Yesterday, 10:03 AM How much of the action should I bed? So I'm getting ready to glass bed the action on my Remington 700 CDL. I've been doing my research and there seem to be conflicting opinions on how much of the action to glass bed. Do I....
1) bed the front of the action around the recoil lug and extend it out to the end of the barrel (with tape to get a .020" float) like the midway tutorial on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMsxHL3nIZQ
2) bed just around the recoil lug to 2ish" in front, and just float the barrel
3) do the same as 2, but also bed the tang (like this: http://www.rdprecision.net/diy2.html)
4) do I bed the whole action, leaving the tang untouched for alignment (like the 6mm BR tutorial at http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html)
or
5) what is your method?
I am sure all of the above are valid methods, but 1, 2 or 3 would certainly make things easier, and I'm not trying to make more headache for myself than I have to. Of note, I don't think I need to pillar bed my stock from what I have read, but I'm open to any advice.
__________________"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us.... they can't get away this time"
Lt. Gen. Lewis B Puller USMC Last edited by marineman; Yesterday at 10:06 AM.
Yesterday, 01:06 PM ~ Rear of recoil lug, rear only.~ 1?", +/-, of barrel forward of lug.
~ Around both stock screws, top and bottom.
~ Rear tang.
~ Bottom of front receiver ring.
When the job is finished;
~ The stock should be very loose.
~ No metal touching anything but bedding.
~ The mag box should be loose.
Additional;
~ Freefloat first. I use layers of 10mil pipe tape.
~ "Glass" needs to be below centerline of receiver when finished.
~ If not using pillars then leave some wood so that the action can "bottom out" when screws tightened. Remove this wood later.
~ Take your time tightening action screws, give the bedding material time to ooze. It may take 5-10-15 minutes to tighten.
~ Some release agents are too thick for precision work. I use Johnson Paste Wax.
~ Double check, then triple check, everything before actually mixing the bedding material. Make sure you have the tools, cleanup and work space are ready and close at hand. Give yourself plenty of time.
Yesterday, 03:32 PM Thanks a ton all! I really appreciate the tips, I'm ordering acraglass, is there anything better I should consider? Also, Mainspring, that sounds like a very reasonable approach... I basically "float" the receiver except around where the loads are. I hadn't thought of doing the bottom as well, but that does make sense.
Two questions from that: If I put a release agent around the stock screws, will that keep the threads from getting bunged up or do I need to do something more? Also, you said free float first prior to doing the bedding... that makes sens, but how much float do you recommend? I had heard .020....
I guess I'll have to do this in three parts, float the barrel, bed the receiver, and then bed the areas where the stock screws enter (which is the trigger guard and magazine cover).
__________________"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us.... they can't get away this time"
Lt. Gen. Lewis B Puller USMC Last edited by marineman; Yesterday at 03:59 PM.
Yesterday, 03:47 PM In the past, I've always bedded the whole action, front to back and sides. I "ALWAYS" pillar post bed and I bed the bottom metal also, with the pillar post locking the top and bottom together. There is an enormous amount of work involved in the way I bed mine but it has always been very effective for me and is not something I would recommend for a first or even a second time of bedding one.
My next one I'm going to try something different that won't be near the amount on inletting. Instead of doing the whole action, I'm going to bed the front and rear and leave the center free floating. However, it will still be pillar post bedded. For max results, I even recommend swapping the factory aluminum bottom out for steel.
Under stand, to do it right, it's a hellavalot more involved than just putting a little epoxy in there. Trust me, I've done bunches and just had one kicking my butt because I didn't get it perfect. A bad bedding job can make a rifle do all kinds of that screws up accuracy.
I also do something a little different for the placement of the action. I remove that pressure point at the front, then I put a small amount of epoxy three or four inches up the barrel from the recoil lug and tighten the action down to let that dry. This will keep the front of the action in the proper position. Some wrap tap around the barrel until it’s making contact with the stock but I prefer the dab of epoxy. Then I’m sure it’s right. I DO NOT inlet the barrel channel (unless I've installed reinforcing rods or bedding the barrel also) until after I’ve bedded the action. I will make sure the first couple of inches have approx 1/8” clearance for epoxy. Then I inlet the stock 1/8” for the action, leaving about 1/8” of the stock under the rear tang to keep the rear of the action at the proper height.
Another problem you will run into with those small fore ends on their walnut stock usually need to be reinforced. This is accomplished by cutting channels in the fore end and bedding reinforcing rods in it. If you don’t reinforce it, you need to remove plenty off wood so if for sure will not touch the barrel at any time. Not real pretty on a nice stock.
Understand also, a good bedding job will show no signs of being bedded when the barreled action is in the stock. Very important on a nice stock, most of mine are old, rough looking stocks so I don’t mind the epoxy showing a thin line around the action.
Be sure you put several layers of electrical tape on bottom, sides and front of recoil lug and remove it after the bedding is cured. If you don’t, it makes getting the action in and out of the stock extremely hard. Don’t forget to remove the spot of epoxy placed in the barrel channel
Plumbers putty and Johnson Paste Wax are your two best friends when bedding an action.
I’ve also tried one with the aluminum V-Block, the jury is still out on that, but so far, I don’t see where it’s any better, or even as good and my bedding, and cost a heck of a lot more. Plus, it’s even more work.
This is the 223 I just did. It doesn't show but the barrel channel looks like it's bedded also because of the reinforcing rods in it, but it's free floated. I use two layers of heat shrink on the barrel to free float it when I have to install reinforcement rods.
Enough wood was removed to make the whole epoxy bed 1/8" thick, but tappers into the wood at the very edge so it doesn't show beside the action.
Yesterday, 03:59 PM Originally Posted by marineman 
Also, Mainspring, that sounds like a very reasonable approach... I basically "float" the receiver except around where the loads are. I hadn't thought of doing the bottom as well, but that does make sense.Floating would be an appropriate description. As the bedding material oozes around everything, some will get to where you don't want it in the final product. After the bedding material had hardened, I then go back and spend a considerable amount of time removing material from where I don't want contact.
Originally Posted by marineman Two questions from that: If I put a release agent around the stock screws, will that keep the threads from getting bunged up or do I need to do something more? Also, you said free float first prior to doing the bedding... that makes sens, but how much float do you recommend? I had heard .020....Don't be stingy with the release agent on the screws and the receiver threads. I drill out the holes in the stock before bedding, then add some bedding material to the hole. When finished, those holes need drilled out so that the screws don't touch the stock. How much to float is always a variable. On a target rifle with a synthetic stock, who cares, as long as it doesn't touch. On a wood stock, that has the ability to warp, you still want the rifle to look nice while still being floated. I use two layers of the 10 mil tape, but I'm also willing to come back later and remove more wood if the need arises.
After you have floated the barrel, and just prior to dropping the action into the stock for bedding, wipe some bedding material on any bare wood to seal against moisture.
Today, 03:17 AM Might I suggest not trying to do it like the picture in my post. There is a lot more to that bedding than meets the eye. For the front, do from the recoil lug to the magazine opening and only go up approx 1/2 way between the bolt hole and the top of the receiver on both sides. Take that slot approx 1 1/2 inches in front of the recoil lug up the barrel.
For the rear, leave just enough wood on the very back for the action to sit and and support it, to maintain proper height. You can't fill in any of those slots in the stock because they are for the safety and bolt release. Get epoxy in them and you will have to grind it out.
Use plumbers putting to fill all the recesses in the stock you don't want epoxy.
Take the trigger out of the rifle and use the plumbers putty to fill in all the machined slots and holes in it so expoxy can't get in them.
Rub EVERYTHING down with Johnson's Paste Wax you don't want epoxy to stick to, and I mean everything, even inside the bolt channel.
Use vinegar to clean off any exess and "oh craps". Get plenty of Q-tips.
I use Scotch Electric Tape to hold mine together while it's curing, many wraps pulled nice and tight on each one.
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