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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

AcraGel versus ProBed 2000 ?


swamp_thing

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I have always used acragel in the past for bedding epoxy. For cost reasons I have decided to give the pro bed 2000 from midway a try this time around. There is a pretty big difference in price. I have just bedded my last stock with the pro bed and find consistancy wise and workability wise it seems to be about equal to the acragel. The cured product seems to be more like traditional epoxies though. What I don't know is how it holds up to use. Has anyone else used it and if so what are your opinions on it? I would like to get others input on this.

swamp_thing

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swamp_thing-

 

Since I'm about to embark on Project #3, I've been thinking about this. I've decided I'm gonna go with one of the products the consistency of putty.

 

The star of this show is Devcon Putty. Shrinkage is minimal, and it's very strong. You can get it reinforced with aluminum, stainless steel, whatever your pleasure.

 

A little expensive though.

 

Next is a product called Marine Tex. Also very strong, and with minimal shrinkage.

 

Both of these come very well reviewed on rifle sites, and I believe there are big advantages to using the putty stuff. Not runny, and you don't have to worry about putting too much in, because it will squeeze out, and can be easily cleaned up.

 

I had a few small voids on my last two projects, and I hate that.

 

flaco

 

The down side is that neither of these products is brown. This won't make a difference to me, but might to others.

 

I don't intend to let the bedding show.

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It exposes my "experience," but the first rifle I glass-bedded was done with a Herter's Glass Bedding Kit. I can't recall whether it was "Model Perfect," "Hudson Bay," or some other superlative name, but it worked just fine. Later, after the demise of Herters, I learned about Brownells. I tried Acraglas, and it worked very well. I tried Acraglas Gel, and it also worked very well. The Gel has an advantage in that it is mixed 1:1. That does simplify getting the proportions right. Today I normally use the Gel just because it is easy to work with, although I keep standard Acraglas on hand for repairs, bedding two-piece stocks like shotgun buttstocks, etc.

 

One of my all-time favorite compounds is Micro-Bed. It, like the Acraglas Gel, is mixed one to one. It is already died brown, so that makes things easy, assuming a chocolate brown compound is what you want. For 90% of what I bed, it works great. It is stiff like the gel, so it stays pretty much where you put it. Working time is an hour, so it is very tolerant of rookie mistakes.

 

When you consider the cost, don't forget that the Acraglas Gel kit comes with mixing container, stirrer, release agent, and dyes. Most of the boat-repair kits have nothing in them but the resin and the hardener. Maintaining a 5:1 mixing ratio is also somewhat challenging (and I am a chemical engineer).

 

Clemson

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I'm afraid that I have never used the ProBed....so I cannot comment on it's durability. I second the positive comments about Devcon. I have used this and a similar epoxy for several years - exclusively. It is great stuff...and I have never had a problem in getting a good bedding job. It has proved durable through quite a range of field conditions.

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The ProBed 2000 also comes with release agent, mixing sticks, modeling clay, silica if you wish to thicken it even more than it is and comes in brown, black or neutral. It mixes 50/50 and has a 45 minute to 1 hour working time. What I don't yet know is the durability of the product. I guess I will be able to tell more on that as time goes on as I have bedded my 6.5 with it. The release agent that comes with it is actually a wax much like car wax and works very well also. I am not sure I would want to use silica as a thickening agent however. If I were to need to thicken or strenthen it I would opt for the powered metals. swamp_thing

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I would agree as to using powdered metal as a thickening agent. You'll get more strength and resistance to shrinkage and heat that way. If much extra strength is desired, glass fibre (short strands - not the silica) can be embedded in the bedding material. A simple, inexpensive source for this is the open weave glass fibre tape, that can be gotten from many home centres. I think perhaps that Brownells sells this sort of thing (pre-packaged for bedding purposes), as well.

 

 

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I fail to see much cost difference between Acraglas gel, when purchased in the pint size containers I use, and other products. If you are buying the one rifle kit of Acraglas, yes it is expensive. But it's very good for the job--it's made for the job.

 

Buy in larger quantities, and they are all about the same. But don't waste your time with the J-B Weld product (even in the large size). It don't work as neatly as Brownell's products.

 

fritz

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