Marine Tex bedding question

[mram10]

Like Alex said, it’s great that you’re doing it. My first was pretty crumby. After over a hundred, which is nothing compared to many on here, it is easy, but still requires attention. 3 debated decisions you’ll have to decide for yourself:
1. Which epoxy? I like devcon. Strong and very little shrinkage
2. In front of the lug or not? Mine are primarily hunting rifles, so I do 2 inches in front
3. Pressure or not while drying? I use lightly torqued action screws because it takes a decent amount (no numerical data here, maybe Jerry will use some super math) of torque to bend the stock/action/barrel.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The weight of your finger tip will flex the stock. Use an indicator and listen to it.

 

[mram10]

I haven’t tested with an indicator, it just seems it would take much more than a couple ounces to flex a stock. Again, I haven’t tested like you have

 

[Rancher Mike]

What is the best way to compress the stock to the action without flexing the stock while waiting for the bedding to set up?

 

[Rancher Mike]

Compress it any way you want, but once its where you want it you dont want anything touching the action or you WILL have stress in the bedding.

Thanks Alex

 

[Preacher]

I always use surgical tubing to hold the barrel in place while the action floats where it sets, while it's curing....

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I place "X" amount of wraps of electrical tape forward on the barrel towards the front of the forearm to give the stock-to-barrel clearance I desire while making sure all of the inletting matches up to the action. Will sometimes have to place a very small shim at an insignificant point of the action in the rear to compensate for extra inletting allowed for bedding material and match the stock lines. Just depends on the action. Some actions I don't bed the rear tang area. I like to use tightly folded aluminum foil shims (smash the folds tight with a hammer on my anvil) because I can make quick adjustments to the depth by removing layers and they are easy to remove from the bedding later on so as not to leave a high spot. . Finally apply bedding and set the action in the stock, press it in, check lines, check level, then let it cure. The stock is fully supported and the tape wraps on the barrel maintain proper barreled action support so it does not want to rock forward with the barrel weight. The tape wraps also keep the barrel centered in the barrel channel. No need to squeeze the action down into the stock with any methods of constriction while the bedding is curing. Will check level and alignment a few times within the first hour or so to ensure it hasn't moved or twisted and all of the lines still match up.

That's just how I like to do it anyhow. Seems to give me good results.

 

[RW]

I don't know if it is correct, but I bed two spots, the first one that is ahead of the recoil lug and one at the end of the barrel channel these are temporary. Then I bed the action while using tape or surgical tubing in over these two points to hold the barrel and action in place and not put any stress on the action after the action is bedded I remove the bedding under the barrel. It might be wrong but I always felt that it would not stress the action while the bedding is curing. RW

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Taking about bedding stress, I always cringe in horror when I see videos or hear of people bedding a stock with it clamped in a bench vise

 

[JRS]

Taking about bedding stress, I always cringe in horror when I see videos or hear of people bedding a stock with it clamped in a bench vise

More than one gunsmith does it that way

 

[agr516]

Taking about bedding stress, I always cringe in horror when I see videos or hear of people bedding a stock with it clamped in a bench vise

Do you mean with the stock itself clamped in a bench vise? I use a bench vise to bed but I clamp the barrel only in the vise with padded jaws. That way the stock rests against nothing and the action does not have the weight of the barrel hanging on it as the epoxy cures.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Do you mean with the stock itself clamped in a bench vise? I use a bench vise to bed but I clamp the barrel only in the vise with padded jaws. That way the stock rests against nothing and the action does not have the weight of the barrel hanging on it as the epoxy cures.

Yes, the stock clamped in the vise is what I was referring to.