Gunsmithing Marine-tex bedding cure time???

[tacsniper0888]

Hey guys, how long do most of y'all wait when using marine-tex as a bedding compound before removing the barreled action from the stock? This is my first bed job. Thanks!

 

[wnroscoe]

Hey guys, how long do most of y'all wait when using marine-tex as a bedding compound before removing the barreled action from the stock? This is my first bed job. Thanks!

Really depends on air temperature and the amount of hardener you added but roughly 6-8 hours. It wont be set up 100% by then but hard enough to handle. Leave your overage/waste on a piece of cardboard or paper plate on the table and gauge the cure by the hardiness of the waste. If this is your first time pop it out in the AM. Hope you used a good release agent and did the proper pre-clean up. Good luck.

 

[tacsniper0888]

Thanks guys. I'll let her sit overnight and pop her out in the mornin. I used kiwi neutral shoe polish and modeling clay but I can already tell I didn't use enough clay. I see where I had some seep into the bolt release slot, oh well too late now. I guess I'll try chiseling it out with my pocket knife in the mornin. I bedded about 1.5" in front of the recoil lug also. I see where this is the "most common" method??? Anyways any help/info would be nice to help a newbie out! Thanks.

 

[bward]

I'd leave it at least 24 hours if its at room temperature.

 

[tacsniper0888]

Ok thanks. Is it possible to leave it in too long???

 

[STR]

No, you can leave it as long as you wish. I pop them out 24 hours later, and haven't had any issues yet.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I let mine sit overnight...

Bedding in front of the action...I did the same as you, bedded 1-1.5 " (haven't measured it) in front...mine shoots awesome that way, some don't.

After you get it all together....shoot at least one 10 shot group, warm the barrel up....if you see any vertical stringing...remove the bedding from in front of the recoil lug (all of it...let the barrel free float completely)

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[tacsniper0888]

Ok thanks for all the great info guys. I guess it might help if y'all knew what I was shooting. It's a remington 700 5R in .308 in a hs precision stock with the bedding block. I just skim bedded it I didn't "rough up" the block or the inside of the stock. I've read that marine-tex is about the best hard use/service rifle bedding compound you can use. Is that true?

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Opinions vary...as always.

But MarineTex is one of...if not the best bedding compounds available.



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[LRI]

Opinions vary...as always.

But MarineTex is one of...if not the best bedding compounds available.



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I'd have to disagree. No offense bud but there's much better stuff out there.

MUCH MO BETTAH!

Look for resins with a higher solids percentage. Patch compound is largely just epoxy.

Just as any "crete" man will laugh at you for pouring pure cement into a sidewalk form, you shouldn't use pure resin (or low solids resin) to bed a gun. It'll fall apart with time.

Just sayin...


C.

 

[bward]

Try Pro-Bed and you won't use Marine Tex anymore. It's good stuff.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I'm certainly no expert...but I went with MarineTex based on the advice of quite an accomplished shooter...down to the last detail when building my rifle (that's the biggest reason its a model 70 and not a 700, but that's another debate)...2 years, all sorts of weather, heavy recoiling loads, just a rough ride all the way around...and it still shoots bugholes.

It may well fall apart in time...but I'll have to see it to believe it...concrete is one thing, epoxy is another.

I did sorta torture the MarineTex that was left over after I bedded my rifle...the stuff is pretty damn tough.

ETA: I hope that didn't sound argumentative...not trying to, not at all...just saying I trust the advice I was given (granted, he is an older gentleman and may be a little behind the times)...MarineTex may not be "the best"...but it doesn't shrink very much at all and it holds tight to the stock.

And if the day ever comes that I see Mr. LongRifles is right...I'll come right here to this thread and say so.

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[tacsniper0888]

Thanks guys. I will have to check that pro-bed out! Hey chad, what do you use in your shop? I taped my stock off with blue painters tape to prevent overrun from seep out. How soon should I remove the tape to get a clean edge? It will be in the morning before I can as it is in my shop and I'm at home but will it be too late? Will it cure so hard it tears the tape instead of leaving a clean line???

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The clean edge comes from making the "cut" along the top of the stock before the epoxy dries...I used a sharpened popsicle stick to make the "cut".

The "cut"....is simply running the edge of the stick along to stock....separating the epoxy so it comes apart clean...it helps if you use the stick to push the epoxy down into the stock before doing the cut (minimize the chance of voids)

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[Ridgerunner665]

LongRifles,
What you say makes sense...more solids makes the compound stronger...I don't doubt that at all.

But...how strong is strong enough? I mean recoil isn't really a tremendously powerful force unless you're talking a major magnum caliber (300 RUM for example)...but for a lowly 30-06 or 308?

How many rounds do you think the MarineTex will last?

I'm guessing a lot of it will depend on the type of action as well as the stock (how much bedding, thickness, etc.)...right?

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[tacsniper0888]

Uh oh. Lol. I cleaned up the excess "ooze out" with a knife blade so maybe it won't be too bad, I hope! I can always lightly sand down to a clean edge. I'm hoping where it seeped up into the bolt release slot it leaves a ridge when I separate them that I dremel down. I went by the Gunwerks video by taping the sides and bottom of the recoil lug and leaving the front and back clean with release agent. Any other suggestions guys???

 

[stockdoc]

I wanted to ask the same question regarding the longevity of a marinetex bedding. I have a 300 win mag that I bedded in marinetex 13 years ago. It is one of my competition rifles and has been rebarreled twice and that bedding still rock solid. So how much longer before it gives?

 

[Lucky Jack]

Since I moved from Louisiana to Arizona I've had nothing but trouble from Marine Tex. I've used it for years and scores of bedding jobs but here it shatters, cracks and I've tried several different mixtures and nothing has made a difference so I just got some Devcon. I'm hoping the titanium in it will strengthen the bedding.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Marine Tex is super tough when used properly. It's all in the prep like most any product. I also like my barrels fully floated. Nothing touches the barrel anywhere especially under the chamber.

 

[17874]

Since I moved from Louisiana to Arizona I've had nothing but trouble from Marine Tex. I've used it for years and scores of bedding jobs but here it shatters, cracks and I've tried several different mixtures and nothing has made a difference so I just got some Devcon. I'm hoping the titanium in it will strengthen the bedding.

Glad Devcon got a little love in here.

 

[DGD6MM]

tacsniper, this is what works for removing bedding material that seeps into the action. Aircraft paint remover, it can be purchased at Walmart. Take the barreled action out of the stock, use a cuetip that is saturated in the solvent, rub the bedding and surrounding area and it will pop out pretty easy.

 

[tacsniper0888]

Thanks guys. Well the results turned out less than satisfactory. The stock had been cerakoted so I just wiped it down with alcohol and didn't sand it or anything. I've got full contact at the lug and under the rear tang but web I was tapping the stock to loosen it from the barreled action the marine tex on the ejection port side that fills in the void between the ejection port and the stock broke loose and all chipped out. I know it's mainly just cosmetic as the lug and rear tang are all that's important but I did want it to look nice. Can someone please give me a detailed step by step guide on bedding with pictures and times?!

 

[STR]

You Can fix the cosmetic issues easy enough. Clean everything up really well, and install the action in the stock. A little bit of release agent where needed, and mix just a little of whatever you used for the job. Fill the voids, and wait the cure time. As far as what to use for bedding, well just about everything mentioned already will work fine. Some have their favorites, and I'm no different. I personally like Marine Tex, Brownells Steel, and Devcon. That's not to say there aren't much better compounds out there. Most guys worked hard to learn the ways and materials that actually work, use this to make a living, so please understand when they don't want to share this info with others. That said, you can check out the link below. It's the way I do it, and while there are other ways, this one has worked well for me. Hope it helps you.

Rifle bedding 1 - YouTube

 

[tacsniper0888]

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to start over and try to chip all the bedding out of the stock and sand the action area of the stock and try again.