Rossi 92.0 - Glass Bedding Disaster

[FatJackDurham]

Ugh. What a nightmare. I have been rebuilding my Rossi 92 to practice some amateur gunsmithing. I decided to try glass bedding the stock. I decided to practice on the buttstock end plate, to see how it all goes before I try the actual stock where the receiver meets.

I guess when the directions say 68 degrees minimum, they really mean it. I turned my thermostat up to 68, but it was only 66 in the dining room where I was working. It is barely 61 in the basement where my workbench is, so I knew I had to do it up stairs

Mixing the epoxy and the hardener should have been a clue. The epoxy was the consistancy of dry school paste and although, I mixed for the required four minutes as directed (really need to get one of those had squeezers to strengthen my hand, I got a cramp about two minutes in) but the mix ended up looking like a a melted snickers bar. Not sure what it was supposed to look at, I spread it on and tried to use it.

First, even though I sprayed liberal amounts of release the but plate, the goo still stuck to it. Fortunately, it never cured. The directions say it would cure in 10 minutes, but after an hour, it never did. Ugh, what a mess.

I pretty much had to soak the stock and the plate in acetone to clean it all off. Blech.

So, if I can't figure out a way to make a hot zone in the house and get these materials up to temperature to try again, I guess I'll have to either settle for regular epoxy, or wait till the summer.

[Pete44ru]

FWIW, glass bedding compound IS a regular epoxy.

It sounds like the bedding compound was old/stale/faulty - how long have you (or whomever you got it from) had it ?

What brand ?

I've gotten excellent results with both Micro-Bed & AccraGlas, even in my 65-degree (Winter) basement workshop.


.

[FatJackDurham]

Huhn. That is weird. I wondered that, however, it is acraglas and the verbage said it has a shelf life of 20 years.....

I wonder if it froze in shipping and crystalized?

Anyway, I think I will try with store bought epoxy and see how it goes.

Did you use Brownells release agent? I was going to try using graphite, but I do have the Brownells release agent, but it seems almost like a spray lubricant.

What do you think?

[AJMD429]

I have used Brownell's "Acra-Glas" kit with good luck, and it IS the consistency of regular epoxy. My kit is now over ten years old and still I use it with good results (on maybe the tenth gun now).

I do agree your stuff sounds like it got old or deteriorated; I've mixed mine in fairly cool environments and it was 'thicker' but not as bad as you describe.

The release stuff in the AcraGlas kit is like vaseline you 'paint' on (there is also clay to plug screw holes etc.), and I paint on three or four coats ten minutes apart while I'm getting the other stuff ready.

Never had a problem yet, and I'm usually a klutz when it comes to anything that can make a sticky mess, especially if it has the potential to damage an expensive gun.

[harry]

Huhn. That is weird. I wondered that, however, it is acraglas and the verbage said it has a shelf life of 20 years.....

I wonder if it froze in shipping and crystalized?

Anyway, I think I will try with store bought epoxy and see how it goes.

Did you use Brownells release agent? I was going to try using graphite, but I do have the Brownells release agent, but it seems almost like a spray lubricant.

What do you think?

The release I use is blue and you paint it on with a brush, it sounds like you have the acraglas gel which is like putty. The acraglas regular is like honey and runs everywhere. If you use the thin acraglas plumbers putty will be your best friend

[Glenn]

I've used Micro-Bed most of the time and it works good. I use Kiwi shoe wax for a release, works good too. Got lazy once and used gun oil - DID NOT WORK!! Had to put the whole rifle in the freezer overnight to get it apart but it came apart OK.
Glenn

[FatJackDurham]

The release I use is blue and you paint it on with a brush, it sounds like you have the acraglas gel which is like putty. The acraglas regular is like honey and runs everywhere. If you use the thin acraglas plumbers putty will be your best friend[/quote]

Ahhh You are correct sir! It is acraglass gel! I should have bought the regular stuff.

[Pete44ru]

After 45 years of bedding rifles, I found that I much prefer a good paste wax to any other release agent.

I use Simonize car wax, but just about any wax will do, since it easily packs into the odd corners, screw holes, & crevices (keeping the bedding compound out), and is just as easily picked out after the bedding's cured.

I cover EVERYTHING with wax, since during the actual bedding, etc, there's no telling where an odd bit of wet compound, picked up unseen on a finger side, will touch another part of the gun where the bedding's definitely not appreciated - like an epoxy fingerprint on the side of the receiver. (BT,DT - NTS)



.

[stretch]

Maybe you somehow got two tubes of resin or two tubes of hardener?

That mix wouldn't harden very well.......

Those little ceramic space heaters can be helpful in encouraging
epoxy (or bondo) to cure faster in cool temps.

-Stretch

[3leggedturtle]

FJD; I used a chairs and/or sawhorses with plastic to make "heating chamber" to cure paint, glue and other finishes. A 60-150watt light buld will heat up a small "tent" real quick. 3leg

[Charles]

I have used Acra-Glas and now Acra-Glas Gel since 1969 and have never had you problem. I much prefer the Gel for stock bedding and the Glas as an adhesive. I have always used Brownell's release agent. I apply it with a Q-tip and use two coats. You had better make certain their are no locks/depressions/holes or rough places on the gun parts. I use child's modeling clay to smooth and fill these things.

I use aluminum AC duct tape to protect the wood. I trim it flush with a craft knife. I apply release agent to this tape as well.

[piller]

When I bedded the stock on my old wood stock model 700 I used Simoniz paste wax for cars, and it worked perfectly. The barrel and all steel parts came off with so little effort is was fun. The rifle also came back to shooting where it was supposed to. I got it wet hunting in a rain shower that was not predicted by the weather service, and the barrel channel warped. It pushed the barrel off target. I actually used fiberglass Bondo. I couldn't have had better results. I rented a lead sled at the range and tested it. 5 shots in a circle covered by a nickel.

[FatJackDurham]

I did use the ceramic heater and it helped a little.

I used some JB weld wood epoxy this time. It worked well, but was pretty light colored. It didnt take the stain very well, but formed to the butt plate perfectly. With some filing and sanding, it seems to make a perfect join.

I will try regular epoxy tomorrow. Where I used it to fix the crack in the stock, it sanded to a nice dark line. I think that would blend better to the stain than the wood JB weld.