Gunsmithing Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

[rmfield]

Devcon Plastic Steel Putty is my bedding material of choice, but I've read of concerns that it could rust both here and on other forums. With a new Manners stock arriving any day, I thought I'd see if I could get the Steel Putty to rust.

I put a dab of Steel Putty on a coffee can lid and then let it cure for 24 hours. I also machined a small area of the cured material to expose it a bit. For a control, I put a steel nail on a coffee can lid. Both were placed in a covered plastic shoe box and sprayed with a strong salt water solution every half day. After 3 days, I rinsed the accumulated salt crystals off both materials, air dried them, and took this photo:

As you can see the nail rusted and the Steel Putty did not. While this is hardly a rigorous scientific test, it is certainly enough for me to continue to use the Devcon Plastic Steel Putty without any concerns that it might rust.

 

[GasLight]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

Perhaps it is the lighting, but it does look like there is some rust on the putty? If so, it looks very minor, but my concern would be where that rusting starts, if it is in contact with the barreled action, it might accelerate the rusting on those parts as well?

The steel putty is the bedding material of my choice too, and this doesn't dissuade me from using it, I just would make sure to keep the firearm clean and oiled after being exposed to wet weather.

Dave

 

[GasLight]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

Also, the reason the rusting would be minor if it does exist and isn't just the lighting is because the epoxy resin won't rust itself, it is just the fine particles of steel that are mixed in that will rust. Also any of the particles that are completely encapsulated in the epoxy will not rust either.

 

[rmfield]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

I don't see what you are seeing in the picture. There is no rust. I also looked at it under about 10x magnification and wiped it with a clean white cotton patch - no rust.

Edit: I should add that I kind of expected to see small specs of rust when I looked at it under magnification, but I couldn't find any.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

that lid with the nail on it.... the rust stain looks alot like juan valdez, you should really get that on ebay

 

[GasLight]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

Like I said, maybe it is the lighting, it looks like an orange tint on the putty to me... but I am looking at a monitor, at a picture of what you are looking at

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

GasLight, I see it too.
Looks like rust in the Devcon. Doesnt look like its the lighting either.



Im not worried about my Devcon rusting, and I think we're switching to the titanium Devcon anyways.

 

[rmfield]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

Maybe this will help:

 

[GasLight]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

I wish I could see it in person

I can still see what appears to be some coloration of the orange variety. Could very well be my monitor.

I however will take your word for it, and can accept that there is no rusting, to me it just doesn't matter, I will always keep some light oil on things, so it just won't become a problem.

I don't understand what the real argument here is anyway, I think it would be quite a leap to believe that devcon steel putty won't or can't rust, it has steel particles in it, when exposed to air and moisture, it will certainly rust, there is no magic metal in there

, keeping the rifle clean and oiled will go a long way to prevent any issues.

YMMV

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

I dont see it in that pic. Might be a little orangish coloration if I use my imagination.


Obviously nothing to worry about.

 

[rmfield]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

Keith, you mentioned the Devcon Titanium Putty. It is definately a stronger (and much more expensive) product, but the 21 minute pot life would concern me. I like that there is really no hurry with the Steel Putty which has a 45 minute pot life.

 

[rmfield]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GasLight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I wish I could see it in person

I can still see what appears to be some coloration of the orange variety. Could very well be my monitor.

</div></div>

Gaslight, if you really want to see it in person, Pm me your address and you'll have it in a couple of days.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: Devcon Plastic Steel Putty and Rust

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rmfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Keith, you mentioned the Devcon Titanium Putty. It is definately a stronger (and much more expensive) product, but the 21 minute pot life would concern me. I like that there is really no hurry with the Steel Putty which has a 45 minute pot life. </div></div>

I think that's fine. How well it machines means a lot to us. We always inlet and clean bedding up with carbide so hopefully the titaium dust in the mix is no problem. If its difficult to machine then Ill stick with the 10110.

Time hasnt been an issue yet when bedding as far as the epoxy is concerned. I take all the time I need doing prep, then the actual gooping and setting is easy. Takes minutes. Then I wipe off a little overflow and walk away.

I have everything prepped and ready to drop in by the time I start mixing epoxy. As soon as the epoxy is mixed it goes on.

 

[Das Capitolin]

Forgive me for reviving an old thread, but I've got something to add. Two weeks ago I used Devcon Steel Liquid (B) to bed a H-S Precision stock for a Savage Target action, and had some material left over in the pot. The color matches my back patio, so I used some as filler between cracks in the stamped concrete. Not long after we had three days of occasional rain showers. It's been a week of dry weather since, so I went outside to see how it was holding up... to my surprise it still looked glossy and new, without a spec of rust. Either every single metal dust particle was coated with epoxy, or the particles sink below the surface from gravity while settling, or both. I grabbed my magnifying glass, and looked closer: absolutely no rust evident on the Devcon steel.

 

[Dennis_in_VA]

Take a picture of it.

I bet gas light can find some rust.

 

[turbo54]

Devcon 10110 rusts.

I've used it a lot, and I use the rifles I've bedded with it in the field in the rain. When I get home, I'll spray some WD40 in the bore and on my rifle, but I'm usually too tired to bother fully cleaning up my rifle before going to bed, so I do it the next day after work.

There is always some rust, particularly in the recoil lug pocket of the bedding. I give it a good cleanup and reassemble.

It doesn't hurt a damn thing, but it absolutely DOES rust a little on the surface.

 

[Changed]

Have any of you considered using Devcon 10760? This particular version uses Titanium instead of steel. If so, does it handle the same?

Chip

 

[218bee]

Anyone remember the old "Micro-Bed"? I bedded my NM M1A with it about 15 years ago and its still holding up. Its dark brown to match the walnut. I know they stopped making it about 10 years ago...