Gents,

With regards a standard glass bedding job on a new rifle, does this sound a reasonable approach to the project. The rifle in question will be a 9.3x62

1) Break the barrel in with the rifle "stock". During this process, note what brand of ammo shoots well and make a note of the groups ect as a "bench mark"..

2) Ensure the barrel is free floated, then add a temp bedding pad under the tip to assist holding the barreled action during the rest of the bedding process.

3) Bed under the chamber, front action screw and rear tang in seperate operations to ensure that I always have fixed reference points with regards holding the action straight, level and true in the stock.

4) Remove temp bedding from under the tip and ensure action is only toughing the stock on the bedding ie i have small clearance around the magazine well, ensure the bolt is not touching the stock when down and that the action is not touching the stock in the tang area.


Does this sound a logical approach for a beginer?

I understand the need for plenty of release agent and modeling clay and will probably go overboard on the masking tape too.

One thing I can't gtet my head around is how to deal with the action screws. Lets say we are glassing the area around the front screw. Do we block both the holes off in the stock and the action and just leave the action secured by the rear screw while its setting?

Do we simply insert the screw as normal through the "wet" bedding and tighten up as per normal to ensure that the action sits on it other refence points? Do you use dummy "headless" scews already screw into the action, so when you sit the action on the wet bedding it pushes some out the bottom where it can be cleaned off before using a nut to hold the action in the stock?

I will probably use the Accuglass gel kit and I realise that will have instructions,but i am just running through this in my head...the thought of bedding compound and actions screw fills me with dread!

Regards,

Pete

Pete,

I think you should do it all at the same time. I've never heard of freefloating the tang. I bed mine all the way around at once. If you feel the need to shim it up a few thou then you can do that. Put shims on both sides of the barrel channel to keep it centered if it needs it. You can poke your screws through the trigger guard then wrap electrical tape around the tip of the screwws so it just fits snug up through the holes to keep the bedding from flowing down into them, just leave a few threads to get them started into the action and coat them with wax or your release agent too. DO NOT POKE THE SCREWS UP THROUGH THE WET BEDDING AND TIGHTEN!!!!!! Leave the bedding out away from the hole enough that you don;t get any in the action threads when you set it in there and before you press the action down in there, place the "pretaped up" screws and floorplate up and get your screws started up to the tape. Squish it down in, tighten it up and you're done. Clean all the excess off around the barrel, action and inside the magwell with the backside of big cleaning patches and Q-Tips. You'll have plenty of time, just plan it out and have all your stuff right there to be able to keep going with it until you have it all pretty the way you want it. Pretty damn simple and you'll feel better after the first one.

You can make some smooth oversize studs to locate the action instead of your screws and floorplate, or buy them. You can keep it sinched in with surgical tubing on both ends if you go this route. If you're carefull not to get bedding into the action screws, that works fine. Use plenty of bedding or you'll have air pocket to go back and do over again, just don't get too out of hand with it.

Tape the front and sides of your recoil lug and it'll pop out much easier. Still, be prepared to smack the bottom of the action real good using an oak block and hammer to pop it loose, through the magwell that is.

Just make sure the bedding can not mechanically lock the action into the stock, and clay off any spot that you're worried about, especially spots you cannot get to in order to wipe the excess off.

Good luck, piece a cake!

That covered a lot. One thing I would add is you are only trying to even out the bedding surface, not build it up. Once you have floated your barrel, look for contact marks in the receiver inletting. When you rout out material to make room for some epoxy, leave small parts of these contact points intact; they are the reference point for the action elevation. Also keep the routing as shallow as possible. 1/16th is all you need. The glass just fills the voids and the thinner the stronger. The pillars are that same reference point if they are higher than the original bedding suface. I always bed the pillars first to the exact height of the original bedding surace so they don't confuse the issue. The 3 layers of electric tape on 3 non-bearing sides of the recoil lug is essential because it gives you clearance on those surfaces which you need for accuracy. Otherwise you will need to rout the bedding on those surfaces later. I use dummy screws with the heads cut off to center the stock in the screw holes. Just put enough masking tape around the shanks so they center in the hole without jamming. This keeps the screws from contacting a side of the hole under recoil and affecting accuracy. I have used everything from heavy books to elastic straps to hold the action in while curing. If you do that right you don't need support under the barrel. In fact, that tab under the barrel may lift the front of the action slightly if you're not careful.
I may draw a little fire for this next one but I think pillars are totally useless in a hardwood stock. They came about because the foam in synthetics crushes under use and needs reiforcement. Many synthetic builders now pack dense glass and resin reinforcement in the screw areas and this negates the need for pillars as well. My Clifton is approaching 13-14 years old now with the gun in and out of the stock countless times with no change in POI or accuracy and it has no pillars, just hard glass underneath. Good luck which ever way you go. Once you finish your first one it won't seem to daunting anymore.

Pete,
I aggree with both previous posts. If you leave a small area of material of the stock as a reference and route out around it there is no need to bed in stages. I wouldn't do this anyway as it makes life difficult. Strip out the trigger and bolt. Fill chamber, trigger and mag recess with kitchen towel and smooth over with modelling clay. Coat all surfaces of the action and first two inches of barrel with a release agent - I use shoe polish, I'm not kidding, it works.
Then remove 1/16th inch of stock around the recoil lug and tang, remember to leave some at the original stock so there is a reference point.
Tape the edge of the stock along the length of the reciever and barrel channel to avoid excess bedding compound sticking where it isn't required.
Now place three layers of electricans tape on the front and base of the recoil lug, trim to size with sharpe knife.
The last thing to do before you pour in the compound is to liberally coat your chosen release agent over the reciever and barrel channel again, not forgetting to coat the stock screws and lower metal work if your rifle has it fitted.
At this point I usually fit two "o" rings to the barrel about and inch in front of the reciever and at the rear of the reciever at the joint with the magazine well, it forms a seal for the bedding compound and gives a neat job.
Now you have reached the point of no return, mix your bedding compound thoroughly and pour into the desired spaces.
Set your barrelled action into the compound and fit lower metalwork and gently tighten the action screws, drawing the action action into place.
Just nip them for now.
The bedding material will start to squish out of anywhere it can, clean it off with a cocktail stick and towel to make a neat job.
After and hour loosen the stock screws half a turn and then nip up once again. Now clear off any excess compound that had been pushed out and leave to set for at least 24 hours.

Once it has cured undo the stock screws and ease out the action from the stock, it may reqiure a tap from a rubber mallet or something similar. You can now admire your handiwork and clean up the action and stock of shoe polish and paper towel and clay.
Don't forget to remove the electrical tape from the recoil lug or you may encounter vertical stringing.

Clean barrel to ensure no foreign particles in it after your work.

Refit the trigger and sight and take to the range to test.

It really is very easy, good luck.

One last point...most epoxies become hard to the touch overnight but there are none I am aware of that reach full cure in less than a week or so. If it is a heavy banger, you can wait a week and reduce the chance of displacing the bedding before full cure.

In addition to all of the great advice given here, I like to leave a small portion of the original bedding surface around the screw holes for depth control. I then plug the hole with about a 3/4" long rolled out "slug" piece of modeling clay, and use a tight fitting drill bit rear end to push the clay up flush with the original bedding depth spot inside stock. I also plug the receiver screw holes with clay of course.

I then apply bedding compound and insert action, and settle it into position until it bottoms. I use some cardboard to hold the barrel up slightly. I remove most of the runout epoxy, and while holding action down, I quickly "drill out" the clay with a hole sized drill bit turned by hand, and insert the release coated guard screws which push out the clay in the receiver holes as they are snugged up. With blind receiver holes, the correct size tap drill, or slightly smaller, is used to ream out the clay quickly. I remove cardboard when snugging screws to allow barrel to float naturally.

Whenever possible I use auxiliary screws, or threaded stems with a washer and nut instead of the guard screws; this way I don't have to mess with the triggerguard. This works especially well for Ruger 77's in my experience.

Using this method, I never have a problem with epoxy getting on the screws, or sticking in the action. I also find warming the modeling clay on top of my shop heater works great to soften it up. Safe Shooting Friends! - Joe

Gents,

Thanks for all the great advice, it is much appriciated..

I certainly helps to hear how others do things like this and what simple things to avoid like not using enough clay or release agent.

Thanks again,

Pete