how long to let arca glass gel to set????

At room temperature, 24hrs MINIMUM, and 48 or so would be better before you shoot it.

Don't forget to clean off the release agent and then properly torque the action screws.

Hope you see an improvement!
 
Well acraglas is really neat stuff. I like it and use use it. That being said, there is better stuff out there, although it's far more expensive.

I like to let the acraglass gel set for at least a week to make sure it's properly cured. I know the instructions say it cures sooner but it is still to soft for my liking.

Maybe I'm just a fussy old man but I've seen bedding jobs get pounded out from being used to soon.

The greatest mistake made with acraglas gel is inconsistant mixing and exact quantities as per instructions. Most people just aren't set up to do it properly.
 
i like the acuglass gel too. i let mine cure a full week prior to shooting. it takes time to bed it properly. i don't want to have to do it again due to being in a hurry.
 
.88 magnum said:
A buddy of mine builds rifles, he weighs the resin and hardener to get an optimum mix, then lets it sit for 2 weeks.
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Do you mean he leaves the action in the stock for two weeks before popping it out?

Or does he just leave the stock alone that long after removing the action after a day or two?
 
Generally speaking it takes any epoxy 7 days to get to as full a cure as it will at room temp and then there is post cure if you want to get fancy. It is very important to use your electronic powder scale to weigh the resin and hardener. As I remember Acraglass is pretty reactive stuff. As long as it has had overnight at room temp or better it will come apart fine. Have a go at your leftover to see how hard it is.
 
The instructions that come with the Acraglas Gel kits are pretty good and provide all needed information to do a good job.

I usually pull the metal from the stock 6-7 hours after bedding(the instructions say 10 hours). At this point, the epoxy is hard but not fully set and is easier to trim if needed. After I'm done trimming, etc, I reassemble the rifle and let it sit for another day. I usually wait a week before shooting.

The instructions stress that the mixing ratio is 1:1 by volume and if mixed by weight, the ratio will be wrong.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/General/DisplayPDF.aspx?f=Inst-101+Acraglas+gel.pdf
 
Of course the volume and weight ratios will be different. The reason to use a scale is that it is more accurate than a volume eyeball. It does matter to consistency and a quality job. If the instructions don't give a by weight ratio then ask them what it should be.
 
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Ian Robertson said:
Of course the volume and weight ratios will be different. The reason to use a scale is that it is more accurate than a volume eyeball. It does matter to consistency and a quality job. If the instructions don't give a by weight ratio then ask them what it should be.
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Who said anything about a "volume eyeball"? The proper method to get accurate volumes is detailed in the instructions.
 
Ya, right. I do it for a living. Do you? I bedded 8 guns today, how many did you do? I offer my experience to help others, maybe I should not bother??
 
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I don't use Acraglas, I use a different brand for bedding. I don't know the ratio for Acraglas so I suggested contacting the maker. For the most part epoxy is epoxy, whether you buy a 2oz kit or a 45 gal drum like we do the accuracy of the mix is just as important.
 
I guess that heat curing to increase the "cross linking polymerization" is a good idea. I would imagine if you put your oven if large enough on the plate warmer setting, and leave overnight would help.

Before you start jumping on me, they use an oven and vacuum bagging for aircraft composite work.
 
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