Bedding rifle stock

[Kmccord]

Marinetex or Deacon 1010, the best way to get a crappy bed job and put stress in it is tighten the action screws down.
As Judd said rough the inletting up and I use a Dremel to bore some little tiny holes in the inlet of the stock
to strengthen up the bedding.
Use tape around the barrel just before it leaves the stock to center up the barrel in the barrel channel and studs in the action screw holes to center in the pillars, you dont want your action screws touching the pillars.
Put release on everything

I have heard of using tape on barrel to center, how many wraps are you adding, just enough to touch the barrel channel?

 

[huntforfood]

Great advice here, make sure you use grey Marinetex, not white. I like to make sure I have remove enought material to get .010" thick minimum. Different polymer stocks will adhere better or worse. Rem sps stocks do good, others dont seem to stick without more glass and deeper pockets. Trying to skim bed aluminum pillars or blocks is difficult unless u take them down and drill pockets deep. B&C Al chassis style stocks are more work then its worth it seems

 

[Kmccord]

I have a Bergara HMR I am looking at bedding for my first bed job, all of this information you are providing I appreciate, very good advice.

 

[toptom60]

I also just kind of eye ball how much I take out for bedding. Everyone else has given some really good advice I have just tried marine Tex myself seems good in the past I used devcon but seems price has went through the roof on it so I wanted to try something else.

 

[L.Sherm]

I have heard of using tape on barrel to center, how many wraps are you adding, just enough to touch the barrel channel?

Just enough to center it and doesn't lift the barreled action up from the inletting.
I also use clay to plug off any holes i dont want bedding getting into.
I used to bed 1/2" in front of the recoil lug but I dont anymore simply for ease of switching barrels out without having to re skim bed its a PITA. No difference in accuracy between the both.
The clay also works great for a dam so bedding doesn't flow in front of the recoil lug also.
I also put a piece of tape on the bottom and front of recoil lug and make sure its trimmed to fit just the bottom of lug and barrel profile. The sides and back are bedded tight.

 

[L.Sherm]

During clean up I use alot of Q-Tips wetted in my mouth to go around everyhing wiping off excess bedding were it oozes out

 

[shortgrass]

Acetone is a solvent for epoxy. Just be sure it won't damage the stock of finish before using it. Makes for nice, clean lines where the bedding, metal and stock meet.

 

[timo308]

Both Devcon 10110 and the grey Marine Tex work great, as does Probed 2000 for bedding actions (similar thinkness). Acraglas Gel has a similar texture to the others I mentioned and some have good luck with it. Regular Acraglas is a lot thinner and really flows well, I only use it for stock repairs where you need the epoxy to flow down into the cracks. I use Johnsons Paste Wax as a release agent.. Dont forget to use some kind of release agent! You've been given good advice from everyone above and remember, if it all goes wrong just grind it out with your dremel and try again. Hope this helps.

 

[timo308]

Acetone is a solvent for epoxy. Just be sure it won't damage the stock of finish before using it. Makes for nice, clean lines where the bedding, metal and stock meet.

Isopropyl alcohol works well too.

 

[mulie]

OK, the reason for tape is to create space to free float and help align the barrel in barrel channel more than a few layers. Rough up the current bedding you may drill some small pockets not to deep have some long screws or all thread that thread into the action and stick out the bottom of the stock. Use a light coating of furniture wax all over the action and use play-doe or clay to plug the magazine hole, etc. Do not over wax as your bedding those surfaces. Screw the all thread into the receiver wax the all thread also. Tape the front of the lug couple layers and wax the tape layers. Place stock in vice, place barrel in stock check how everything fits and can be leveled. Have gloves, carb cleaner or acetone and Q-Tips, paper towels on hand. Once completed remove action and barrel from stock mix up epoxy, I use 12hr cure. Place mixed epoxy into receiver section of the stock, fill enough to have the receiver squeeze the epoxy out when you place receiver and barrel into the stock. Align all thread into pillar columns gently press it into the stock to begin with, then firmly press and set the receiver into a level position to the stock support the barrel so that the receiver remains stabile and level in the stock. I let it all set for 24 hrs. Next day awake and say a prayer to the bedding god that it has not become glue so to speak in the stock. HAHA just kidding it should be fine. Gently apply pressure to remove the receiver and barrel. Sometimes it need a little pop to free it. Once freed from stock remove all tape and clay, then with a mill. Setup stock level to mill bed and clean up the open spaces that need cleaning ie. barrel channel, magazine and trigger areas. Can be done with a Dremel tool and steady hands, I prefer a mill. Clean waxed receiver and barrel reassemble everything, it should be a stress free snug fit bedding. Check to make sure plenty of free float room between barrel and stock. Having everything ready typically makes for a smooth operation.

 

[Old Rooster]

Great advice from experienced folks.
Some mistakes I have seen is not putting wax on screws and screw holes.Hard to drill that stuff out after it sets.
I saw one rifle that the action was not centered in the stock.The fellow wanted to take material off the side of the stock to make it fit.Using tape will prevent that.Wax is cheap,use enough and when dry buff it and nothing will stick to it.
Good luck.

 

[MW204]

A few have mentioned it, but get a good release agent if you want to save yourself a lot of hard work or a nightmare.
Release agent, release agent, release agent, I cannot say it enough. Lots of great info was given to you, just don't forget the release agent. I put it on the screws and even up on the feed ramp just in case some works its way in there. I've only used Acraglas, both the liquid and gel, and I've never had a problem with cracking. The liquid is harder to keep in the stock as it runs a lot easier, and it fills the voids better, but the gel stays in place. I put anodized steel in the recoil area and it seems to work well, plus I fill the entire recoil area, no tape on the front of the recoil lug, it really makes the receiver go back in the same place every time, but it is harder to get the receiver out when you take it apart, but it's not too hard. I use some really thick electrical tape on the bottom of my barrel so it will be free-floated when it dries. If you use the gel let it set a few hours, take a tongue depressor and sharpen it like a knife, and cut the extra gel poking out of the stock here and there but don't cut it even with the stock so you can level it later when it gets hard.
My two cents for what it's worth.

 

[Kmccord]

I appreciate everyone's advice and methods, I will start mine before too long, going to purchase a Dremel first to use as some have suggested. Thank you.

 

[Hugnot]

I think pillar bedding is intended to avoid compression of the stock by action screw/bolt tension. & maintain consistent tension, like no stock shrinkage or compression. Taking a .25 X 28 thread screw & applying 60 inch pounds of torque to the screw about 1,200 pounds of compressive tension force can be generated. In addition to compressing the stock (wood, part of a big dead plant or soft plastic), receivers may also be flexed. Best to maintain pillar dimensions, allow the existing pillars to support the receiver. Various epoxy bedding compounds may be added but the receiver & stock is already "bedded" - no need to add epoxy unless the stock is damaged, don't change pillars (passive devices, no movement, no wear).

I like J-B Epoxy Steel Resin. 1 oz of resin & 1 oz of hardener will bed the receiver of most rifles for less than $10. This includes a skim coat on the sides of the magazine well. Allowing the J-B to flow between stock & bottom metal will make for a column to support the receiver after slightly enlarging the existing hole around the action screw & allow easy tightening up to final engagement. J-B tensile strength is about 3,900 psi, compressive strength much greater. Use just enough screw tension to make the liquid epoxy flow to desired fit.

Be sure to use a release agent, like on all metal surfaces, especially threaded screw holes. No problems with Kiwi shoe polish. I like brown because it makes the coating visible & most wood is brown. Make dams out of modeling clay to prevent epoxy from flowing into unwanted places. Acetone is a good uncured epoxy solvent but be sure to use in a vented place & keep it off skin. Some lab guys I once knew, died splashed lots of acetone on stuff to prepare slides,& clean electronics and they died from blood cancers at ages late 30's to mid 80's - treat it like an explosive poison.