Bedding job fail

[shooterfpga]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/03/uhumu5e5.jpg

Pretty positive i screwed up my bedding job. I dont think the lip of the ejection port is supposed to be that high off the stock.

[shooterfpga]

Am i right or does it matter? Looking at pictures it looks like the bottom lip of the ejection port is supposed to sit flush with the top edge of the stock line. Mine is sticking up a good 1/8" or more.

[Smokey262]

What did it look like before you started? Isn't that the goal?

[shooterfpga]

It was flush before. I have no idea, its my first bedding job.

[seanhagerty]

Dont worry about it. As long as the action is bedded and the action screws reach the action, it doesnt matter. If they are too short, go to lowes and get some new ones!

[shooterfpga]

Speaking of action screws. I know there 1/4-28tpi but i can never find those at the store. What other sizes will fit?

[foxx]

The mag might not feed properly b/c it is now going to be sitting too far away (below) the action. Personally, I would dremel it out and try again. Make sure your pillars are set at the right height before you apply the epoxy. If it sits properly before the epoxy is applied, then you just need to be sure you sink the action down into the "putty/mud" deep enough to rest on the pillars and secure with electrical tape near the two pillar areas. Take your time. it takes a while for the epoxy to set. So press the action into it firmly and remove the spillage as it seeps out around the stock. Keep pressing it into place till you can see it sits right and will not go any further due to the pillars. No big deal. I re-do mine 2-3x sometimes before I get it right.

[shooterfpga]

I think that is where i messed up. I just sat the action on top and didnt press it in. I thought the weight of itself would set to the pillar.

[foxx]

I think that is where i messed up. I just sat the action on top and didnt press it in. I thought the weight of itself would set to the pillar.

That's IT! :) No biggie, really. You can re-do it. Don't remove any more than you have to, maybe 1/8th of an inch below pillar height. be prepared with a lot of Q-tips for cleaning up the seepage. Maybe even some wd-40 to wet the tips before wiping the last of the seepage clean.

[thomae]

Speaking of action screws. I know there 1/4-28tpi but i can never find those at the store. What other sizes will fit?That's the only size you can use unless you want to drill and tap for a different size. 1/4" is the diameter, and 28 indicates that there are 28 threads per inch.

I use this article as a guideline, even though the author is not bedding a savage: http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html

I don't do my pillars the exact same way; I use lamp rod. But I do bed the action and pillars all at the same time.

[shooterfpga]

Would it be necessary to remove all of the bedding or just enough to get it to sit correctly and reapply epoxy.

[foxx]

Normally I would say remove down to about 1/8 inch below pillar height. If you don't bed pillars prior to the action, then just guess. Intention is to have at least 1/8 inch of fresh bedding material. On the other hand, because you did not press the action into the stock, there is a chance the bedding material did not get forced into the stock and so there may be pockets of air-space. It would be best to dremel down and expose those pockets so as to fill them. May not be necessary, it depends on whether it settled into the stock well on its own. If you think it has a good firm "base" of epoxy down against the stock, then do as I first said.

Also, as a final check when all done... If the job is done correctly, there should be no binding of the action when the screws are tightened down. to confirm this, the action screws should turn easily into the action and then abruptly STOP turning as if they bottomed out or hit a wall. If they gradually tighten, and then stop, it is a sign that there is some binding going on. At that point, back up and do it again. THe whole point of this bedding job is to allow the action to sit nicely in the stock without any stress/flexing or binding of the action anywhere.

[foxx]

Also, when pressing the action into the epoxy, apply pressure above the 2 points where there are the action screws/pillars. Bind it down with electrical tape in the same locations. Do not put a band of tape in the center of the action (at it's weakest point) because that can cause the action to bend/flex. To illustrate, think of it as a flimsy bridge supported by posts on either end. If you press down in the middle of the span, it will flex. You don't want that. Press down from above the two posts (pillars) and it should come out stress-free.

[shooterfpga]

Will do. Ive had to redo this one about a handful of times already over the past few days but now that i know what to do im sure this will be the last time.

Edit: one last question. Picture uploading now to show what i mean.

Should i bed it with a larger surface area like shown in the red box at the rear action? Or leave it the same shape? The rear seems to have less bedding surface than others and it seems like if i box it that it will help out.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/03/saby6u5u.jpg

[foxx]

I would bed the whole area you have outlined, then dremel it out only where necessary to allow clearance for the sear and bolt release. If the black part surrounding the pillars is stock material, dremel it down a bit so you have at least 1/8th of an inch for the bedding material. You are right, there is not much area around the rear pillar to allow for good bedding. Another point to consider, however, is that plastic stocks do not necessarily need full bedding. They do need pillars so as to avoid inconsistent amounts of torque on the action screws due to compression of the stock material. Again, when all is said and done, as long as the action is not binding in the stock and the barrel and tang is free-floated, you should be good to go.

[shooterfpga]

Im going to go ahead and completely route 1/8 below around the pillars and then drill some more holes and bed it in that box.

[shooterfpga]

Btw, i really appreciate the help. I was pretty close to giving up and sending it off. The closest gunsmith charges $300 to bed and then another fee for a different stock.

[1.618]

Just so you don't have to do this yet again tomorrow, most epoxies secrete an amine blush when they harden, and if you don't remove the amine blush before applying more epoxy, it will act like a release agent, and you won't get good adhesion.

So, if there are any areas of epoxy that you haven't machined or sanded, and that you want to bond more epoxy to, you should de-blush them by scrubbing with a Scotchbrite pad wetted with water, then wipe off good with wet rags. Sanding also works, but you should also wipe with wet rags (amines are water-soluble) to make sure you get it all off.

Good luck.

[foxx]

I know how you feel, but don't give up! :) It's only a little bit of money and some time and maybe a lot of frustration. You'll get it right eventually, and then you'll feel a whole lot better about the whole thing. And, in the process, you are not hurting the stock or action.

[shooterfpga]

All epoxy is now sanded out, new holes drilled and barrel and tang taped up. Pressing down on the tang doesnt move the barrel or action at a pivot point nor pressing the barrel. The ejection port is about a thickness of my razor blade high in conjunction with the stock but the tang is flush with the stock line and floating. The one i just sanded out seemed to pivot on the recoil lug.