Glass bed prep question

[goodgorilla]

I don't need the whole process, but a friend of mine said that it's important to get all the parts that will be touching epoxy really clean. Like no finger prints clean. Any thoughts? If it's that crucial to get the gun that clean, then does the remaining cleaning agents on the rifle come into play?

 

[LRI]

The "trick" to getting a killer result on a bedding job is to pay attention to small items that most would consider trivial.

Its important to have all the parts that are going to be cast sterile. -meaning free of any oils, grease, solvents that could potentially contaminate/react to the resin system you've chose to use. For me that means I start with the barreled action in the solvent tank. I wash it down with low odor mineral spirits. Then its a trip to the air hose and finally the sink where hot water and Dawn dish soap are used to get it squeaky clean. Then it's blown off again.

Mask up your action with clay. I use a paper towel wetted with methanol to feather the clay to a clean edge. Methanol is just alky so it evaporates clean. I use lint free paper towels to mitigate fuzzies.

Then I hose it with release agent. My chosen product is aerosol based. It provides a thin film that applies evenly.

Whatever you chose to do its just important that parts start sterile so that you KNOW exactly what your working with.

Good luck and hope this helps.

C.

 

[goodgorilla]

The "trick" to getting a killer result on a bedding job is to pay attention to small items that most would consider trivial.

Its important to have all the parts that are going to be cast sterile. -meaning free of any oils, grease, solvents that could potentially contaminate/react to the resin system you've chose to use. For me that means I start with the barreled action in the solvent tank. I wash it down with low odor mineral spirits. Then its a trip to the air hose and finally the sink where hot water and Dawn dish soap are used to get it squeaky clean. Then it's blown off again.

Mask up your action with clay. I use a paper towel wetted with methanol to feather the clay to a clean edge. Methanol is just alky so it evaporates clean. I use lint free paper towels to mitigate fuzzies.

Then I hose it with release agent. My chosen product is aerosol based. It provides a thin film that applies evenly.

Whatever you chose to do its just important that parts start sterile so that you KNOW exactly what your working with.

Good luck and hope this helps.

C.

That sounds like a nice method, I don't have a tank or air blower, can I compensate?

 

[Blackbrush]

If you're putting release agent on the action, why such extreme measures to degrease? I understand a need to clean the stock bc that's where you need bedding to adhere.

 

[Beef82]

If you're putting release agent on the action, why such extreme measures to degrease? I understand a need to clean the stock bc that's where you need bedding to adhere.

Your release agent if contaminated may not work as well, or stay where you put it, or whatever the contaminant was may get into the bedding and prevent proper curing. Good wipe down with mineral spirits, acetone, or alcohol generally works for the hobbyist, when paying someone else to do it one expects perfection, and Longrifles' method reflects that.

Pack clay everywhere you don't want bedding material including those areas of your stock, it will save you a lot of time cleaning up. Your bedding material will get everywhere in higher volumes than you'd imagine, I should have used a lot clay more when I did mine.

 

[goodgorilla]

Your release agent if contaminated may not work as well, or stay where you put it, or whatever the contaminant was may get into the bedding and prevent proper curing. Good wipe down with mineral spirits, acetone, or alcohol generally works for the hobbyist, when paying someone else to do it one expects perfection, and Longrifles' method reflects that.

Pack clay everywhere you don't want bedding material including those areas of your stock, it will save you a lot of time cleaning up. Your bedding material will get everywhere in higher volumes than you'd imagine, I should have used a lot clay more when I did mine.

What about the hotwater + dish soap step, and the steps where he air blows? Would the air blow steps just mean air dry? With the sensitivity of these steps, I imagine that whipping the excess solutions off is unacceptable because of the risk of contaminants.

 

[Beef82]

I am in no way affiliated with Longrifles Inc so I cannot speak to motives.
What I can tell you is mineral spirits does an excellent job on wax and petro based oils and grease, and requires minimal physical assistance, but it is a pertroleum distillate and may leave trace residue. Most people don't change the solvent in their parts washer everytime they use it so it may have some contaminants in suspension that would be left behind if allowed to evaporate. Soapy water would take care of those issues. Clean, dry, compressed air will greatly hasten the drying process, and is especially useful for drying joints, threads, the rough areas of the stock, and anywhere else liquid can cling, and there's no worry of it leaving lint behind.
Only you can decide if you want to go to this kind of effort, lots of people do good enough for them cleaning with various agents on a lint free cloth, they only have to please themselves.

 

[goodgorilla]

I am in no way affiliated with Longrifles Inc so I cannot speak to motives.
What I can tell you is mineral spirits does an excellent job on wax and petro based oils and grease, and requires minimal physical assistance, but it is a pertroleum distillate and may leave trace residue. Most people don't change the solvent in their parts washer everytime they use it so it may have some contaminants in suspension that would be left behind if allowed to evaporate. Soapy water would take care of those issues. Clean, dry, compressed air will greatly hasten the drying process, and is especially useful for drying joints, threads, the rough areas of the stock, and anywhere else liquid can cling, and there's no worry of it leaving lint behind.
Only you can decide if you want to go to this kind of effort, lots of people do good enough for them cleaning with various agents on a lint free cloth, they only have to please themselves.

I am trying to get into reloading also, so I probably will have an air gun available to me to hasten the drying process. About contaminants, I will glass bed the new action on a new stock, so I don't think I have to worry to much about them on the stock? Before I bed the rifle I will be getting a new barrel on the gun which Krieger will be working with the action, I wonder if I have to clean off the action.

 

[Beef82]

New parts can have mold release, machining oil, preservative oil, etc, clean it.

 

[jsthntn247]

I just make sure and degrease my stock where I want the bedding to stick. Wonder what type of spray release agent Mr. Dixon uses????

 

[goodgorilla]

It seems like it's going to be awhile before I bed the rifle. The krieger barrel may take somewhere around 9 months to be completed