Bedding

[scratcherky]

When using Devcon to bed your rifle, how long do you guys wait before breaking it loose?
Thanks,
Don

[Elkbane]

I wait 24 hours.....Sometimes another day.

I have taken them out after 12 before with no ill effects, but you have to be careful to lift the action STRAIGHT UP out of the stock if the Devcon is not cured. If you "tilt" or "Lever" the barrel up, you'll run the risk of disturbing the bedding at the opposite end or around the recoil lug (very improtant). Patience is a better route.
Elkbane

[louthedog]

I know it's difficult to wait to pop 'er out to see the results but give it 24 hours.

[dolomite_supafly]

I will wait at least a full day. I have left them for days before with no ill effects.

The longer you wait the less of a chance of anything moving when popping it out.

Dolomite

[scratcherky]

Thanks for the advice. I will take it and wait 24 hours. Like they say: Patience is a Virtue. But I sure am anxious.

[Forester]

If this is your first bedding job, take it out at 10 or 12 hours. The Devcon is not so delicate at this point that you will likely hurt anything if you are careful. But it still has some curing left to do so you reduce the risk of an un-fixable glue in job.

If you have bedded a rifle before with good results then ignore me and wait 24hrs.

[scratcherky]

I took it out after about 18 hours and looks excellent. Much better than I expected.

[dolomite_supafly]

I took it out after about 18 hours and looks excellent. Much better than I expected.

Devcon is the best stuff I have ever used for bedding, the user also had something to do with it to I'm sure ;D. It always looks great and keeps it shape, doesn't shrink or crack like some of the other stuff I have tried. I found a local store that sells it in individual packs almost like JB Weld packs. This makes it easier for me to use because I would always over mix when using the 1 pound container. The best part about it is the individual packs are less than $5 each.

Dolomite

[clambdin]

Dolomite, I didnt know devcon made the seperate packs Is their enough in each pack to bed a rifle ? If so I would be interested in having you pick me up a few and mail them to me if you would be so kind ?

[dolomite_supafly]

Should be plenty to skim bed at least one rifle. Might need to use two kits if you need to put it on a little thicker but for the price it is cheaper than buying a 1 pound can if you are only doing one or two rifles.

McMaster Carr sells the small tubes for $3.15.

Link to Devcon tubes on McMaster-Carr

Item number:74575A85

Devcon Metal-Filled Epoxy S-5,
Plastic Steel Liquid, 2-oz Tube,
Black
In stock at $3.15 Each

This is even cheaper than I can get it from the local shop but I support my local hardware store because they have EVERYTHING I have ever went looking for. They had 1/4"-28 screws and setscrews when no other place in town had them, I use them for AR trigger jobs. They had 12-24 screws which are extremely hard to find and are 10/22 action screws. And when I seen they had Devcon I almost ran up and hugged the owner.

Dolomite

[clambdin]

Thanks ! But I dont think that is the same thing I have been using....the stuff I use is the plastic steel putty.

[dolomite_supafly]

I just opened a tube of it. It appears to be about the same consistency and looks just like the putty in the one pound containers. The putty itself is gray and the hardener is white just like the pound containers. You had me worried for a minute because I have about six packs of it. I will try some to see if it runs or stays put like the larger containers.

Either way it is WAY thicker than JB Weld.

Dolomite

Update:

I just mixed some up. It isn't the same as the one pound steel putty. It is thinner, not as thin as JB Weld though. I think it is thin enough to run into areas where I wouldn't want it too. I guess I will be ordering some more of the steel putty. I will find a use for the stuff but not to bed anything.

[Whelen Man]

I typically bed rifle in the early afternoon and then break them loose in the early morning so I guess my answer would be middle of the road at around 18 hours. I've done 5 or 6 of my personal rifles and it's always reassuring to hear that crack in the early morning and see bedding with no voids.