Bedding

[adam330]

No its a choate tactical

[M.O.A.]

did it have a aluminium bedding init allready ???

[adam330]

Yes

[M.O.A.]

??? so why did you put glass bedding on top of it isnt the aluminum bedding systems better that glass bedding ???

[rinodods]

It doesn't always match up 100% but no real need to bed them I wouldn't think. It won't hurt anything though. No reason you can't be an aluminium V block.

[adam330]

The reason for bedding is that the action wasnt sitting in the stock correctly which caused the barrel to rest on the barrel channel at the front of the stock. So after asking around it seemed like bedding should help. Well there is no turning around now!!!

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee18/adam330/devcon.jpg

[M.O.A.]

nope no turning back now. i was just wondering you reason,i know it had to be a fitting problem. kept the pics. coming

[adam330]

Well it wasnt the prettiest bedding job in the world but it solved my barrel contact issues. I will know for next time that more is better, i had some areas where i must not have put enough down. Oh well this is how we learn i guess! Thanks for everybodys help!

[Rocca]

no offence but it looks to me that you went to a HUGE amount of trouble to and did a LOT of un-needed work there.
Putting that "dam" in front of the recoil lug is a bad idea. it totaly changes how the action sits in the stock and lifts it off of the alum which would now require a LOT more bedding.
Also drilling all those holes is another waste of time. Theres a reason you tape stuff off and use release agents. Its because once the bedding sets it WONT come off. Adding a bunch of dimples doesnt do anything but technicaly weaken the aluminium.
And you didnt need to go to all the trouble of all that clay everywhere. A tiny bit of clay or wax in the recess where the recoil lug "nipple" fits into the action is all thats needed.
If your stock has an aluminium frame you could still do a VERY light skim bed there just to make you feel like everything is perfect and also bed the recoil lug. Definately tape off the barrel nut and the clay is ok there but not realy needed. You shouldnt have bedding past the front of the recoil lug anyway but tape it just in case.
[Some people advocate bedding the nut and the 1st few inches of the barrel. That may be ok if you never plan to switch out the barrel (which is the great thing about savages, the ability to switch barrels so easily) but if you do take the nut off after its been bedded you will have to get it back to the EXACT spot when re-installing it or it wont match up to the bedding and wont fit.]

If you are having trouble with the barrel coming into contact with the barrel channel remove some material from the barrel channel, dont add a bunch around the action. Those alum block stocks are made for a precise fit to the action. adding that dam for the barrel nut to sit on changes the whole fit of the action and when you tighten the action down could very well "squish" into the lug slot where there should be bedding. Lifting up the front of the action not only defeats the perfect fit of the aluminium block but it also tilts the front of the action up and the screw holes wont be perfectly aligned.

Giving Gotcha a call 1st would have been a very good idea. The more info you have, before starting a project like this for the 1st time, the better. And just because you get advice doesnt mean you have to use it if it doesnt sound good to you but its worth the effort just in case. You never know what someone else knows that you havent though of. You can never have too much info on something.

In the future:
1- stick the barreled rifle in the stock.
2- make sure there is no contact between the barel and barrel channel. If there is remove material from the channel until the barrel is totaly free floated.
3- put an inch or two if it makes you feel better of tape in the barrel channel in front of the recoil lug slot. (If you do prefer to bed the 1st few inches of the barrel and have no plans on ever changing the barrel without dremmeling the bedding out around the barrel nut to get it to fit back in tape as much as you need of the barrel channel)
4- tape around the barrel nut with something sturdy enough not to be pushed into the grooves of the nut. I used a few layers of electrical tape but that clay works too if you have it available. (unless your bedding a few inches of barrel and the nut)
5- tape along the top of the stock along the area where you will apply the bedding compound just in case some squeezes out.
6- I put tape along my action down to where it touches the stock also just to feel good
7- Put ONE layer of tape on the front of the recoil lug but not on the back,sides, or bottom. You want the bedding tight against the back, bottom, and sides of the lug and the one layer of tape on the front gives you all the play you need to easily remove/ replace the rifle into the stock.
8- fill the recoil lug hole about 1/3 with bedding compound
9- if you want, put a very thin skim of bedding on the aluminium under the action to insure a perfect fit. Make sure you have releae agent on the action everywhere it will contact the bedding.
10- Carefully insert the rifle straight down into the stock and tighten the screws just the same as you would after the bedding is done. Just setting the rifle in the stock using dowels doesnt give you the tight snug fit you want and can change the way the barreled action sits in the stock.

Hope yours works out ok. If not give Gotcha or me a call.

[davemuzz]

I agree with everything Rocca has posted with one exception:: I double tape the front of the recoil lug AND I double tape the sides of the recoil lug. Why?...because the recoil lug purpose is to "take" the punishment of the recoil and distribute it to the stock as the stock is designed. Adding additional stress points to it changes that, and accordingly barrel harmonics.

But....that's what I think.

I'm no engineer....but I've stayed in a Holiday Inn Express a few times. ;D ;D

[Rocca]

Davemuzz - I can tell just by your profile pic that you are a man of great learning and mental ability. ;) No doubt why you agree with me mostly.

Seriously though,
One layer of tape or two on the front of the recoil lug really doesnt matter. You could have 10 layers if you want. The lug isnt moving forward and once you have a space between the lug and the stock it doesnt matter if its .001 or .01. the purpose for the gap is just to give you a bit of wiggle room when taking the action out or putting it in. In reality, once the bedding is set you dont need ANY room. It is a perfect fit to the lug and you dont need wiggle room. But adding some wiggle room is what everyone does and it doesnt hurt anything so.....

I dont believe that bedding the sides of the lug hurts anything. Just the opposite. It stops any possible torque movement you might have if somehow your action screws were loose and helps take torque pressure off of those action screws. If your action screws are nice and snug they are holding the action firmly in place and there is no added pressure on the sides of the lug.

[davemuzz]

Rocca....well, if you think I'm of great mental...UMmm..something, you should meet my borther:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a212/davemuzz/UGLYBROTHERS.jpg

He graduated in the upper 10% of the bottom 2% of his class!!! Yeah....I know!!! It's not often you get to meet people of that academic stature. But there you have it.

I just thought I'd mention that I have it in my bloodline.

Dave

[jsthntn247]

Adam, post a picture of what the bedding job looks like now that its finished. How does it set in the stock now that it's finished?

[gotcha]

Adam might be still tryin' to get the action out of the stock. ;) This kind of stuff sometimes happens when stock bedding is accomplished through a "committee" ::)

[adam330]

HAHA I was able to get the action out no problem, but it did wait a little to long to pull it out, the devcon was to hard to trim with the exacto knife. Thats where the dremel came into play, i got a little aggresive in some spots but it is merely cosmetic and not even noticable with the action and barrel in the stock. Some comments about some of the previous post. The clay dam does not actually touch the barrel nut it is supporting the barrel along with the tape at the front. In hind sight i probably didnt need it but it was suggested and didnt hurt anything. Here is a post expaling the problem i was having and why i decided to bed the rifle. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/free-float-issues-75662/. The bedding solved the problem the barrel is now free floating, with no need to remove material from the barrel channel. This was my first time and i appreciate all of the suggestions and help that was given to me. Ill Try to post some pics as soon as i can to show the finished project.

Thanks again

[gotcha]

Way to go Adam! Ya had us worried for awhile :D Shoulda mentioned I use Silly putty in place of plumbers putty. Much easier to work with. Keep up the good work!!

[adam330]

I used modeling clay and it seemed to work pretty good. Now i just have to find some time to take it out and see how it shoots now!