Pillar Bedding Boyds for Varmint action

[bottlerocket]

So its the recoil lug that basically indexes the action in the stock and the points of contact should be the lug, the pillars to the action and the bedding around them?

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

Thanks for reproducing a very useful post, cgeorgemo...especially the bit about getting a metal trigger guard. I would have thought about that, but probably not until I started to torque the screws down. I do have a question about the following though:




For installing the pillars I just used the next size up drill bit from the diameter of the lamp-rod to widen the holes in the stock and used a hand drill



Without a jig, a pilot bit or a drill press, how in the world do you ensure that you're drilling straight and perfectly on-center with the existing holes?

[cgeorgemo]

Without a jig, a pilot bit or a drill press, how in the world do you ensure that you're drilling straight and perfectly on-center with the existing holes?

Truthfully I don't let it bother me at all if I'm not 100% centered with the holes.

The way I see it is this. I'm making the hole bigger than the pillar. I'm going to fill in the void with epoxy. If I'm off a little in any direction it will have slightly more epoxy on that side than the others.

To me these are the keys to a good pillar install/bedding job.

#1 Get the screws centered in the pillars with some tape around the screw so that it just fits inside the pillar. The tricky part here is remembering to get the body of the screw through the trigger guard before applying the tape.

#2 Apply release agent to both the action and the screws. Be sure to get the threads as well as the tape centering the screws. Don't forget to also get the trigger guard coated. I use Turtle Wax for my release agent...

#3 Mask off the stock all around the openings so the epoxy that oozes out doesn't screw up your finish. If you don't have a little epoxy oozing out you probably didn't use enough. I use painters tape for masking off the stock.

#4 Get the tang floated with a double layer of vinyl (electrical) tape and the barrel floated with the same. I put the tape on the barrel about 1" in front of the barrel nut and right at the end of the stock. For the tang I remove the trigger and safety and just wrap it around the tang.

#5 Apply your bebding epoxy from the bolt handle cutout forward to the back of the recoil lug. Fiddle with the positioning of the action until it's exactly where you want it in the stock and then tape it down to the stock until it cures. This is where you ensure that you don't can't the action one way or the other. I like to use my scope bases to place a level against while fiddling.

#6 Support the rifle in a horizontal position until it's completely cured. I use my rear bag and front rest for this.

Once it's good and cured unscrew the action remove it and clean up all the epoxy oozes, masking tape, electrical tape and release agent.

If you've got a center-feed blind mag stock now you get to install the magazine in the well of the stock. I only have stagger-feed stocks so I've not done this I just pop them off for bedding and then pop them back on for assembly.

[cgeorgemo]

So its the recoil lug that basically indexes the action in the stock and the points of contact should be the lug, the pillars to the action and the bedding around them?
Yep if it touches anywhere else you've screwed up.
The number one screw up I remember from reading on here is bedding a Savage all the way back to the tang like you do on a rifle with a action screw that far to the rear.

[kevin_stevens]

#4 Get the tang floated with a double layer of vinyl (electrical) tape and the barrel floated with the same. I put the tape on the barrel about 1" in front of the barrel nut and right at the end of the stock. For the tang I remove the trigger and safety and just wrap it around the tang.

I think I understand everything but this. I thought the tang height needed to be set by the original stock wood, and not changed. When you talk about floating the tang with layers of tape (or someone else said a business card) - how does this work when finally assembled? Don't you either have to stress the action by pulling the tang down with the action screw (if that's even possible when the screw is so far forward of the tang), or you have a big gap in the tang-stock fit?

KeS

[thomae]

KeS,
You bed it with the tape holding the tang and barrel off the stock enough to free float it all. The bedding takes up all the room between the action and the stock around the stock screws.

When you bed it, you don't tighten down the action with a lot of torque, you use rubber bands or tape to keep it from shifting, but not stress the action.

That way, when you are all done and the bedding compound is dry and hard, you torque the action into the stock and the action fits perfectly like a glove, while the tang and barrel are fully free floated.

Yes, there will be a gap underneath the tang, but it is hardly noticable. Plus, everyone will be gawking at your targets :o, not staring at your tang asking why it does not touch the stock.

I hope that makes sense and answers your questions.
All the best,

[kevin_stevens]

Yeah, by "final assembly" I meant after bedding was complete, not during the bedding. Tx for this - there was one instruction PDF I'd read that was firm about leaving the tang sitting on clean wood.

KeS

[ShowMeShooter]

I know this thread is kind of old, but there is a lot of info here. I have one question though.

When bedding around the recoil lug, are all sides bedded in tight? Or is it a good idea to put a couple layers of tape on the front, sides and bottom of the lug?

[BillPa]

Has anyone here used a pilot drill bit of any kind to enlarge their stock's action screw holes for pillars?

I use a 1/2 counter bore with interchangeable pilots then turn my pillars to .470-.475 for a little slop, attach them to the action then glue them in and bed the stock at the same time, one shot and done.

http://i49.tinypic.com/2va00h4.jpg

Most times the existing screw holes are over sized for a 1/4" screw shank, so I make the pilots a close fit to align and keep the counter bore from walking. I use either the mill or drill press, but I would imagine you could bore them with a hand drill.

Bill

[thomae]

I know this thread is kind of old, but there is a lot of info here. I have one question though.

When bedding around the recoil lug, are all sides bedded in tight? Or is it a good idea to put a couple layers of tape on the front, sides and bottom of the lug?Most of what I have read indicated that one should put a layer of tape on the sides and bottom. This will help you remove the bedded action. Some folks put a layer of tape on the front, some don't. It's the back that needs the tight fit to make sure the recoil forces are evenly distributed/transferred to the stock. Also, Make sure you put release agent on the tape and on the untaped part of the recoil lug.

[ShowMeShooter]

Most of what I have read indicated that one should put a layer of tape on the sides and bottom. This will help you remove the bedded action. Some folks put a layer of tape on the front, some don't. It's the back that needs the tight fit to make sure the recoil forces are evenly distributed/transferred to the stock. Also, Make sure you put release agent on the tape and on the untaped part of the recoil lug.

thanks. I think I'll tape the sides bottom and front. that makes the most sense to me.

[maddogg316]

I heard you want to leave tape off the sides of a recoil lug because with round actions it helps stop the twisting an action will see from recoil!