Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing First try bedding with Marine-Tex

Okay, boys and girls, I am going to try bedding a stock with Marine-Tex.

Have bedded several dozen stocks successfully in the past using Acraglas, AcraGel, Microbed, etc, so understand the basics.

Just wondering if there are any tricks or anything I need to be cognizant of before I give this a go.

Guessing it will set up quicker than the other bedding compounds, and plan on using Johnsons Paste Wax for release agent.

Also, are there any readily available dyes that I could use to colour the stuff?

Thanks for your time on this,
Ted

Ted
You will have no problems... a little shredded fiberglass added will not hurt a thing as the stuff can be a bit runny once it starts to warm up...
good luck
art

Yukoner,

I have not found Marine-Tex to set up any faster than other epoxy compounds. As with the other epoxies, it is best to allow it of plenty of time to cure. I too don't see any reason why you couldn't add a bit of glass floc to thicken it. Good luck.

Paul

When you mix up the stuff, you don't have to be perfect in your parts-Marine tex is very forgiving this way. It works really well to use a syringe to "inject" the bedding where you want it. When you put it into the stock, use a popsickle stick or something similar and kind of jab it down into the compound kind of like you are poking it several times to work out any air pockets. Allow at least 24 hrs to cure.

Okay, thanks for the tip on the fibreglass, Art.

Been scouting around for any bears yet?

Your wife all over her broken leg?

(Notice the priority, here.) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Best,
Ted

Paul,

Thanks for your experience on the set-up time. I was concerned that I might have to work a bit quicker than with the other compounds.

Ted

Supertrucker,

Thanks for your reply. Have you figured out an easy way to clean the syringe after using it? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Ted

I'm not Supertrucker, but I too use syringes a lot in working with epoxy. They are useful both for accurate measuring and for placing the epoxy. As expensive as epoxy is, the syringes reduce waste and save $$$. Of course it helps to live in the right state and have a friendly pharmacist or vet. Some places are pretty uptight about selling syringes. As far as cleaning, I use rubbing alcohol. It is cheap and dissolves wet epoxy pretty well. The only problem I find is that sometimes the rubber plunger in the syringe gets sticky. You can sort of lubricate it by using one part of the epoxy, like Acraglas resin. Another tip you may know about is that mixed epoxy keeps for awhile in the freezer. It will still cure, but you can sometimes thaw and use it for a day or so after the original mixing.

Paul

I wait for approx three hours, then trim away all excess Marine tex using a popsicle stick sharpened to a point. When the Marinetex stops being sticky/tacky (by testing the overrun or what was left where you mixed it), I then hit it with the popsicle stick. I also dip the point of the popsickly stick in the Johnsons paste wax, then wipe it off, so the Marinetex won't stick to it.

I apply blue painters tape to the top of the stock right to the point that I want the bedding to go. Then, I coat the tape with Johnsons paste wax. When the Marinetex slops over the top the the stock, I don't worry about it. After three hours, I use the popsicle stick to scrap away the excess and form a perfect, clean edge on the top of the stock. At this time, I also scrap away the excess in the magazine well, which I have also covered with tape and paste wax.

I also apply the tape, coated with Johnsons paste wax where I want the bedding to end on the barrel channel. The Marinetex easily chips off what ever you apply Johnsons paste wax to. The tape makes a nice, straight edge where you want the bedding to end. I also mask off the rear tang area using this method.

When the Marinetex is fully cured, what ever Marinetex is left on the tape and/or barreled action, chips off with a very light nudge from your fingernail. It leaves a perfect edge between the stock and the barreled action this way.

I have bedded all of my rifles using Marinetex, painters tape (the blue stuff) and Johnsons paste wax with NO problems.

Tony.

When you screw the barreled action into the stock after pouring in the Marine tex, I use Q-tips to clean up excess immediatly. Just wipe and roll it onto the Qtip. Why take the chance of it setting up and then having to grind/file/chisel it off your stock? You will use a few Qtips, but it is much easier to work with while it is still wet. Just wipe away the excess and walk away. Then come back the next day, pop it apart and use a dremel and sand/shave the bedding that got into the magwell, trigger mortise etc.

trucker,

Been there, done that, didn't like the results.

I actually want it to start setting up. I found that at approx 3 hrs, the Marinetex isn't so gooy (technical term), is much firmer and is easy to create a perfect edge with a popsicle stick (sharpened).

It is almost like playdoe and is real easy to remove. I really don't remove quite all of it. Whatever is left after the popsicle stick, chips off with my fingernail when it gets hard and leaves a real nice edge.

I haven't had to grind on one yet.

Tony.

The wet, just applied Marinetex, is a freaking mess to deal with.

Hicountry,

This is great information. I do much the same with a wooden tongue depressor and masking tape. Will have to try the blue stuff.

Thanks very much.

[color:"blue"] NOW, ANYONE TRIED ADDING COLOUR? [/color]

Ted
Tinted the stuff a number of times, both with the stuff that comes in the acraglass kit and regular aniline dye you can get at better paint stores. Never had any problem with the stuff.
art

Do you all remove your triggers on Model Sevens/700s or wrap them with tape/release agent or just use release agent?

I find it easiest to remove them...

7mm,

Sitka'a method certainly works.

Personally, I only bed the recoil lug and a small forward part of the barrel (I bed the length of the chamber forward, I.e. depends on the case size) and only the tang. I do not bed the entire action.

As such, I wrap the trigger assy in tape and then hit it and the entire area with Johnsons Paste Wax. I only use a small dab of Marinetex on the tang, I haven't gotten any on the taped/trigger assy....yet, because of this.

Plus, I bed in two steps : first the recoil lug/barrel shank. When I do this, I put two layers of black electrical tape under the tang on the stock. I also cut shims of index cards and tape them in the barrel channel near the end of the stock to center the barrel and provide a nice even gap between the barrel and the stocks barrel channel. Obviously I am free-floating my barrels forward of my barrel shank bedding. When I bed the lug/shank area, I use a headless, very long screw in the front guard screw, with electrical tape around it to center the screw in the stock hole (obviously coated like hell with paste wax). Then I insert the barreled action and use the normal tang guard screw and lightly snug it up. I also put a rubber band (heavy one) around the barrel at the point of my index card-shims to keep the barreled action nice and alinged while the Marinetex is curing and while I perform the trim/cleanup at the 3hr point.

After that cures, I usually give it a day, I take the barreled action out, chip out any unwanted hardened Marinetex, remove the index card shims, then prep the tang area for bedding by removing the electrical tape and adding the blue painters tape and release agent to the appropriate places. I then put the long bedding screw w/tape in the tang screwhole, apply the Marinetex and put in the barreled action. I then can tighten the front, recoil lug guard screw as I would normally tignten it when using the gun. My theory on doing it this way prevents any front to back stress between the two guard screws. The tang should sit perfectly where it wants to when you crazy tighten the front guard screw into the newly bedded recoil lug/barrel shank area.

This is why I can get away with not removing the trigger assy like Sitka is wisely suggesting.

Doing the bedding this way, the action only contacts the stock at the recoil lug and short forward barrel area and the tang ONLY. The rest of the action does not come in contact with the stock.

I have posted pics of groups I have shot with several rifles bedded in this manner. They never shift zero and shoot sub-moa consistantly. (300RUM, 7mm MAG, 7RUM, 338RUM, 22/250 and 270 WSM)

All I can say is it works for me on my SUCKS barreled actions. Your milage of course could vary....

Tony.