What Are Some Common Release Agents .....

[riverwalker76]

I'm looking to bed my rifle action this afternoon, and can't find anywhere that has any release agents for epoxy?

I've heard of people using PAM and things like that, but That doesn't seem like it would allow for maximum contact which is what you want in bedding.

I thought about using Kiwi Neutral Shoe polish, buy someone else mentioned that for a better job I should use a commercial release agent designed for this purpose.

Any ideas? I'm in a pinch and only have a Home Depot, Lowes, and Rural King Supply at my disposal.

[Michaelm45]

Carnuba floor wax.
I always wax twice. So far everything has released.

[Scorch]

Johnson's Paste Wax
Trewax
Maguire's auto wax
Aircraft wax

Notice a common theme there?

Or, you can buy release agent, paint it on, let it dry, the use the epoxy.

[Slamfire]

I purchased cans of Mold Release from Grainger. Not bullet casting molds, but plastic molds.

There are lots of industry mold releases, just look at the options.

http://www.mann-release.com/prodgude.htm

I spray on mold release on the areas I want a tight fit. Recoil lugs, bottom action.

I melt and paint/wipe Johnson paste wax on everything else. I put one heck of a lot of Johnson paste wax on bolts, threads, the stock, the barrel.

[riverwalker76]

So ... I guess Kiwi Neutral shoe polish would work considering that the base is lanolin and Carnuba Wax. Am I correct?

[mete]

Just about any wax will work. But use something - I knew a guy who forgot to use a release agent on his rifle !! He had to break apart the stock !:o

[riverwalker76]

This guy 'wilderness education' used Neutral Shoe Polish to do his job with Devcon Titanium Putty. He did an excellent job. A good watch if you have a little while.

http://www.youtube.com/user/wildernesseducation#p/u/25/JdUhYz0q30o

Also, he's using the same stock I am, so I am confident in my choice at this point.

[HiBC]

The Brownell's Accraglas release agent is PolyVinylAlchohol.It works.I have used Johnson's Floor wax.It works.

You will also want to study the receiver for any undercuts or holes thar could fill and lock the receiver in the beddng.Beeswax,clay,etc will fill these.
Your guard screws will often be contaminated with bedding compound as you put the hole thing together.Pay extra attention to both the screws and the threaded holes ahead of time.

From the pix I have seen here,one way to achieve the very finest in glass bedding jobs is if Longrifles would do it for you.

[Clark]

I use Redding Imperial Die Wax, because I am already having it handy.
A very thin coat of motor oil would work.
Rubbing you greasy hair on it might work.

My brother was making "cost is no object" tooling at Boeing, and they constantly bedded things together, with Hi-Vac grease as the release agent.

Often for aerospace magnetics, we lots of layers of different materials and vacuum impregnate. That is we put in the goop, pull a vacuum, any tiny bubble of air become huge bubbles under a vacuum and bubble to the surface, then we break the vacuum and the goop rushes in to fill the voids. Then we bake in the transformer in the oven until the epoxy cures. See, you understand some rocket science.

Remember that "vapor pressure" stuff from high school chemistry?

[mapsjanhere]

If you can get your hand on it, some chemlease 41 goes a very long way. The layer is extremely thin, so you're getting a very exact fit of your action and your bedding.

[jglenn]

two other options


Spray PAM

and perhaps the best.... Hornaday's One shot.....(never use it for case resizing anymore)

[edward5759]

When I started doing glass I had one lock up.
if you use heat from a torch and heat the reciver up the epoxie mold will break loose.
No need to break a stock up.
Ed

[guncrank]

Plastic wrap works cleans up easy too.
It doesn't make for a smooth job so use accordingly.
I just bought the faint bottle of Brownells release.
Shoe polish on screw and threads.

[riverwalker76]

Update ....

I used Kiwi Neutral Shoe Polish and it worked great. I put on three or four coats and had a waxy glaze on the metal before I put it in the JB.

In calling the JB Weld Co. today I found that the BEST release agents for this application are Vaselene and WD-40. They said it will ABSOLUTELY not stick if I used either of those for future applications, and the guy told me that he would go as far as saying that if it did stick he would buy the rifle from me! :D

So, I'm pretty confident with him making that statement that either of those are best for when using JB Weld as a bedding compound.

[Inspector3711]

Olive oil