Trouble bedding my Stevens action/stock.

I’m having trouble with my bedding compound (JB Weld) sticking to the action and not sticking to the stock. I’ve had good results using JB Weld as bedding compound in the past. Action is a Stevens LA and stock is the factory plastic stock. I’m LIBERRALLY using a PAM type spray with canola oil as a release agent. I’ve drilled a bunch of small shallow holes in the stock in the bedding area to aid with the adhesion to the stock. The action has lots of small tool marks in the bedding area, I suspect this may be one of the reasons the bedding compound is sticking to the action, not the stock.
My questions are:
Should I try a different bedding compound? If so which one?
Should I try a different release agent? If so which one?
Should I try cleaning the stock bedding area with acetone or something else?

Try using more of a wax based release agent, ie. shoe polish. Rough sand the stock in the bedding area and use a degreasing agent. Also give the bedding plenty of time to harden.

J&B Weld is ok but, you may want to try Devon Steel Putty. It sets up a little faster than J&B. I use it for all my bedding jobs and have never had a problem. I also use Kiwi neutral shoe polish for a release agent.

I use clear Kiwi shoe polish for all my bedding jobs and never had a glue in. It is cheap, might be cheaper than Pam, and lasts forever. Also, use blue painters tape to mask off areas you don't want the bedding compound squeezing into. To get bedding compound to stick to the plastic stock it needs to be absolutely clean. I suspect there still is release agent on the stock from when it was molded. Make sure to clean it really well using acetone. Next I woul use very course sandpaper to roughen the area where the bedding compound is being applied. Normally this is enough for the bedding compound to stick to synthetic stocks.

There are two problems with JB Weld as a bedding agent. First is that is tends to run into areas you don't want it in. Second, it is generally to brittle. I have used JB Weld in the past because it was cheap and easily found but I quit using it a LONG time ago. If you are having problems of it running into areas you don't want it get some modelers clay or blue painters tape from WM to keep it out.

Devcon Steel Putty, as GaCop said, great stuff and the only stuff I use anymore. It is thick enough to stay where you put it. It is tough without being brittle like JB Weld. Finding Devcon products can be hard unless you order it but there is an alternative that can be found in almost every boat shop. Marinetex is another product people use to bed rifle with regulary. I have not personally used it but it has to work if that many people swear by it.

Dolomite

As well as drilling, you need to sand the stock with coarse sand paper where you want the bedding to stick, like 36-50 grit, then degrease the plastic with non-chlorinated brake cleaner and/or acetone to get the oils out. Plastic has oil like substances in it. The epoxy needs to harden for a couple of days, and the ambient temp needs to be above 68 degrees or more for best results. Do yourself a favor and try a drop on the area and test it with pliers until you get the technique right. Do some testing to see if you can get it to work.

TC

Quit using oil for a release agent. The oil will not be a kind to the bedding material in the long term.

Shoe polish or car wax works better.

+1 Kiwi shoe polish as the release agent. Cheap and very effective.

Get the Kiwi Neutral color polish. That way you won't have any type of stain get on your stock. And I agree with the above posters. Kiwi works great and it's cheap. Davcon (peanut butter consistency kind) is super "stuff".

FWIW

Dave

Shoe polish, auto polish, Crisco, all work. My favorite for the last 50 years has been Johnsons floor wax. Not only is it a good release agent, it also fills any void or crevice that could fill with the bedding compound. The last time I used some spray-on Moly. It worked fine, but was tougher to clean up afterwards.

uj

Dolomite is dead on. Kiwi natural. Clean that stock w acetone or some good, almost pure alcohol. I still use JB Weld Quick out of pure convenience. It is ready to pop out in about an hour. It doesn't run like the long-setting JB. It's not quite as strong, but who cares. It's just filler. It's readily available in small or large quantities and is cheap.