Acraglass... any good?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I

Iansstud

Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
336
Hey guys,

I have a HS stock, I has been cut for a badger floor... I want to put my remington bdl back on it... I tryed to use loctite 2part blue/white tootsi rool stuff, and it is crap. I was wondering how hard it would be to use Acraglass?

does it really stay where you put it?

would I be able to put down a 3/16"x1/2" strip? or would It want to peel off?
I am going to take my cut off wheel and make a groove for the acraglass to seat into...

One more question, Would it be a bad idea to bed the action on a stock that is aluminum bedded?
 
Acra-glass gel is the way to go. Not much you can't do with it except take a gun back apart if you don't use enough release agent.
 
Acraglas is as good as it gets for glass-bedding a stock.

They also make a gel type that stays where you put it until it cures a little better then the thin type.

However, none of it is exactly non-runny until it kicks over and starts to harden.

There is also Steel-Bed that is supposed to be really good stuff.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1048&title=STEEL BED KIT

But it seems to me glass bedding a stock that has a fitted aluminum bedding block would be a mistake, but what do I know!

rc
 
Its great stuff, make sure you use PLENTY of the release coating!

I have done all my Winchesters with it, get surgical tubing to apply an even wrap around everything when you push the works into the stock and if you have to use modeling clay to keep it out of areas you don't want it.
 
The stuff is great,but I like to do my glass bedding in January. Give it 24 hours indoors to set up,then set it outside[-20] all night and the barreled action just falls out. Also a set of headless stockmakers screws help-you can use them to pound the action out,with no fear of damage.[Note to non cold weather readers-a large freezer will accomplish the same thing]
 
It is also a great epoxy glue for other than gunsmith work. Great for many household repairs like fixing things that my wife's hamfisted husband breaks!
 
Ditto on the cooling down to get the action loose, never force it!

Proper bedding will of course make it much harder to remove the action for cleaning and is not recommended because every time you do pull the barrel and action it can scrape or gouge the bedding material.

I have yet to use the freezer trick, mine cannot get down to the -40 I get up here in Alaska as well! Course Anchorage is a bit warmer than Wasilla.
 
I've bedded a few H-S stocks with the bedding block. According to H-S Precision and my own experience there is no accuracy gain in bedding them. I did it in mine to fix fit problems like a barreled action that sat crooked or rolled in the stock. It doesn't hurt anything to bed it though and it's a little easier than most stocks. These are typically skim bedded, meaning very little material is relieved before bedding. The Gel is easier to work with and stronger than the origninal Acraglas IMO. As rcmodel stated steelbed is excellent stuff but very expensive. I'd just bed the bottom metal and fil whatever gaps you have. H-S will respray any of their stocks for $80 any color you want. If you have it sprayed you won't have to sand it perfectly smooth because they put the stock in a fixture sanding machine to before painting.

A small strip 3/16 x 1/2 will be ok but drill a couple of small holes at a slight angle where the bedding will be. This will provide a mechanical lock.
 
Devcon Plastic Steel and Marine Tex tend to shrink the least compared to Acraglass and other epoxy bedding materials. They also have best resistance to bore cleaners, especially the more potent ones. Bisonite is a very close second.

These epoxies are good enough to withstand many take-apart put-together sessions without loosing their grip on receivers.
 
Bart B. the same can be said for Acra-glass. Shrinkage is non existant and it resists everything short of dynamite! I have stocks that I bedded with Acra-glass over 20 years ago and they still grip the actions very tightly.
 
my first bedding job i tried using the drum stick off of the rock band game to pry on the action end. all i managed to do was break the drumstick, DOH!! but a little bit of bumping from a rubber mallet got it out
 
LongRifles,
What are some of the better alternatives?

After a bit of research I went with Devcon Plastic Steel. Where does it rank in your list?

Thanks,
WNTFW
 
Long Rifles,
I saw those pics a while back. It looks like some of the inletting is done after the bedding.

Nice looking.
Thanks,
WNTFW
 
Yeps.

3 stages to my bedding.

primary inlet
bed it
secondary inlet.

All CNC programmed using variable macros to provide for subtle differences in receivers. (port locations, etc)

No magic, just a solid two years of dickering around to get it dialed in.
 
Acraglass is the best product you can use at home. Many factory "custom rifle builders" use it exclusively.

You want a FANTASTIC stock? Get a McMillan!!!
 
I have a question, now cooling it down while drying wouldnt that contract the bedding really tight?
i know warming it up can help release it. Wouldnt you want too dry it in the same temperature you plan to use it in most of the time?
 
Devcon plastic steel has a shrinkage rate that is half as much as Acraglass. Every gun plumber I know only uses Devcon.

It's common to use a heat lamp to heat the action and bedding to about 90deg.
 
First.

Epoxy does not dry. It cures. It's a chemical action, not evaporation.

2nd ALL epoxies shrink as they cure. The slower they cure, typically results in less shrinkage.

Acraglass can be hard enough to work with in less than 4 hours on a warm day.

Devcon HVAC takes at least 10 no matter the weather.

I used Acraglass gell, atomized aluminum powder, and a smidge of black dye for 3 years working at the Anschutz National Service Center in Colorado Springs. I built more guns than I can count with the stuff. I've used it in guns that have won Olympic Gold and World championships.

The Devcon stuff takes far less work and it too has seen its share of gold medals and championships. (2007 Palma World Championships, Kyle Leibertrau being the most notable)

I'm not bashing Acraglass but if you want a great product for bedding an action to a stock, use Devcon HVAC, mix it for four solid minutes using a broad applicator made from steel (like for mudding drywall) and have your action in the stock within 20 minutes.

Come back 24 hours later and it'll be hard as nails and ready to pop. Chip the slag with a scraper made from brass (so it doesn't scratch the action) and then carefully remove using a vertical action. DON'T ROCK IT. EVER!

Use a commercial silicone base mold release agent in an aerosol can and shake it vigorously for 5 minutes before applying.

I don't claim to know everything, but I do know what works when it comes to bedding a bolt action rifle. I do this for a living, not a hobby.

Cheers and good luck.

Chad
 
Regarding release agents, I did some tests epoxying 1/4th inch very smooth square stainless steel bars in a bunch of Devcon Plastic Steel and Marine Tex. Used a variety of release agents, both paste, liquid, spray on and a couple of car polish waxes. Even tried Pam (from my wife's cooking stuff) which was used at work as a release agent on 2-foot square molded glass graphics panels that nothing else did the job for.

Got the tighest fit after first cleaning the bars with laquer thinner, then brushed on a light coat of Simonize car wax. I'd let the wax dry for a while, then rub it off as much as I could with a clean cotton cloth. That left a very thin coat of release agent. After cleaning the bars again to remove all release agent, they fit as tight as when first removed.
 
Acra-glass has always worked for me. It does what I want it to do and there is no measurable shrinkage. There are several products to choose from and I choose Brownell's Acra-glass.
 
Last edited:
Acra-glass has always worked for me. It does what I want it to do and there is no measurable shrinkage. There are several products to choose from and I choose Brownell's Acra-glass.
Click to expand...


+1

I've been using Acra-Glas since it first came on the market. Have bedded the actions of hundreds of guns with Acra-Glas. It works for me and I will use nothing else.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
How to properly bed the O3A3 ?
Replies
5
Views
596
Khornet
K
MtnCreek
  • Locked
Cheap Build over Thanksgiving
Replies
2
Views
883
MtnCreek
MtnCreek
CKweigand
  • Locked
Stock Repair Help - WBY MkV UltraLightweight
Replies
3
Views
291
Jackrabbit1957
J
K
  • Locked
Wood Working: Remington ADL to BDL Stock Hack
Replies
6
Views
3K
KC&97TA
K
C
  • Locked
Extending cut down Krag butt stock
Replies
5
Views
393
CoRifleman
C
Back
Top