Bedding compound, How to and what to use?

[cowboys1062]

 I have an old CVA Hawken kit gun laying around that Im restoring. The problem is that the tang and trigger well area is inletted to deep in the stock. I need to build up these two areas in the stock. I have never done any bedding work before so I have a few questions. I know that I need a bedding compound to do the work but I cant see spending the $25.00 plus the cost for a releasing agent and the shipping costs as well. That dont seem like alot of money to some but in my household that is alot. I was wondering if I could raise the tang area and the trigger plate area in the stock by maybe using some J.B. Weld? I dont mean to sound so cheap but I just cant aford to get the stuff that I know I should use. I have never bedded a stock before so Im opened to any advice or suggestions that might work. The triggers were not working properly and the lock was disengageing with thumb preassure until I shimmed both the tang area and trigger plate area in the stock with some strips of an old rubber intertube and that fixed the problems I was having with both the lock and triggers so thats how I know its inletted to deep in both these two areas. I would greatly appreciate any advice that anyone could give me. Thankyou, Respectfully, cowboys1062.

[sweed]

If ya use th JB, ya better get organized!!! You have a small window of time ta work it after it becomes hard enough to work, but not steel hard as it winds up. I dont see why it would not do well enough in that application, just give it plenty of forethought and know every move your gona make before ya mix it!!!!

[cowboys1062]

 Thankyou Sweed. I appreciate the reply and advice. I think that I am going to go with that route. If it were one of my nicer muzzleloaders I could see springing the money for the proper Bedding compound but since I will probably have to do this once, I just cant see spending extra money that I really dont have. I dont have to raise these two areas in the stock very much at all and should take very little so I am going to give the J.B. Weld a try.

[Dogshirt]

For these two areas you could also cut shims out of popcicle stick and glue them in with Tite-Bond wood glue. Then you can shave it down for an exact fit AND stain it to match the stock. I've used this many times and have had no problems. Just make sure to clamp the pieces in tightly and remove as much excess glue as you can. It can be scraped and sanded later, but is easier if you get as much as you can before it sets.

[cowboys1062]

 Thanyou Dogshirt! I like your idea better then using the J.B.Weld. Why couldnt I have thought of that! Great advice that I am definately going to use. Thankyou again! Respectfully, cowboys1062.

[hotfxr]

As much as I hate to agree with Dogshirt about anything, he is not only absolutely correct in his advice but also is the best at tightening up wire fences. The only thing that I would add to make your life easier is shove a toothpick with a little glue on it down any screw holes that will be to deep after shimming up the tang, lock, trigger whatever. In my past life as a cabinet maker I always had a box with popsicle sticks and toothpicks and they have saved me untold hours, not to mention the money it saved me being able to do repairs with such simple things. Good luck on your repairs and don't forget to posts pictures of it when you are done.

[sweed]

I didnt mean to advocate th JB method,    I just wanted to warn him of the hardness of set up JB. When I was doin boat work, I kept an assortment of Bamboo skewers for everything from applying a little glue to peggin things together. They are much stronger than regular dowels, an you can put as many in a hole as needed to fill it up tight! 

[hotfxr]

I didnt mean to advocate th JB method,    I just wanted to warn him of the hardness of set up JB. When I was doin boat work, I kept an assortment of Bamboo skewers for everything from applying a little glue to peggin things together. They are much stronger than regular dowels, an you can put as many in a hole as needed to fill it up tight! 

In making repairs to thousands of various things from watch bands to airplanes I have used: Bondo, epoxy, JB Weld, fiberglass resin, wooden shims, toothpicks, soles of of an old pair of boots, rubber from rain boots, pennies, plastic caps from medicine bottles, rocks, and many more things that I cannot think of at the moment, all to fill gaps and/or level stuff out. It all seems to hinge on what my state of mind is at the time and what is on hand to finish up said project. I actually caught that you were warning him about the working time of JB Weld and it is a good thing to remember. 

[Papa]

Cowboy,
I recently bedded a barrel into an oversized pre carved stock useing epoxy. You need to have the area to be bedded prepared and cleaned good before you start and make sure your parts are also cleaned and "greased" so they will seperate from the stock. I use vaseline and have even wrapped parts tightly in saran wrap. When you mix your epoxy you can color it with a suitable dye to match the stock color and then place it into your cavities heavy enough that you get some run out when the parts are put in. After the epoxy has gotten to a semi hard plastic state you can cut off any that ran out with an exacto knife and let it set up over night. If you mixed your color right you probably won't even see the patch. Really pretty simple, you just have to be ready to give it a try.
Mark

[sweed]

Cowboy,
I recently bedded a barrel into an oversized pre carved stock useing epoxy. You need to have the area to be bedded prepared and cleaned good before you start and make sure your parts are also cleaned and "greased" so they will seperate from the stock. I use vaseline and have even wrapped parts tightly in saran wrap. When you mix your epoxy you can color it with a suitable dye to match the stock color and then place it into your cavities heavy enough that you get some run out when the parts are put in. After the epoxy has gotten to a semi hard plastic state you can cut off any that ran out with an exacto knife and let it set up over night. If you mixed your color right you probably won't even see the patch. Really pretty simple, you just have to be ready to give it a try.



At th risk of being redundant, I again preach the gospel of prior preparation!!! 
What ever you use, do a meticulous dry run of the job. Get every thing needed for th job on th bench with in easy reach, A N D get every thing else O F F th bench. Go though th motions of doing th job, step by step, at least one time without having to find something! Then and only then start th job. These epoxys and such have no forgiveness built in, an once mixed    will go off and get hard just as they are designed to do, whether your ready or not.
Not tryin to scare you off this project, just passin along some hard learned lessons! Good luck with your  repair!

sweed

[Papa]

Sweed's comments are well founded and make good sense, no matter what method you use.
Mark

[Red Badger]

I have the perfect paperweight made out of 1 1/2 lbs of high dollar resin that reminds me daily of what can happen when you don't pre plan and practice before mixing... 

If you ask how this came to be...  - you will be banned!