Recoil Bedding; Attempt on HMR

[Rflshootr]

Cut that garbage out. Wrap masking tape around the barrel at the fore end until the barreled action sits in the stock properly. tape off the lug on front, sides and bottom with 2 layers of tape. Get some long screws that fit the action and cut the heads off to use as locators. Dry fit it to be sure it sits properly. Then wax everything twice. Mix the bedding compound and carefully assemble. Clean up excess. Let cure. It should look like this when you're done. Doing a half-a$$ed job doesn't work, as you just found out.

 

[cstilt]

If you decide to give it another go, this old article is how I did did mine. I just bedded it though, didn't do pillars.

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[3800fps]

I was able to shoot about 40 rounds yesterday and results were mixed. Cleaned the bore down to the steel and rifle started to group once fouled but the bedding I believe affected group size once barrel was warm.

I am going to Dremel back some of the material that is in front of the lug to get more free float and try again. I believe once the barrel gets warm, that portion in front of lug messes with harmonics.

The objective of bedding the action…is to eliminate any stresses created by uneven mating of the action to the stock …especially when torquing down the action screws…understand this concept….a solid perfectly mated cradle for the action to stay relaxed in…epoxy bedding is the perfect material to use…

Pillars create solid stops (rather than compressibles) this will hold a torque setting.

Use your action screws as guides only when bedding, never as clamps…that'll just force the action to bend (stress)

Tang support is important in creating a stressfree bed…flexible plastic stocks are just chasing your tail.
Know your goal plan your strategy.

 

[Rflshootr]

If you decide to give it another go, this old article is how I did did mine. I just bedded it though, didn't do pillars.

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This is basically what I do, except I don't tape the action down. I don't like anything that can possibly cause stress to the mating parts. I cure it right side up in a cradle, resting on the front and rear of the stock just like it will be when you shoot.

 

[codyadams]

Cut that garbage out. Wrap masking tape around the barrel at the fore end until the barreled action sits in the stock properly. tape off the lug on front, sides and bottom with 2 layers of tape. Get some long screws that fit the action and cut the heads off to use as locators. Dry fit it to be sure it sits properly. Then wax everything twice. Mix the bedding compound and carefully assemble. Clean up excess. Let cure. It should look like this when you're done. Doing a half-a$$ed job doesn't work, as you just found out.

This is pretty much my method. I don't like jb weld as it is a little runny compared to devcon, which stays in place better. If your having accuracy problems and think it's bedding, you might as well do the entire thing right instead of trying to do patches of bedding. A decent diy bed job will be like these.

Remage with tape around nut

Stiller tac 338

Ruger M77, tape around barrel

1903 springfield

Winchester model 70

Everyone will have their own method, and a lot of them work well, a few not so much. However if you look at what the majority of professionals and quality rifle builders do, it is full bed jobs with pillars, or in a chassis, often times even bedded in chassis.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

This is pretty much my method. I don't like jb weld as it is a little runny compared to devcon, which stays in place better. If your having accuracy problems and think it's bedding, you might as well do the entire thing right instead of trying to do patches of bedding. A decent diy bed job will be like these.

Remage with tape around nut
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Stiller tac 338
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Ruger M77, tape around barrel
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1903 springfield
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Winchester model 70
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Everyone will have their own method, and a lot of them work well, a few not so much. However if you look at what the majority of professionals and quality rifle builders do, it is full bed jobs with pillars, or in a chassis, often times even bedded in chassis.

I believe some pictures of your taping job before installing the bedding material would help explain how you got your desired results if you have any ?

 

[General RE LEE]

I think my problem is I didn't remove bedding material before adding my another layer. The epoxy is thicker in front of recoil lug vs behind. I am going to dremel down that area.

Very nice bed jobs in this thread.

 

[Dean2]

I think my problem is I didn't remove bedding material before adding my another layer. The epoxy is thicker in front of recoil lug vs behind. I am going to dremel down that area.

Very nice bed jobs in this thread.

Like others have said, I would strongly suggest you take a dryer or heat gun, completely remove what is there now and start from scratch. You are never going to be able to make that into a good bedding job.

 

[JAYgs8163]

To the OP it would appear to me that you've added some stress to your action by doing a incomplete "spot bedding job". If you changed the fit by the recoil lug action screw, then you more than likely changed the orientation of the rear action screw also, this would create a new stress to the action which would change how it shoots, could be better or worse, just depends. I've done spot bedding before but always did both the recoil lug and the rear tang, never just the lug. Remember one of the results you're looking for is a "stress free result" when torquing your action screws back in place. It's hard to do just the recoil lug and action screw without adding a new stress to the action. If you're trying to bed the lug to remove any potential movement of the lug, then just bed the lug and stay away from the lug action screw area.

 

[General RE LEE]

Like others have said, I would strongly suggest you take a dryer or heat gun, completely remove what is there now and start from scratch. You are never going to be able to make that into a good bedding job.

Will JB Weld melt? I've heard you have to get it really hot and sanding is preferred. I've got a heat gun.

 

[Dean2]

Will JB Weld melt? I've heard you have to get it really hot and sanding is preferred. I've got a heat gun.

Both Devcon and JB melt very easily. Devon starts to get soft at 225 F and VERY soft at 250 F. Since 212 F is the boiling point of water that isn't all that hot in my books. I have used the same method to remove JB Steel, but I don't know the exact melt point of it, it didn't seem to take as much heat as the Devcon needed.

 

[Hugnot]

The compressive failure strength of most epoxy resins is 10,000 psi. A common .25X28 screw/bolt (common to most actions), lightly lubricated, will exert slightly under 4,000 pounds of compressive/tensile force when about 150-inch pounds of torque is applied. This indicates that any good epoxy can handle compressive forces generated with tightening actions with hand tools applied to 1/4 X 28 action screws, provided adequate/uniform support under the epoxy. The problem then is soft plastic or wood stocks under the epoxy. The solution being using a non-compressible support, like aluminum tube (pillar) or column of epoxy.

As mentioned, actions may be bent (stressed) by like 4,000 pounds of force applied by action screws. The solution is to support the action on a uniform non-compressible surface. That surface is obtained by moderate compression on the liquid non cured epoxy, by light screw tension or wrapping surgical tubing around action & stock. Actions will not be bent or stressed by light force, but the liquid epoxy will be evenly distributed by light compressive force.

My experience using JB Weld steel has been entirely satisfactory - the only problem is that dark gray industrial color sort of clash with fine wood. JB Weld Steel can be worked with ordinary wood tools. A quick read on the back of the JB Weld Steel Pack:

"J-B Weld™ is The Original Cold Weld two-part epoxy system that provides strong, lasting repairs to metal and multiple surfaces. Mixed at a ratio of 1:1, it forms a permanent bond and can be shaped, tapped, filed, sanded and drilled after curing. At room temperature, J-B Weld™ sets in 4-6 hours to a dark grey color. A full cure is reached in 15-24 hours. J-B Weld™ has a tensile strength of 5020 PSI and sets to a hard bond overnight. It can withstand temperatures up to 550ºF when fully cured."

My stuff can and has been used at temperatures up to 400 deg. F for 24 months without failure as shown by loss of adhesion or chalking. Apply enough heat to melt JB Steel and it will damage wood or plastic (stocks).

The tensile strength is different than compressive strength.

Different actions require somewhat different bedding techniques - like bedding a Rem 700 compared to a 98 Mauser - it's the location of the front action screw.

Ultimately - how good does it shoot?

 

[Rflshootr]

It'll make a mess. Cut it out carefully.

 

[blvette75]

Definitely shoot it but just a bit of information. The point of bedding an action in this way is to have as perfectly even pressure on hte bottom and sides of the action as possible. That, along with the action not moving in the stock, is what produces those tiny little groups everyone is chasing. Uneven pressure on the various parts of the action will cause it to torque unevenly when fired. You cannot feel that torque but it is happening. With the Recoil lug bedded in a different Bergara, a very tight fit of the recoil lug, no movement or rock by hand, take a look at what was happening at the tang. There is still enough torque on the action under firing, 6.5 PRC, to gouge the relatively soft stock material Bergara uses. You can see the indents, and on the bottom of the tang itself, stock material from the tang moving, after only 20 rounds.

This is how I decided that Bergara need to be done at the lug and the tang both. Hope this helps.

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Thank you for the information as usual a picture beats a 1000 words.