Re: So what's the best bedding compound?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Since my name was mentioned, I'll pop in. Normally I avoid these threads because I'm a bit jaded/strict when it comes to this stuff.
Release agents:
A number of things work. Pouring Kendal GT1 oil in a frying pan will keep eggs from sticking too, but is it the best option?
Shoe polish is a wax. It also must be applied by hand which means swirl marks are susceptible to being watermarked into the resin as it cures. To most it's of no concern. If it does bug you, then don't use it.
Wax in general works well and we use it on every bedding job where we need to. Mostly limited to the bedding studs, threads, masking lines. Anywhere I want it to release with the least amount of effort while not being concerned about surface finish.
Based on what I've read One Shot case lube has good results. I wouldn't use it because it seems to have a slime layer. I'd be worried about some of the lube materials somehow contaminating the epoxy. Maybe I'm being a dork for thinking that way, but again it was never designed for the application. Just because it works, it doesn't mean its a good choice.
I personally like a release agent that is sprayed on as it allows even, inclusion free coverage. I want it to flash to a dry film once the solvent/carrier evaporates. Because of this I use an aerosolized mold release. I've bedded close to a thousand guns with it and its never screwed me. I realize a guy at home might not want to pay $30/can, but its an excellent option for those who do/would.
Bedding compounds:
Key things to look for:
1. Long "open clamp time" Meaning your not rushed once its mixed.
2. High Shore Hardness. This is the graduate scale used for rubbers/plastics.
3. Iron free. If your using an epoxy that has steel, make sure its a nonferrous steel like stainless. Moisture has a habit of collecting between receiver/stock. If water gets in there and wicks into the skin layer of bedding it can start to cause rust. Just like on a car fender, the oxidation will grow and cause a blister. This breaks down the resin. Maybe its splitting hairs, but there's a very broad menu of products available so why chance it?
4. Tolerance to acids/alkalies. The solvents used to clean guns can be quite powerful. Your bedding should be immune to their effects.
5. Free of any nylon fillers. Nylon attracts water. It REALLY attracts water. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
6. High torsion/shear/compressive strength. Your gun twists and compresses as it fires. The amount is dependent upon a number of things, but it does happen. Resins need to be able to roll with the punches.
7. Viscosity is something else I look for. Peanut butter doesn't flow well-until you heat it up. This is where the long clamp time comes into play. I heat my bedding compound very carefully prior and while bedding the gun. This encourages a complete mix when putting resin/hardener together. It also insures the stuff wets the substrate (stock) completely. Once it cools back to room temperature it becomes alot stiffer so it tends to stay put. This means it's less likely to try and run out the back of the tang or flow out front below the recoil lug.
8. Practice, practice, practice. The only way to get better at bedding is to do it. You can read, read, read, and all you'll end up with is a hundred different opinions on how to do it right. The more YOU do it, the better you get at it. I realize we all want an instant PHD in this stuff. Nothing replaces experience.
Nothing.
I use a product designed for commercial boiler repair. It's about $40 for a 3oz tube of resin and hardener. Thus far its beaten everything else that I've tried. All of which and more have been mentioned here.
The important thing to remember is this. Once you find a product that performs to your expectation, STICK WITH IT. Don't make the mistake of trying to reinvent the wheel. The longer you use a single product, the more familiar you'll become with it. How it reacts to different temps in your shop. What it does on humid days, vs dry days. How it responds to being warmed up, etc.
On that last note know this. Devcon Titanium is great stuff. Tough as nails. It's also very expensive, finicky about ratios, and has a very SHORT working time. DO NOT attempt to warm this stuff up. IT WILL harden before you get the gun together and you'll have a huge mess. Keep it spread out paper thin on a glass plate so it doesn't build any heat through the chemical reaction. (this is how all epoxy resins cure btw)
DONT MIX ANY epoxy in a cup when bedding a gun. All this does is stir air into the stuff and its how you get air bubbles in your bedding. Mix it on a plate, keep it spread out paper thin, and be mindful of how you apply it in your stock. Glopping it in there with no concern causes air bubbles. This ruins the presentation we all want.
Again, the long clamp time is your friend.
Good luck and hope this helps.
Here's what our bedding jobs look like. Judge for yourself.
C.</div></div>
Dixon....
Those pictures are truly a thing of beauty, but highly irritating at the same time. One day I'll be able to duplicate that