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Gunsmithing What bedding compound?

Bacarrat

Gunny Sergeant
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Full Member
Minuteman
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  • Jan 22, 2007
    3,997
    2,395
    Houston, TX
    Getting ready to bed my rifle, which do I choose? Looking at Devcons stuff they have various different compounds to choose from. I think Marine Tex does as well. Does it make a difference in how well it beds or how easy it is to work with?
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 7mmRM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Devcon 10110 </div></div>
    What he said.

    If you do marine tex, whatever you do make sure you get grey. White isn't strong enough long term.
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    i did mine with JB weld. works like a charm, costs $6 and i used less than the two 1 oz tubes in a small package. you wont need a pound of the Devcon or the marinetex's 1 to 7 or 1 to 9 mix ratio. JB is straight 1:1 and its in almost every store somewhere. no shipping. view my posts
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AXEMAN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i did mine with JB weld. works like a charm, costs $6 and i used less than the two 1 oz tubes in a small package. you wont need a pound of the Devcon or the marinetex's 1 to 7 or 1 to 9 mix ratio. JB is straight 1:1 and its in almost every store somewhere. no shipping. view my posts </div></div>

    How's the JB Weld doing, and how many rounds are on the bedding job?
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    Sobr,
    I have run with JB as well on light stuff. It is much thinner than Devcon (learned the hard way about clay dams and more tape than usual)and when you trim it up after drying it is no where near as hard as 10110. With that said I put in on a lightweight .308 and it has run about 600 rounds with no shift in zero and it "looks" fine. I use JB for other stuff like bedding bases or as a stiffening a forend but I like the peanut butter texture of 10110 much better. It will not work for any type of texturing job, it lays down and will not hold the peaks and ridges.
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wnroscoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Devcon 10110 for the receiver, marine tex for the bottom metal </div></div>

    I'm gonna give that a shot!

    I also like MarineTex for texturing (funny that "tex" would be in the name of the product eh?).
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wnroscoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Devcon 10110 for the receiver, marine tex for the bottom metal </div></div>

    That begs the question as to why 2 different compounds to bed a rifle?

    And thanks for the responses guys! Doesn't look like I am going to make it out to the boat store today to pick up some Marine Tex. At least there is a Grainger near my office so I can pick up some Devcon on Monday.
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    Bedding compounds:

    1, it's an epoxy. It's two parts you mix together that hardens via a chemical reaction.

    Desired traits:

    1. Minimal shrinkage (1-2% is typical)
    2. Long "open clamp time" (very important so you aren't rushed)
    3. High shore hardness (the scale used to rate the hardness of plastics, rubbers, etc)
    4. High compressive strength
    5. High resistance to shear
    6. High resistance to acids and alkalies
    7. Machineability once cured

    Material data sheets are your friend. A product I'd avoid is anything that contains a ferrous metal. Iron rusts. When it does it expands and this will do the same thing that ice does to a sidewalk in the winter. (destroy it over time)

    It'll also make your bedding job turn orange. (blech!)

    Avoid anything with a nylon filler. Nylon is hygroscopic. It attracts water and holds onto it. Not the best thing for a receiver to be sitting in.

    Once you find a product your satisfied with, STICK WITH IT. Epoxy has a personality and it should be learned. You only learn by using the same stuff over and over. Switching to brand b, c, d doesn't teach you anything.

    Good luck with your project.

    C
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    I use a product designed for commercial boiler repair. I figure if it'll put up with that kind of environment life in a gunstock should be rather boring in comparison.

    I've used it since 2003 and it's never failed me. To the level that I offer (standard) an unconditional lifetime warranty on the bedding jobs I do. If it ever craps out I fix it no questions asked.

    Never had that happen yet.
    smile.gif


    C

    BAT MB in 6.5-284:

    DSC_00192.jpg


    Nesika M in 300-338 Lapua Magnum:

    DSC_0102.jpg


    Stolle Swindlehurst 22LR:

    DSC_00362.jpg
     
    Re: What bedding compound?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bacarrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wnroscoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Devcon 10110 for the receiver, marine tex for the bottom metal </div></div>

    That begs the question as to why 2 different compounds to bed a rifle?</div></div>

    With a particular DBM there's a boss at the front guard screw location. This area was kicking my butt when I bedded this particular DBM with Devcon. It would stick (mechanical bond) and when popped out, it would break out in a small area around the boss. I switched to Marine Tex for the DBM's and whalla, issue gone. I've since switched to this procedure for all my bedding jobs and find it to work quite well.

    The brand of DBM I'm talking about isn’t an issue so don’t ask. That wasn’t the problem. I continue to use them to this day and think they're the absolute best.........period