Skim bedding a Medalist stock

[MDM]

I'm going to try my first bedding job. I want to skim bed my Medalist stock. I have some Devcon enroute. Does anyone have any pictures they can post of their skim bed job?

Question: When I tape everything off, like the mag well, the bedding will squeeze out in this area. After the bedding has cured and I remove the action, how do I remove this excess bedding that has squeezed out in the areas inside the stock where I don't want the bedding? Does the devcon break off, or do I dremmel it out, or just leave it there? Some pics of a finished skim bed would help, but I can't find any.

[DGD6MM]

Do a search on bedding. This subject has been well covered. There may be and artcle in the tech tips. I know someone else on here will lead you in the right direction.You will want to remove the oozed out bedding material before it sets up. I use a Q-Tip and alcohol, there are other ways. Plenty of pictures are posted. Yes, dremmel it out.

[McKinneyMike]

http://savageshooters.com/index.php?articleview=Stock%20Bedding%20101

Here is one article from the Technical Section here on the Savage Shooters.

[MDM]

I've read the bedding article several times and watched videos on youtube. How do you remove the oozed out material that goes down in the mag well? This area is not accessible while the bedding is curing.

[jpdown]

You need to tape and/or release agent on any surface you don't want the excess bedding to adhere. I score the excess bedding with a sharp knife before lifting the tape. The bedding should break along the score line giving you a clean edge. I then use a dremel or sand paper to smooth the edge for a finished look.

[trappst]

Use a dremel to remove the material that oozes out in the mag well.

[mytwo60]

Yes, use a dremel but also break lose the thick epoxy first. I use a punch and a hammer to do that. Don't forget to use the dremel and cut around the mag perimeter before you start punching holes/cracks in the mag well.

[MDM]

Well, I butchered my brand new stock. Drilled a bunch of holes in the bedding block between 1/16 and 1/8" deep and roughed up all of the surfaces with 60 grit dremmel wheel. How this will provide a good foundation for the skim bed. I saw a guy in a video using white lithium grease from a spray can as a release agent - I may try this. What do you think?
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h270/dm2596/stock.jpg

[johnsopa]

MDM, I don't have in-progress pics, but there are a few pics of my finished work here:

http://savageshooters.com/SavageForum/index.php/topic,21611.msg157785.html

Two of these stocks are Medalists.
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2397/img3401medium.jpg

[MDM]

Thanks johnsopa. Did you somehow float the action a bit to get a thicker skim coat, or did you just squeeze it down tight to the bedding block?

[CL1KKL4C]

Is it completely neccesary to alter the block for a proper foundation? ALso (sry MDM lil off topic) this floating of the tang I've read its deffinately required to squeez every last drop of accuracy out of a savage. However I've also read it doesn't make a differance. Did you float your tang MDM? I only ask because I'm also gearing up for a bed job on a medalist.

[MDM]

Yes, I have floated the tang enough to get a business card under all areas. Didn't take long at all with a Dremel and grinding wheel.

[dcloco]

Don't use grease...never get it out.

Use Meguiars carnuba car wax or the kiwi natural shoe polish.

Two pieces of tape on the bottom side of the action tang provides clearance. I also wrap an even amount of tape arond the barrel - about two inches from the end of the forearm so that it centers the barrelled action in the stock as well.

[possum1]

Spray the pi$$ out of it with cooking spray, very easy and work's well!!

[mytwo60]

Shoe polish or if you're lazy like me use Hornady one shot. Works great!

[johnsopa]

Thanks johnsopa. Did you somehow float the action a bit to get a thicker skim coat, or did you just squeeze it down tight to the bedding block?


MDM,

First, I made sure the recoil lug openings were free of interference on the bottom, sides and front/back. Then, I checked to see how much interference there was at the back under the tang. All of my B&C's were super tight at the back. So, I sanded down under the tang just a bit at a time until there was just a little interterence with the tang.

Then, I put a few layers of tape under the tang, two layers of tape on the side and front of the recoil lug, then rolled tape around the barrel so that the bottom clearance was the same as the clearance between the barrel and the side of the stock at the barrel channel area.

Then I followed normal bedding procedures.

Does that help?

[MDM]

Yes, your pics and everything has helped. I'm confident I can get it done well enough.

Two last questions for everyone. One the action bolts - did you cut off the bolt heads and alreadly have the bolts in the action when you set it in the bedding, or did you thread them in after you put the action in the bedding as shown and described in the Bedding 101 article?

Should I let it cure completely, for 24 hours, or remove the action after 12 hours or so, and let it cure with the action out of the stock. I've read that people do it both ways with the devcon.

[MDM]

Well, the action is curing in the stock. I'm a little worried I didn't have enough decon in there because I didn't get alot of squeeze, but some. Had a hard time getting the putty to stand up in the recoil lug area, it kept wanting to ooze down. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

[Elkbane]

I guess you'll see in a little bit when you take the action out, but you did mix it 9:1 by weight (not volume), right? Never had it ooze - usually the consistency of cold peanut butter (Devcon Steel Putty, that is).

Re' amount, I usually use plastic mouthwash cups to weigh it out on a digital scale. Zero the scale out with the empty cup on it, then 270 grains of filler in one cup and 30 grains of hardener in another = 9:1 mix with enough to bed the stock and about 20% extra on a blind mag SA stock.

Post pics when you get through. If you mixed it right, i should come out pretty clean.
Elkbane

[MDM]

The directions said to squeeze out beads of equal length of putty and hardener. Here is what I used. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=970250