Bedding Compounds
Loctite Hysol 3475 - Plastic metal designed to repair broken castings (available in UK)
(good shelf life - smallest packet approx £30 for 2/3 rifles)).
Devcon Plastic Putty (A)
10110 = 1lb,
10112 = 500g,
10115 = 1000g
Release Agent - Kiwi shoe polish (Neutral or similar)
Marine-Tex Epoxy Putty - http://www.marinetex.com/index.htm (no UK suppliers)
Miles Gilbert Bedrock Glass Bedding Kit sold by Midway USA
JB Weld or PC-7 with release agent and glue with 3500lb epoxy
Bisonite - Recommended after Devcon
Ideal bedding material should be laid 5mm thick.
Coat Action with release agent (ie - Silicone wax polish).
Fill all holes with plastercine or similar
Mask everything including Action and barrel as compound is very difficult to remove.
Dremel Moto Tool is a useful inletting tool.
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Stolle & Remington Action Screws (1/4 UNF - 28 Thread)
Stig's Stainless Steel Fasteners (UK)
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Pillar Bedding - Metal pillars or bobbins (usually aluminium) are glued into stock.
This is an improvement over Factory actions where the action is often screwed directly into a wooden stock which can result in flexing and movement. Installing aluminium pillars that do not compress will provide a more ridged connection between the stock and the action and therefore improve accuracy.
If the action does not return to the
same position on the bedding after ignition it can not be relied upon to shot
with consistent precision.
NOTES
Shehane Tracker Stocks - Manufacturer say their laminate stock are very dense and do not need Pillar Bedding
McMillan fibreglass tracker will need pillar bedding due to the soft internal resin which may compress with the pressure of the Action screws.
With some standard weight barrels the the floor plate will spread the load of the Action screws and pillar bedding may not be required
BROWELL'S ACRAGLAS - The word ACRAGLAS has proven, during the many years it has been used by shooters, to be a true and fair product description. For Acraglas, as its name implies, is an accurizing material designed for the exclusive purpose of making a rifle shoot more accurately. Granted, it is a superior bedding compound used and sold as such by dealers, stock manufacturers and gunsmiths - but the fact remains: its prime purpose is to accurize a rifle. £15.00 APPROX
BROWELL'S STEEL BED20 Minute Working Time (at 70° F)Ultimate Steel-Bearing Bedding Compound for Wood & Fiberglass StocksProven to Win and To Last in International Competition by Military & Civilian Shooters72% Stainless Steel for Superior Bedding Strength100%, Skin-Tight, Stock-To-Metal FitShrinks Less Than 1/10 of 1%No-Run Formula£30.00 APPROX
AVAILABLE FROM SPORTSMAN'S GUN CENTRE |
|
The Art of Stock
Bedding by Richard Franklin
Richard Franklin prepared this article for our readers. Richard tells us: "I'm
happy to do pillar-bedding work, but this is a job which many shooters can do
themselves, with some practice and the right components. I do suggest you
practice first on an old 'beater stock'. When done right, you end up with a
perfect fit of receiver to action, with no twisting, stretching, or compression
forces being applied to the receiver through mis-alignment. That's what I mean
by 'stress-free'."
This article covers all the steps in the process. If you want to see more,
Richard has created a 200-minute DVD that shows the entire job--from start to
finish--and contains many more tips to help you achieve perfect results. Richard
shows how to properly relieve the bedding area, how to make pillars, how to set
up the barreled action, and how to test your work to ensure it is truly
"stress-free". In the DVD, Richard does a complete pillar bedding job on both a
finished custom stock and a Remington stock. We've included a short sample from
the video in Step Nine (Separating Stock from action) below. To order the DVD,
go to the
Instructional Video page on Richard's website,
RichardsCustomRifles.com.
Before You Begin -- Some Comments About Inletting
Richard told us: "You can't do a great bedding job unless you start with really
good inletting. Unfortunately, many 'inletted stocks' really require quite a lot
of work to get the inletting right. You cannot inlet a stock 100% correctly just
using a stock duplicator. That's one reason I do bedding jobs only on the stocks
I make. If the inletting isn't right, you can have a myriad of problems--such as
the holes for the action bolts being in the wrong place, or the stock not having
enough clearance for the barrel or the trigger hanger. So, BEFORE you start your
bedding job, make sure the inletting is really right. Don't assume the inletting
is really complete (and correct) just because the manufacturer claims that to be
the case. This applies to both wood and fiberglass stocks."
Pillars For Bedding
The BAT action featured in this article has three pillars, with the middle
pillar sitting under the front of the trigger guard, and the third pillar at the
rear of the guard. More typical installations will use two pillars. For either
system, the installation procedures are the same.
In Photo 1, you will see part A, the bottom part of the front pillar which we
call the "escutcheon". Part B, which is a 1/4" X 28 action bolt that is slightly
longer than part C which is the top part of the front pillar. The two parts of
the front pillar were machined as one piece and then the escutcheon was cut off
just below the shoulder that is inside. This shoulder is for the head of the
action bolt to tighten up against. I've found that a two-piece pillar has many
advantages, particularly for hunting stocks where the underside of the stock is
angled (i.e. not parallel with bore axis). I make the pillars I use, machining
them from cut-off stainless barrel stubs.
Part D is a 1/4" X 28 hex-head bolt with the head turned down to 1/4" which
permits the insertion of a hex-head driver to tighten and remove the bolt. This
headless bolt will be inserted in the rear tang hole of the action and part E,
the rear pillar will be placed on it.
STEP ONE--Getting Started
Photo 2 shows tape on recoil lug, pillars bolted in place and putty in voids.
Release agent is polished to a very thin layer. The top half of the front pillar
(part C) is placed on the action receiver ring and the bolt (part B) is inserted
thru the pillar and tightened against the action. This bolt must have a tapered
head on the underside so that, when it is tightened, it will center the top half
of the front pillar around the action bolt hole. (This is also true for the
middle pillar if the action has a middle bolt.)
PHOTO 2
The headless bolt is inserted into the rear tang hole of the action and the rear
pillar is slipped down on it. You will notice in Photo 3, below, that the
pillars have the hole drilled oversize so that a 1/4" bolt has a little space
around it. (I like to drill the pillars with a .260" bit inside)
The above scenario is the placement of the pillars prior to applying the bedding
compound, which I call "Mud". Devcon 10110 is my bedding compound of choice (and
the only product I use) as the mud must set up as hard as concrete and most
other epoxies will not do this. Also Devcon shrinks very little if at all. My
comments on other bedding compounds are in the sidebar below.
STEP TWO--Relieving the Stock Before Bedding
Relieving the right amount of wood in the area to be bedded--not too much, not
too little--is very important to achieving the best results. You need to create
some space for the mud to fill around the action, but you don't want to alter
the inletting too much.
PHOTO 3
Photo 3 shows the wood removed from the inside of the stock bedding area. Remove
enough wood everywhere except along the top sides of the stock to allow at least
1/8" to 3/16th" of room for the mud. Remove 1/4" of wood behind the recoil lug.
I like about .012" clearance on the top inside edges.
Leave a small area of original wood just behind the rear tang bolt hole as this
wood will determine the elevation of the bedded action in the stock.
Photo 4 shows the tang area of the stock. Note the elevation wood left at tang.
Be sure to leave some original wood for the action tang to sit on. This is very
important.
STEP THREE--Wrapping Tape on the Barrel
Photo 5 shows the barreled action in the vise. It also shows black electrical
tape wrapped around the barrel just behind the front of the stock forearm. Wrap
enough tape to hold the front of the barreled action at the proper elevation in
the stock.
The idea is that the barreled action does not touch anything except the bit of original "elevation" wood left at the rear tang (behind the pillar) and the forearm resting on the electrical tape. This is very important to obtain 100% stress-free bedding. You want the bore of the barrel to be parallel with the top edge of the stock so wrap just the right amount of tape to ensure this. The tape also centers the barrel in the fore-arm. Done right, the barreled action will be contacting just at two points (tape in front, tang in rear) and the barrel's bore will be parallel with the top of the fore-arm's sidewalls.
Comments on Alternative Components and Methods
Contoured vs. Straight (Flat-top) Pillars |
STEP FOUR--Applying Release Agent and
Plumbers Putty
Failure to apply release agent (and putty) properly is a recipe for disaster.
One of the most common mistakes novices make when doing bedding jobs is locking
in the action. This happens by not covering enough of the action with release
agent, not taping off the lug correctly, and not adding putty to plug any slots
or spaces into which the mud can migrate. Remember, you are doing a bedding job,
not a glue-in job! When you've completed the process, you want to be able to pop
the action loose without difficulty.
PHOTO 6 -- Showing putty and release agent before polishing, tape on lug.
First, remove the trigger, bolt release and spring, and anything else from the
bottom of the action. Then, clean the action and recoil lug area with brake
cleaner or parts degreaser. Apply plumbers' putty to any hole or crevice that
you don't want the mud to get into. Wrap two layers of masking tape on the
outside edges of the lug and trim with a razor blade. Do not apply tape to the
front or back of the lug. (Apply tape to the front of the lug only if you do not
have a way to remove the hardened mud). Let this tape go right around to the top
of the action. Wipe the putty smooth with the brake parts cleaner. I highly
recommend neutral Kiwi shoe polish as release agent. Apply liberally to the
entire action using a Q-tip to get in around the lug (including front and rear
of lug), bolt handle slot and loading port edges. Let the shoe polish dry for 10
minutes and then use a paper towel and buff and polish the release agent as thin
as possible. You want any release agent to be as thin as possible so as to let
the action set as close as possible to your bedding. You also want to apply
release agent to the rear (headless) bolt.
STEP FIVE--Installing the Pillars
Now is the time to place the pillars. Screw the top half of the front pillar and
middle pillar (if the action has a middle bolt) to the action with the tapered
head bolt. Screw in the headless bolt and slip the pillar down around it. Apply
release agent to the area of the guard around the rear bolt hole (and to the
rear headless bolt). Apply top and bottom and from the inside out. We don't want
the guard stuck to the bedding. (This guard sits on the bolt head that is
secures the middle pillar to the action. We need the guard in place to align the
action in the stock.)
Install the trigger guard back in place on the stock as the guard is used to
align the barreled action in the stock. Now is the time to make a trial run to
ensure that everything fits properly. Slip the upside-down stock down over the
pillars with the headless bolt coming up through the rear bolt hole in the
guard. See Photo 7. Ensure that the stock is resting on two spots only--the tape
you've wrapped around the barrel, and the little bit of wood you left behind the
tang bolt. Ensure there is room everywhere around the action to accept the mud.
The barreled action cannot be touching anywhere except the tape and the tang.
Not even on the top edges of the stock.
STEP SIX--Applying the Mud
Mix up a generous portion of the Devcon 10110 Mud and apply to the pillars as
shown in Photo 8. Do not get mud on top of the bolt head and front pillar(s). Do
apply a little mud on top of the rear pillar and if a little gets on the
headless bolt that is OK as you should have applied release agent to this bolt.
This will properly bed the guard to the rear pillar. The front bolt that holds
the front pillar need not have release agent applied to it. Note, as shown in
Photo 8, each pillar has a bolt inserted.
PHOTO 8 -- Showing mud on the pillars.
You cannot use too much mud as the hydraulic action of pressing the stock down
on the barreled action is going to squeeze the mud everywhere it need to go and
the excess will be forced out (falling on the floor for you to step in).
PHOTO 9 -- Showing mud applied to stock.
Now apply the mud very generously to the stock as shown in Photo 9 above. If I
am not bedding any portion of the barrel shank I will only apply a little mud
behind the recoil lug area.
STEP SEVEN--Assembly and Compression
Now slip the upside-down stock down over the pillars as you did in the trial
run. Ensure the stock is bottomed-out on the tape at the front end. Squeeze
slowly, pressing the rear of the stock down and squeeze out the excess mud.
After pressing the stock down, the action area should appear as in Photo 10.
During the compression stage, stop a few times and use Q-tips to clean off the
excess mud that is squeezing out between action and stock.
PHOTO 10 -- Rifle right side up, with the mud squeezed out.
Cut a piece of paper towel about two inches wide by the length of the towel. Lay
this on the stock 1.5" in front of the action. Wrap black electrical tape around
the stock and barrel, running the tape over the strip of paper towel. (The towel
is to protect the stock finish.) Squeeze the stock and action together while
taking wraps with the tape. If you have a skinny, pencil-thin barrel don't apply
too much pressure with the tape as the weak barrel can be curved slightly. That
can cause the barrel to touch the stock when everything is done (not good). If
you have a big, fat barrel don't worry about deflection. With a heavy contour
tube, whatever bend you put in the barrel will spring back when the tape is
removed.
STEP EIGHT--Mud Removal and Curing Time
Using Q-tips, clean up very thoroughly around the front pillar and the bolt
head. You need to be able to unscrew the bolt to separate the stock from the
rifle and you do not want the bedding protruding above the pillar. (The
escutcheon still has to have room to fit in there without touching the end of
the pillar.) Before turning the rifle right-side-up, reach under with a few
Q-tips and clean off the mud hanging there as it may get inside the action.
Turn the rifle right side up in the vise and, using lots of Q-tips, clean all of
the mud off of everything. Remove the excess mud every place you can see it. Use
a paper towel to wipe the stock as there could be some invisible mud hiding
somewhere on the stock or action. After using Q-tips, I sometimes use Butch's
Bore Shine solvent. It does a good job of removing the mud residue (other
solvents with ammonia would work well also).
When you've cleaned off all the excess mud. It's time to let the bedding cure.
Lie the rifle upside down with the weight on the rear of the action and about
where the tape is on the barrel. Let the gun sit for about 8 to 10 hours or
overnight. IMPORTANT, you should remove ALL the excess mud around the action
before you let the rifle cure for this time period. Photo 11 shows the rifle
upside down, but you want to have the excess mud cleaned off before curing.
PHOTO 11 -- Position for curing the mud--but excess should be removed first.
STEP NINE--Popping the Barreled Action Loose
After the required curing time, you need to remove the barreled action to check
the beading and fit the pillar escutcheons. If you cleaned away all the excess
mud and there are no mechanical locks in the bedding, it should not be difficult
to pop the stock loose. You can see how this is done in the short
Video Clip from my DVD (Right-Click and "Save As" to download). Here is the
procedure.
After the mud has set up and hardened, clamp the barrel in a vise with the gun
upside down. The vise should camp just ahead of the forearm. Remove the bolt in
the front pillar (and middle pillar) and the headless bolt. Remove the trigger
guard.
With
the left hand apply upward pressure to the forearm and then with the righthand
slap upward on the forearm. You will hear a crack like you might have busted the
stock. Not to worry, that is just the bedding popping free. Now wiggle the stock
up off the recoil lug as it is the only thing holding the stock down.
Remove the tape from the barrel and recoil lug and clean up the putty. Wipe
the action down with brake parts cleaner. On the stock, remove the squeezed mud
that went into the trigger and bolt release area. Relieve the lug area on both
sides and the front. Lay the stock back on the barreled action. Be sure to check
under the trigger guard to see if any cleanup of mud is required there. Then
re-install the guard and insert the rear action bolt just snug (not tight).
STEP TEN--Installing the Pillar Escutcheons
Pillar escutcheons are a nice extra feature I add to my custom rifles. These are
stainless, made from barrel stubs. The two-part front pillar is originally
machined as one piece. I believe front pillars with the escutcheons (or outer
ring) offer advantages over conventional pillars in terms of strength and
alignment.
Before you actually install the escutcheons, you need to do some fit testing.
Have a trial run at setting the front bolt to the proper length by placing the
escutcheon in the hole and screwing in the bolt. Loosen off the back bolt to see
if the bolt that is thru the escutcheon is holding the stock firmly in place.
Retighten the rear bolt a wee bit.
Apply release agent to the front bolt, being careful to not get it on the
escutcheon. Insert a allen wrench into the head of the bolt so you can hold it
easily. Slip the escutcheon over the bolt. Apply mud to the escutcheon and
around the bolt. Photo 12 shows how much mud to put on the escutchen. You want
enough so when you tighten the bolt it will force the mud everywhere it needs to
go, even though a bit will be squeezed in around the bolt. Photo 13 shows how
the escutcheon should look installed, with the bolt tightened. Photo 14 (below
right) shows the escutcheon after the mud has been removed--be sure to remove
the excess while the Devcon is still soft.
PHOTOS 13 and 14 -- Showing escutcheon before (left) and after mud clean-up
(right).
Clean up the excess mud with Q-tips and paper towels. You need to do this before
the mud hardens. I used Butch's Bore Shine as a solvent, once I have removed the
excess mud with Q-tips and towels. When the escutcheons are cleaned up, you've
finished working with the mud. Now let the stock lay for another 8 hours or so
to allow the escutcheons to become.
After the mud has hardened around the escutcheon clamp the rifle back in the
vise. Remove the back tang bolt first then the front bolt that is through the
escutcheon. The bolt will be tight in the hole and sometimes may need to be
punched out with a punch unless it has threads right to the head in which case
it will screw out. Go in the hole with a .260” bit and clean the mud out of the
front pillar. Let the bedding harden for a day or two and then torque the bolts
with about 35 inch lbs of torque on the front bolt and maybe 25 on the tang
bolt.
The finished result is an even coat of Devcon with no voids, air pockets,
fissures, and perfect stress-free support for the action, as shown in Photo 15.
PHOTO 15 -- Completed pillar-bedding job