Need help removing acraglas from a stock

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Bought a stock some years ago, a 1903 C-stock from a fella who told me it had been glass bedded. Didn't have a rifle for it at the time and made the mistake of not taking a look at the bedding in the first three days. If I had, I would have returned it to him. Now, several years later, I got the stock out because I have a 1903A3 barreled receiver I want to put in it.

I stripped the outer finish and found some nice grain with some tiger striping on the butt on both sides and the wood is solid with very few defects. All good so far.

Now for the bad part. The rifle wasn't glass bedded to any standard method. instead, it looks like someone took a small paint brush and painted the entire inletted portions of the stock, including the trigger guard area, the receiver area and the barrel channel with acraglas or a similar two part epoxy. It's a mess.

I've sanded/scraped/shaped/inletted enough of the fiberglass up to get it to accept a barreled receiver, but I'd much prefer finding a chemical to strip every last bit out and start fresh so I know there's nothing hiding under the acraglas such as grease or damage that needs repair. Also, removing the acraglas and re-bedding the rifle's wood would make it CMP match eligible.

So if anyone knows of a top notch chemical stripper that removes acraglas, please let me know.

Thank you,

[country gent]

Try packing ice in it epoxy / fiberglass dosnt like cold very well. it may just Pop out. Dry ice in plastic bags packed into areas would be even better. Heat will soften it as will most cleaning solvents but that is hard on the wood. Strippers that "dislove it will also allow it to soak into the wood, making it hareder to do anything with it.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Try packing ice in it epoxy / fiberglass dosnt like cold very well. it may just Pop out. Dry ice in plastic bags packed into areas would be even better. Heat will soften it as will most cleaning solvents but that is hard on the wood. Strippers that "dislove it will also allow it to soak into the wood, making it hareder to do anything with it.

Unfortunately, it's too thin and in too big of an area to freeze and pop out. No dry ice to be had in this area that I know of. I could live with a little bit in the wood grain if the vast majority is gone. Right now it's just a mess of paint brush strokes.

[Mk42gunner]

I have removed epoxy from metal by heating it with a propane torch, but wouldn't want to use that method on a wooden stock. Maybe a heat gun would work?

Acetone is supposed to thin uncured epoxies, not sure about after it has cured.

Robert

[Reg]

Best to take a scoop shaped chisel and go for it. Get the old glass out by undercutting and popping it out then plan on reglassing everything. Shouldn't show on the outside.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Best to take a scoop shaped chisel and go for it. Get the old glass out by undercutting and popping it out then plan on reglassing everything. Shouldn't show on the outside.

Thing is, they didn't bed this rifle, they just painted acraglas into it and I don't want to re glass, because that'll eliminate the possibility of shooting in CMP matches.

[w5pv]

God luck and post your solution if and when you find one.

[btroj]

If you want to shoot CMP matches then buy a new stock. Getting the Acraglass out will mean some minor wood removal. This will mean the action won't be bedded very well in the stock at all.

Sometimes the easiest way is to pull out your wallet.

[UBER7MM]

Thing is, they didn't bed this rifle, they just painted acraglas into it and I don't want to re glass, because that'll eliminate the possibility of shooting in CMP matches.

You can carve with chisels or scrape with a bedding tools and/or sand fiberglass bedding to form to your barrel and action. I've done this on one rifle stock. It takes a long time, but it'll be worth it, for a valuable stock.

PM me if you want more detail.

I hope this helps,

[uscra112]

I'm 98% sure that Acraglas is a polyester resin. From my days doing fiberglass work on race bikes, the only thing I know that will dissolve it is Methyl Ethyl Ketone. You can get MEK by the gallon at Lowes and Home Despot, but it is extremely hard on your liver. Use all the protection you can to avoid breathing it or getting it on your skin.

[plainsman456]

If you get some methanol from a trucking company.

Place the stock in the bottom of a large trash bag and leave over night.
When you take it out in the am the bedding will be very plastic and easy to remove with very little trouble.
Just do it before it drys back out.

Wgen you have all you want out then set the stock up and let it really dry out then do what you want to do with it.

I have done this to a few and got my juice from the auto parts store,it doesn't take more than a few gallons.

Good luck

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I'm 98% sure that Acraglas is a polyester resin. From my days doing fiberglass work on race bikes, the only thing I know that will dissolve it is Methyl Ethyl Ketone. You can get MEK by the gallon at Lowes and Home Despot, but it is extremely hard on your liver. Use all the protection you can to avoid breathing it or getting it on your skin.

I have a gallon of that in the garage from rebuilding my aluminum bass boat. Thank you for the information.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

If you get some methanol from a trucking company.

Place the stock in the bottom of a large trash bag and leave over night.
When you take it out in the am the bedding will be very plastic and easy to remove with very little trouble.
Just do it before it drys back out.

Wgen you have all you want out then set the stock up and let it really dry out then do what you want to do with it.

I have done this to a few and got my juice from the auto parts store,it doesn't take more than a few gallons.

Good luck

That sounds like a good solution as well. I may have a gallon of that in the garage as well to try out.

[plainsman456]

Be sure to weigh the stock down with something or it will float,i used a few bricks.