Rifle Bedding Release Agent

[Pirate69]

I have an action to glass bed but I do not have a release agent. I think I read somewhere that Johnsons Paste Wax worked well for a release agent. Can anyone confirm this? If so, any special tricks? Does it have to dry completely before bedding or is it bedded wet? Multiple coats? ect? Thanks in advance.

[Elkins45]

I have used JPW successfully more than once. Apply more than one coat, allow to dry between coats. Leave NO surface uncoated.

[Pirate69]

That is what I wanted to hear.

[aspangler]

Even cheaper and works really well. Steal ( requisition ) the wife's PAM. It's what we use at the shop for bedding release agent.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Go into the bathroom and get the jar of vasoline out and use that on all the surfaces you don`t want stuck together.Robert

[country gent]

Pam works well, so does paste wax. A double coat to insure no area is missed. Start by filling any holes slots grooves or dovetails with play dough or clay ( any place the bedding could get and grab onto forming a mechanical bind) have a few wood popcycle sticks with ends cut square handy, paper towels, and everything ready to go test fit assemble before starting. I find it easier to clean excess off while still slightly soft. ( the wood popcyle sticks and paper towels). I coat both stock and reciever with compound so theres alot of excess, but I very seldom have to recoat many areas.

[knifemaker]

I prefer the paste wax as a release agent. I have bedded over 20 rifles and the paste wax leaves a thinner coating on the steel that allows a closer fit of the steel to the bedding compound. As stated above be sure to seal all holes with clay, and use 2 coats of paste wax and be sure to get it into those little corners. I use a Q-tip coated with paste wax to do that. And be careful to coat the action screws and the screw holes just in case you get some glass bedding on those items.

[brtelec]

Kiwi neutral shoe polish. One good coat and polish it to a high shine. Plumbers putty for fill in on holes and such. I have bedded dozens of rifles and the best bedding compound I have used by far is Devcon 10110. It has considerably less shrinkage after it cures. It can be pricey but Zoro.com has a great price on it.

[pietro]

.

As posted above, make double sure to fill ANY hole or nook & cranny, where the bedding compound WILL flow into and create a mechanical lock, with children's silly putty (the easiest to apply & clean up).

Any kind of paste wax will work just fine as a release agent, even automotive wax - but be sure to also cover the entire outside of the stock, as bedding compound has a way of migrating ANYWHERE, since it inevitably gets on one's fingertips, etc.

I would definitely suggest waiting until the bedding compound is partially cured (semi-soft/hard) before scraping it off with a woodel spatula - which I make by cutting popsicle sticks and/or tongue depressors at a 45-degree angle with a sharp pocket knife.

Any attempted removal, before the compound is hard enough to be removed completely, will only spread the mess around more than it was in the first place.

.

[detox]

Marine-Tex epoxy is good stuff.

[duke76]

another vote for kiwi neutral shoe polish for release and devcon 10110 bedding its all I use and works excellent

[johnson1942]

dont use realease agent, just use a couple of layers of plastic wrap around the barrel as i do. alot easier.

[Kevinakaq]

Kiwi neutral shoe polish. One good coat and polish it to a high shine. Plumbers putty for fill in on holes and such. I have bedded dozens of rifles and the best bedding compound I have used by far is Devcon 10110. It has considerably less shrinkage after it cures. It can be pricey but Zoro.com has a great price on it.

kiwi and plumbers putty......has worked for me as well on countless rifles.

[Elkins45]

I coat all of my blued rifles with JPW anyway as a weatherproofing measure. Do it on a hot day after they have been in the car trunk or other really hot area and it will really sink into the fine metal pores and give you a nice barrier for water and sweat.

[Nobade]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/422015/score-high-glass-bedding-release-compound

Works great!
OK. I sell it to Midway. But it is great stuff anyhow! (Industrial mold parting compound. Made just for this job.)

-Nobade

[Heavy lead]

JPW is awesome, double coat, leave it on for great rust preventative, stuff is awesome.
Just did another with steel bed, no issues ever with it.

[rbt50]

I use kiwi shoe polish neutral.

[country gent]

If in doubt or not sure coat a plate of steel with the release agent in question and mix a small amount of bedding agent put a glob on steel and let cure. If bond cant be broken its not going to be a good release agent. The idea is a small build up that keeps bedding from adhearing. Some bedding agents solvent may work thru some release agents.

[Larry Gibson]

I've been using LLA for years and it works just fine, cleans off easily.

Larry Gibson

[Uncle Grinch]

I also use JPW, but I apply it with a chip brush or a small paint brush. It allows you to reach those nooks and crannies and corners easily.

[Pirate69]

I used the JPW and it worked like a charm. Thanks for all the input.

[Merick]

I'm in the neutral shoe polish and devcon crowd, other things probably work too but I've had good results.

What I will share is measuring and mixing epoxy is much much easier with spoons and butter knives, which are readily available and affordable at goodwill and the like. They make the work so much easier than using what ever scraps were around the shop.