Stress Free Bedding

[Jud96]

I’m getting ready to bed one of my Remington 700 BDL Varmint rifles. I am wanting to try a different bedding technique than what I’ve done in the past. I want to bed this rifle as stress free as possible. I’ll be using Marine Tex Grey and aluminum pillars. Let me explain my thoughts and then see if my ideas are good or bad or what you would do differently.

I plan to prep the action like normal but bolt the pillars on to the action with the action screws. I’ll put tape around the barrel to align it in the barrel channel and set the height correctly. Then fill the bedding into the stock and around the pillars. I’ll sit the action down into the stock and use the pillars to align everything. The pillars are around 0.480” and I’ll use a 1/2” drill to open the stock up for them. I’ll apply pressure to the action to press it down into the bedding by hand, then leave it sit in the vise with no clamps or anything on it. I want to leave the action sitting with its own weight just pressing on the bedding with no other stresses or forces applied. After the bedding sets up, I’ll clean everything up. Then I’ll bed the bottom metal next and just use the action screws to align it and keep it from falling out. Does this idea sound good and will it work out? My only concerns would be the action being rocked in the bedding and the action screws not lining up correctly. If I leveled the stock, then leveled the barreled action when it’s in the bedding then I would think everything would align correctly. Thoughts? Thank you!

 

[D-4297]

Having done multiple Bedding jobs ; on wood , laminate , and polymer stocks , I would suggest using a larger drill than half inch for the pillars . There would be very little bedding support around the pillars with the half inch hole size , and maybe not any in some areas . Subtracting .480 , from .500 leaves .020 , divided by two per side only leaves .010 support . Your margin of error would be about the thickness of three sheets of paper and very little support ..

 

[skeeljc]

The only problem I see is the action will end up just sitting on the pillars after the bedding material shrinks. I would mill the top of the pillars so the action sits on the bedding.

 

[Big Mc]

I’m getting ready to bed one of my Remington 700 BDL Varmint rifles. I am wanting to try a different bedding technique than what I’ve done in the past. I want to bed this rifle as stress free as possible. I’ll be using Marine Tex Grey and aluminum pillars. Let me explain my thoughts and then see if my ideas are good or bad or what you would do differently.

I plan to prep the action like normal but bolt the pillars on to the action with the action screws. I’ll put tape around the barrel to align it in the barrel channel and set the height correctly. Then fill the bedding into the stock and around the pillars. I’ll sit the action down into the stock and use the pillars to align everything. The pillars are around 0.480” and I’ll use a 1/2” drill to open the stock up for them. I’ll apply pressure to the action to press it down into the bedding by hand, then leave it sit in the vise with no clamps or anything on it. I want to leave the action sitting with its own weight just pressing on the bedding with no other stresses or forces applied. After the bedding sets up, I’ll clean everything up. Then I’ll bed the bottom metal next and just use the action screws to align it and keep it from falling out. Does this idea sound good and will it work out? My only concerns would be the action being rocked in the bedding and the action screws not lining up correctly. If I leveled the stock, then leveled the barreled action when it’s in the bedding then I would think everything would align correctly. Thoughts? Thank you!

9/16 drill bit would be the way to go.More material around the pillers. as stated. Just my two cents Tommy Mc

 

[Joseph Jones ctsr]

When I do stress free bedding I wrap surgical tubing around the stock and receiver just to hold everything in place, this doesn't put enough force on it to matter. The idea is to not bolt the receiver in the stock causing anything to flex. And I agree with the above about opening the holes for the pillars up more than a 1/2", I always install the pillars first then bed the barreled action in.

 

[joshb]

I think your hole size is fine. Just smear bedding material all around the inside of your holes and all around your pillars.Your level idea is what I do. I use a picatinny rail on the action and level with that.

 

[JohnKielly]

A guy who bedded commercially here used to top the pillars with masking tape trimmed to fit before screwing them on to avoid the pillars being proud after shrinkage.

 

[Will Henry]

You have, more or less, described the technique I have used for 45 years, minus the aluminum. I usually cast fiberglass pillars. I agree that .010 clearance is probably just fine for clearance on your aluminum pillars. WH

 

[NateHaler]

"Stress free"? Toss in release agent, the limited time you have to work with the bedding compound, and the whole procedure in general, and it sounds like a recipe for 'Maximum Stress'. Maybe get a little drunk first.

Pictures, please, before and after. Some of us might want to follow your lead.

 

[skeeljc]

"Stress free"? Toss in release agent, the limited time you have to work with the bedding compound, and the whole procedure in general, and it sounds like a recipe for 'Maximum Stress'. Maybe get a little drunk first.

Pictures, please, before and after. Some of us might want to follow your lead.

It is not that stressful. The secret is good preparation. There are good videos on youtube.

 

[msalm]

That is essentially exactly how Richard Franklin showed bedding in his video. Excellent technique. If you want alignment AND extra bedding/adhesion around the pillars you can just use a hacksaw blade and groove the holes through the stock vertically and you retain the alignment while increasing the surface area and depth of the bedding in the stock.

 

[hpshooter]

" The secret is good preparation". There are good videos on youtube.

Lay everything out and dry run the job a couple times without the bedding agent. Make sure the bench is cleared of non essential items and put a sheet of cardboard or plastic film on the floor and on the bench top to catch excess compound. Mix 50% more compound than you think you will need on your first couple jobs, no fun getting 90% finished and running out of material.

"If you want alignment AND extra bedding/adhesion around the pillars you can just use a hacksaw blade and groove the holes through the stock vertically and you retain the alignment while increasing the surface area and depth of the bedding in the stock".

I run a snug fitting tap in the pillar hole in the stock to create locking grooves for the compound.

 

[LarryDScott]

When Richard Franklin was in business, he bought lots of 700 Actions and Jewell trigger from me. He would often times send me photos of the completed rifles, both inside and out. His bedding jobs were just as perfect as the rest of the rifle. Richards and Keiths (cigar cop) bedding pictures are flawless. I've made a few attempts, that happened to work, but they were everything but a thing of beauty. LDS

 

[Intheshop]

+1 on sending a tap through the holes. Work it out on a piece of scrap.

Great resource/skill in general..... learning to thread wood for, threaded metal inserts. You need to work out the hole size for these. It's "about" 75% cut,25 rubbed or impressed. Think dull tap,you want some compression on the wood fibers vs cutting them to full depth(this is mainly about inserts)

 

[Jud96]

I wanted to update this thread because I’m still learning and trying to perfect my technique for stress free bedding. I’ll jump to the point. I’ve experimented with a lot of ways and the method of not using anything to pull the action down or hold it in the bedding is proven to be the most stress free method. However, I’m struggling to master this technique. I use two bands of electrical tape on the barrel, one in front of the action and one towards the front of the forearm. When dry fitting everything, the action sits level when the bands of tape fit the barrel channel and don’t let the action rock or teeter totter. The problem happens when I am putting the action into the bedding, guided by studs in the actions screw holes, I press down evenly on the barrel bands and the tang of the action is lifted up. Then I have to slowly press down on the action until it’s sitting where it should, and even then I can push down on the tang and watch it move down and then spring up a little when I lift my finger off. I don’t like having to press down on the action because I’m afraid I’m inducing stress. My question is, for the guys that bed this way, what’s your solution to this problem if you deal/dealt with it? What is your technique if you don’t mind sharing. Thank you!

 

[joshb]

I use one tape wrap location on the barrel, near the end of the stock, to center it in the channel. I lay the bedding compound in the action area and press the action into the stock. I hold pressure for a few seconds as the excess bedding compound squishes out and release. Scrape off the excess and let it sit overnight. I tried to let gravity pull the action down once but the barreled action wasn’t heavy enough to force out the excess bedding compound.
Just me. I’m not saying I’m an expert at it.