Devcon for bedding

[Mram10us]

JPNdave brings up a good point with heat. When I blend bolt handles, I use devcon and throw it in my (wife's) toaster oven for 20 minutes on 200. For rifles, I put a bathroom heater set on 90 and point it at the action area of the stock. Sure helps curing speed up since I'm impatient.

 

[JOEY55]

I recently used Devcon to bed a barreled action to a McMillan Game warden. I followed the directions that came with the Devcon and used brownells aerosol release agent. Weird thing is that the Devcon hasn't fully hardened in the stock, I can till stick my fingernail into the bedding compound. Has anyone run into this before?

Hi Devcon should still harden at 50-50 but ambient temperature is very important at 60 degrees F or lower it's very slow curing. 75-80 degrees for 4-6 hours will fully harden your mix. Joe

 

[jonboatjockey]

Nice to see some helpful suggestions here. I was beginning to wonder why we had this forum at all with the amount of experts commenting. Haha. I pulled most of the bedding out, I apparently didn't read ALL the way through the directions regarding the mix ratio. I'll give it another try when I get my action back, another long story, but gives me time to take the rest of the bedding out and prep the surface and give it another try. Thanks to those with helpful info!

 

[Andrew Cowling]

I have used devcon as a bedding compound for nearly 20 years. I have had this same thing happen once. I weigh my mixes so that they are consistantly the same every time. The one time it didn't harden the supplier informed me that occasionally it "goes off" and the hardener wont react with the resin.

I cleaned all mine out from the stock. Mix up a new batch by weight and let it sit for 3 hours on the mixing tray. If it hardens up then either the first batch was mixed incorrectly and/or the release agent your using is effecting the compound. I use as recommended by the devcon manufacturer RYCOL teflon spray.

 

[Edd]

Nice to see some helpful suggestions here. I was beginning to wonder why we had this forum at all with the amount of experts commenting. Haha. I pulled most of the bedding out, I apparently didn't read ALL the way through the directions regarding the mix ratio. I'll give it another try when I get my action back, another long story, but gives me time to take the rest of the bedding out and prep the surface and give it another try. Thanks to those with helpful info!

Since I was correct in my other comment, here is something else for the sensitive ones gasp about. After you get the Devcon instructions read, research release agents. Don't include Pam spray or anything else that is wet in your options. And if you want to take it one step farther you could consider an epoxy that isn't filled with iron.

 

[jonboatjockey]

@Edd ha sensitive ones... a guy reaches out for help, eventually gets it from people who admit to having made a mistake or two in their life and share their experiences to improve someone else's knowledge. I already know I ****** up so thanks for pointing that out again. Hope my next try is up to your specs, even though it's my rifle. And If I want it to be a piece of crap it's on me

Everyone else commenting here I do really appreciate the helpful comments!

 

[Dean2]

@Edd ha sensitive ones... a guy reaches out for help, eventually gets it from people who admit to having made a mistake or two in their life and share their experiences to improve someone else's knowledge. I already know I ****** up so thanks for pointing that out again. Hope my next try is up to your specs, even though it's my rifle. And If I want it to be a piece of crap it's on me

Everyone else commenting here I do really appreciate the helpful comments!

Don't let one douchcanoe that thinks he is a superior human being and wants to prove it by putting down everyone else ruin your perspective. 99.9 % of the folks on here are good people who are more than willing to help if they can. The odd good natured shot is fine but the trolls with the need to put down others can f right off in my opinion. If I was moderating this forum I would suspend people who do this and the second time they would get banned. Best of luck. Let us know how the redo goes and if u need any help just ask.

 

[Jud96]

If you've never messed up a bedding job, or any job for that matter, then you haven't done it enough.

 

[Edd]

@Edd ha sensitive ones... a guy reaches out for help, eventually gets it from people who admit to having made a mistake or two in their life and share their experiences to improve someone else's knowledge. I already know I ****** up so thanks for pointing that out again. Hope my next try is up to your specs, even though it's my rifle. And If I want it to be a piece of crap it's on me

Everyone else commenting here I do really appreciate the helpful comments!

My advice was as good as any you got with "read the instructions" at the top of the list. But you are right, if you want to do a lot of work and end up with a piece of poo, it's nothing to me.

 

[Dean2]

My advice was as good as any you got with "read the instructions" at the top of the list. But you are right, if you want to do a lot of work and end up with a piece of poo, it's nothing to me.

The advice was condescending and your attitude stinks. Go for a walk, u need some fresh air. Your mother's basement clearly doesn't have enough windows that open.

 

[Edd]

The advice was condescending and your attitude stinks. Go for a walk, u need some fresh air. Your mother's basement clearly doesn't have enough windows that open.

You must be one of the sensitive ones.

 

[Mram10us]

You must be one of the sensitive ones.

Edd, you've been around long enough to know your comment was rude. I'm no snowflake, but maybe try to fix the problem rather than tell him what he already knows he did wrong. Happy Sabbath Day

 

[Bruce Treloar]

Hmm. This is what I was wondering @Dean2. Thanks for the input. So at this point it is what it is unless someone with obviously more knowledge than I in this area says it's going to be a real issue.

Devcon Steel is just one of the many filled epoxy putty's on the market. It's used a lot by gunsmiths. They know steel so it's a natural choice for most steel workers. It comes in small packs which is also desirable for bedding. It has great load bearing properties and long shelf life. After 50 years bedding rifles I use an Australian product called 69 by Megapoxy. It has great viscosity for bedding as 1/2" thick dob will not droop when on a vertical surface. It fully cures in 48 hours at 25 degrees C, so it's excellent compared to those fast cure formulations. Extra strength can be made by chopping up carbon into 1/2" lengths and adding to the epoxy Disadvantage is it comes in 2 kg pack but can also be used as an adhesive. When fitting the action screws don't do them tightly causing the action to distort slightly. Just use as much pressure as you can by turning the screwdriver as hard as you can between the thumb and forefinger.
Release agents are usually wax or silicone based. I avoid silicone particularly for glue ins. Go with a liquid wax like Eralease LP 57 by ERA Polymers. It's listed as a Polyurethane release but also works well with epoxies. Coat the whole area plus a little more with 2 or 3 coats by brushing.
12 hours after bedding turn the action screws 1/4" turn to break the partly cured epoxy in the threads.
Problems to avoid are don't contaminate products by mixing lids or other things on the work area.
Be aware some products may not be compatable resulting in migration and poor cure.
Be very accurate when measuring both parts prior to mixing and mix both very well.
Try to do everything at about 25 degrees C.
Hope this helps.

 

[Mram10us]

There are a million videos on youtube that you've probably already watched. I have one, but there are tons that are probably more professional and better. Watch a couple again before the next round