bedding/pillar bedding a boyds stock

[blink]

i need some serious educating here.
i have been watching video after video and reading many posts on bedding and pillar bedding and am so confused.lol
i take it these are 2 different processes?
i read one post that said to use a lamp part for pillars?

are there any videos that could be recommended ,maybe i missed one that shows how it's done better than what i've already seen.
at this point i'm rather apprehensive about doing it,but it can't be that bad.,....or could it?

[tufrthnails]

Pn sent

[jpdown]

Since it is your first time, I would do it in two steps. First, bed the pillars and then bed the action and recoil lug area. What did you do with the synthetic plastic stock? I would salvage the metal pillars and recoil pad from it, or cut lamp rods to length. It is best to use a dremel tool with small router to open up the stock holes to accept the pillars. A drill bit will grab the wood and may split out big chunks of wood, especially with a Boyds laminated stock. Wrap two layers of painters tape around the stock screws so that they are centered in the pillars. Coat the taped stock screws with kiwi neutral shoe polish as a release agent. Attach the pillars to the action. Then wrap 4 layers of painter tape around the barrel near the front of the stock forearm and put 4 layers of tape on the stock under the tang. This will center and free float the barrel and tang in the stock and position the pillars at the correct height. I use Devcon Plastic Steel epoxy purchased at any hardware store as the bedding agent. Coat anything that you don't want the epoxy to stick to with kiwi neutral shoe or tape. Check to make sure the action with pillars attached will set level with the barrel centered when place into the stock. Now you are ready to bed the bottom of the pillars to the stock. Mix the bedding epoxy and apply to the bottom of the stock holes and pillars. Place action in stock and check again to make sure everything is level and centered. Clean up any excess epoxy with Q-tips and acetone or vinegar. Wait 24 hours and remove the stock bolts. Tap the barrel with a rubber mallet and the remove barreled action from the stock.

You are now ready to prepare the stock for final bedding of the action and recoil lug. Apply two layers of painters tape to the sides, front and bottom of the recoil lug and trim. Wrap two to four layers of tape around the barrel nut and trim. Put a layer of tape in front of the barrel nut to cover the wood in the barrel channel. Use kiwi shoe polish as a release agent on all metal and taped surfaces that you don't want the epoxy stick too forever or want to be able to remove from the stock. Now you are ready to apply the epoxy bedding. Clean up the excess as before and wait 24 hours for the epoxy to cure. You can cut the heads off two 1/4" x 28 bolts and screw into the action holes to use as guides when placing the action down into the epoxy bedding. The bolts will stick through the bottom of the stock and can be tapped with a hammer to break the action free when the epoxy bedding has cured.

Since you want a stress free bedding job. Do not make the rookie mistake of using the stock screw to pull the action down into the fresh bedding. You want to hand press down into the bedding, check everything is level and then tape to hold in place while the epoxy cures The first bedding job is a little scary, but you've got plenty of "work time" before Devcon Plastic Steel epoxy starts to harden.

[blink]

thank you so much,for the info and tips.

[jray57]

"Since you want a stress free bedding job. Do not make the rookie mistake of using the stock screw to pull the action down into the fresh bedding."

Rookie here, just curious how using the action screws to pull the action down into fresh bedding compound could induce stress into the action providing that action touches nothing but the top of the pillars when said screws are snugged? 2 screw action ofcourse

[olddav]

Don't know about inducing stress but it might lock the screws to the action and pillars (squeezing glue into pillars and threads).

[jpdown]

You have touch point with tape under the tang and around the barrel. Tighten down action screw and you introduce stress points.

[olddav]

jpdown

Reviewed your post and Yep that will induce stress!

[jray57]

So you're not interested in having the action bottom on the tops of the pillars?

[FW Conch]

If done properly the action will bed in contact with the pillars.

[jray57]

I used a factory stock that already had the pillars in place. I just relieved stock material so that the only place the (savage 2 screw)action was touching was the tops of the pillars. Put tape around action screws so that the screws would be in the center of the pillars. Barrel channel was relieved so that barrel was in center of fore-end and not touching anywhere. Tang was floated. I used the screws to pull the action into fresh bedding. Did I create stress in the action?
Forgive my ignorance I realize what jpdown is describing is the way I would do a Remington action or a savage that was having the pillars glued in at the same time as bedding the action.

[FW Conch]

Many others have done it the way you did yours. What's important is, how does it shoot? :-)

[jsthntn247]

Some of you are confusing skim bedding and pillar bedding. On a skim bed where the pillars or action block are already installed, you wrap the barrel to center it in the channel and float the action, and you do not use screws to pull the action down or it will induce stress. However, pillar bedding you cut the pillars to the right height, screw them tight to your action, put tape on the barrel as you would skim bedding to center and float, put 5 minute epoxy in the action holes and around the pillars, then set the action into the stock without tightening anything down and let the epoxy harden. Now remove the action screws and the pillars will remain in the stock. You can now remove the tape from the barrel. Fill the action and recoil lug area with real bedding compound(marine tex, devcon..etc), ease the action down into the compound and you now CAN tighten the action screws down slowly onto the pillars without inducing stress because you already set the pillars to the correct height in the previous step.