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epoxy preference

hadjii
I am going to pillar bed my ruger 77 hawkeye, and am wondering what people's preference of epoxy is for the job. I have previously used pro bed 2000, and had good luck with it, but wondering what professional type people use. I have looked at acra glass gel, miles gilbert, pro bed 2000, steel bed and a couple of other epoxy's, but I would like to know what other people use. Thanks
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4 comments

Date Votes
  • tsr1965
    I have used acra glass, and acra glass gel, but prefer Brownells Steel Bed. It can be dyed, and it has low srinkage, and will not crumble. I use the Hornady One Shot case lubricant as a release agent for the action and barrel...works great. In a pinch at the cabin, I have been known to use J-B Weld to install pillars, and skim bed.

    Best

    EDIT:

    nononsense,

    That devcon is one I like also. I did not list it, as it most usually has not been heard of by individuals who are not industrial based in a maintenance or engineering group. It is great stuff, but for some reason, I still like the Steel Bed, as it is mixed 1:1, and has the machinable properties.
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  • ogree
    marine-tex.
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  • machine gun moran
    I've used J-B Weld. I tape the metal with regular household Scotch tape, and iron out any small bubbles as it is applied. Then I brush the tape with an extremely light dusting of oil, barely enough to change the gloss on the tape, very light. The metal is bolted into the epoxied wood with screw pressure that will be about normal for service, index marks are applied, and the gun is racked horizontally with pressure only under the buttstock and under the gripping area of the forearm for 24 hours. The metal is then removed from the wood, and the tape is stripped from the metal. This gives about (a nominal) .001 clearance everywhere when the screws are turned to the index marks, and clearance effectively disappears if a little extra screw pressure is applied. This has worked to shrink groups for me, sometimes radically, so I haven't experimented with other materials or methods of bedding.
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  • nononsense
    hadjii,

    This again will solicit a wide variety of responses from the standpoint of brand loyalty and favored working conditions. Each of us has circumstances and work habits that help dictate what type of product suits us best. There is also a big difference between working with wood or working with synthetics simply due to what can be seen and where.

    I know if I'm in hurry, I prefer an epoxy that gets measured 1:1 instead of other combinations like 1:3 or 1:4. This 1:1 ratio makes it much easier when mixing very small amounts for tiny repairs or very small areas.

    I would guess, by all the partial containers I have on the shelf, that I've used most of the bedding compounds on the market even if they aren't listed as being useful in bedding-type situations. What I suggest paying attention to are the mixing times, working times, set-up times and two small factors that should be in their specifications; shrinkage and compression.

    I like having Brownells Acraglas (reg.) and the gel around for specific uses. I also keep a container of 'boat glass' around also. For general bedding, Pro-Bed 2000 works as does Marine-Tex. But one of the ones usually missed and the ones I keep larger containers of is Devcon. There is a line of Devcon products that covers just about every conceivable need when I'm working. Many of these not only work for pillars and bedding but can be machined, drilled and tapped in certain situations. Now this probably isn't one of your requirements but it keeps me from mixing different manufacturers in one process. Devcon comes with metallic fillers such as steel, aluminum and titanium if those hold an interest for you. Their website has quite a bit of general and technical information to read. They are also good about answering questions.

    If I had to pick just one for general stock work, I think it would be a toss up between Pro-Bed and one of the Devcon products. The only suggestion I would make about Pro-Bed is to mix a small test batch right away when you get it to measure the set-up times and whether it sets-up properly. He's had a batch or two a while back that were slightly problematic but he stood behind his product and replaced the defective batch on demand. Brownells had the same problem a number of years ago and we had to wait several weeks before they could get a new batch mixed and tested. But since these two incidents, both manufacturers have produced good recipes.

    Good luck!

    Best.
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