Bedding project, couple of questions...

[daved20319]

So my little sister got me a 12FV for Christmas. Already got a Boyd's Pro Varmint stock for it, and already have it fitted, BIG improvement over the factory stock. That said, I'd like to bed the action and add some pillars while I'm at it. I'm an amateur machinist so will make my own pillars, but I need one thing clarified. When filling with modeling clay, does the clay then get release agent also, or is it oily enough that the Devcon won't stick anyway?

My other question (at the moment) has to do with the blind mag. This rifle is going to be strictly a bench gun, with the intent of hopefully getting into some longer range shooting. That being the case, I really don't need a magazine, it might actually be better as a single shot. Any suggestions on the best way to go about doing a conversion? TIA, guys.

Dave

[lonestardiver]

There are single shot followers available...or just block up the follower so it won’t move.

[Texas10]

Modeling clay is a common release agent for epoxy use. If you find any remaining in the bedding after you pull it apart, just pick it out.

[Mozella]

Check the rules on max gun weight for whatever discipline you plan to shoot. Typically your gun will turn out MUCH lighter than the maximum and lighter than you want unless you also plan to march around in the woods with it trying to kill Bambi.

I just finished a 6.5 Creedmoor using a Boyd's stock with a blind magazine well. I filled the well with lead shot mixed with a little bit of low viscosity epoxy. I also filled the forearm void and drilled some holes in the stock and filled them with the lead/epoxy mixture. I'm still well under the F/open weight limit.

I left the lead shot in the magazine well just slightly low so that it would be fully covered with the Devcon 10110 bedding compound.

Before bedding the action I fitted a cheap single shot follower like this one:

OOPS............ THE PICTURE DIDN'T WORK. JUST GOOGLE "MIDWAY SINGLE SHOT FOLLOWER" TO SEE PHOTOS.

TheY make many different kinds, so shop carefully. But most any of them can be adjusted with a Dremel tool to fit.

I held mine in place in the action with a little bit of J.B.Weld and then waxed the lower surface just like the rest of the action so that it would release and stay attached to the action. Make sure to trowel the J.B. Weld into a neat little fillet on the underside so that the bedding compound won't trap your action. Expect a gap between the action and single shot follower on the underside and that could trap your action when the bedding compound cures. If you have any doubt, add tiny blobs of clay to fill any voids or hollows.

Here's how I bed an action and the pillars in one step.

I like to fit my pillars by trimming them to length first. Usually I leave them a tiny bit long. Then I bolt them in place with cap head screws with heads smaller than the OD of the pillar. Or you could turn down the head of a regular hex head bold. Put a couple of turns of tape on the shank of the bolt so that the pillar remains centered. Wax everything EXCEPT the pillars which should be roughed up. I like to put a few gouges in the pillars with a Dremel tool. Use plenty of wax on the bolts, the tape spacing around the bolts, and fill the Allen wrench cavity with wax too. I use neutral shoe shine wax. Do NOT contaminate the pillars.

I bed without the trigger assembly and try to make future room for the trigger by filling in part of the stock with clay, masking tape, and sometimes even little pieces of rigid plastic foam.

The bedding process I use is just like you'll see in many YouTube videos. I goober up everything with Devcon on both the stock and the action as well as the pillars and strap everything in place with stretchy electrical tape. Be sure to put several turns of tape on the barrel to set the forward spacing and leave a tiny landing place for the tang to keep the aft spacing where you want it. Unlike some, I like to bed as much of the action as possible in the aft part and go forward to the forward edge of the barrel nut. I fill the barrel nut grooves with clay and/or trim off any resulting bumps in the bedding compound after cure so that the barrel nut is not indexed to the bedding. That will be a good thing if I change barrels in the future.

I clean up the squeeze out and let it cure overnight. I really don't like the idea of breaking it out when the epoxy is only partially cured. That may make trimming and cleaning easier, but I prefer to wait for a full cure and then do any clean up with my Dremel tool. Usually there is a tiny bit of conventional bedding to do in the area of where the trigger assembly goes.

When you're finished you can take a Dremel tool with an "end mill" style cutter and trim the lower edge of the pillars to make them flush with the inletting for the trigger or bottom metal, or what have you. Or, you can leave them a tad long and skim bed the bottom metal and/or trigger guard.

[penna shooter]

Congrats...Any pixs of the Boyd's???
We likey pixs here..

[daved20319]

Thanks, guys, appreciate the responses. No worries on weight, I don't compete, just shoot for my own enjoyment. I don't hunt either, so no packing it around.

I've looked at the various single shot followers, seems everyone's out of stock except SSS, and I strongly dislike e-commerce sights that make you jump through silly hoops. Yeah, I get that a lot of their stuff is custom, but stock items should be available directly from the website. Anyway, I think I'm going to try machining one myself, what's the use of having machine tools if you're not going to put them to use ? Not sure if I'll use Delrin or aluminum, but I'll try to remember to take some pics as I go. Now to just find/make the time to get started! Later.

Dave