Old school still works.

My feelings and experience exactly!!

Acraglas Gel is my go to. I Steel Bed the lug on big boomers.

DF

HI All,
I am new to this site, my first post I live down under
Buying acraglas in Australia is frightfully expensive I I have made up my own using every day epoxy resin, fumed silica powder called Carbosil and Powdered stainless steel, it cures as hard as could be expected so far so good. My steel bench has 1/4 plate and I had a dallop left over and it had cured on the bench, it resisted a savage blow from a hammer. I had expected it to disintergrate and break the bond on the Bench it did not. I do not used the stainless steel when filling up a barrel channel just use it around the recoil lug
I usually throw in a little brown dye to get it away from the silver colour
cheers Vaughn G

I forge and make a lot of knives. When i need a solid connection, i use acraglas and have had great results. I began using it for this application because i had good luck with it when bedding firearms.

Acraglass is good. I’ve used in many years ago, but it’s nothing more than thickened epoxy and way overpriced. Any good industrial epoxy will do the same. Avoid fast setup stuff.
The closest thing to AG I’ve seen is epoxy adhesive from FGCI in St Pete. Seems identical. At a tiny fraction of the price. Wouldn’t be surprised if Bnells bought it in bulk & repackaged it.
As for strengtheners, metals don’t work nearly as well as fiberglass floc or better yet, long carbon fibers. Silica or microspheres etc, weaken it. Good for fairing or filling a void in a Kevlar stock before painting as it easy to sand with those in it. FGCI also has a good variety of epoxy pigments you can mix to match your stock color.

I like Acraglas Gel, but have used regular Acraglas, J-B Weld, and Marine Tex.

I have fixed several broken stocks with Acraglas and Acraglas Gel, very useful stuff.

IMO, there is no one best, at least not in the sense of one type fits all.

The nice thing about the "runny" original Acraglas is that it sets up in thin layers, something not true of all epoxies. Great for surface or paint coats over the main bedding.

If you want the very finest, strength, longevity, impervious to oils and solvents, vibration, shock loading etc...get your hands on "Chockfast" 604. Machinists and marine engineers etc have used it almost exclusively for years for the final bedding of marine engines, reduction gear boxes, pumps, compressors, shaft pillow blocks. It's a 3 component system. I don't know how small of quantity they sell, I used it in pails...a bit much for the hobbyist. I once had a hydraulic winch spline drive (225 hp) strip out, I cobbled the stripped adapter with 604 and with care it made it through the voyage.

I use that mostly and no complains

I have had good luck with Acraglass Gel on quite a few rifles, however I did use a kit from Score High that had an epoxy that I like even better. It was much more like a soft putty and make working with it much easier.

The prime purpose for me is to accurize a rifle

All I’ve ever used is Acraglass and fiberglass flock I’m not changing

As per Al Nyhus's post about flexibilty, Accraglas was developed when wood stocks were still common, and the that flexibility is important. But, all composite/tupperware stocks expand and contract with temperature, and having a bedding compound that accommodates that is probably a good thing too.

There's lots of good bedding compounds/epoxy out there, I have a Remmy tupperware stock that I Accraglas bedded 28 years ago, and just changed out the stock last year, the bedding is fine--and tupperware stocks are the hardest to get anything to stick to.

I have used more Acragel than any other bedding though.

Al,
I've always wanted to know how a guy gets a glued in stock off the barreled action--judicious use of a chainsaw?

I keep Accraglas around just for that purpose.

Just checked, Brownells has been out of Acraglas and Acragel since early summer, still are.

Another supply chain victim, I suppose.......