The top edges of the stock are taped with red electrical tape, right on the edge. That way when the tape is pulled, there should be a perfect line down the edge. I then put a couple layers of masking tape off of the electrical tape to cover everything else. I finish it off with one long 'wing' of tape on each side that can be pulled right after dropping the action in, to get rid of most of the mess right off the bat.
Here you see tear drops made of clay with a straw on top that are placed into the opening for the action holes from the bottom. It keeps bedding compound from dripping out until they are pushed out by the pillars from above, and straws are a guide so I can hit the hole without any guesswork.
The pillars are made of stainless. 1/4" ID 1/2" OD. I put a couple grooves in them on a buddies lathe, but decided that wasn't enough after I got home, so I put some short, deeper grooves in them with my dremel and a cutoff wheel.
The recoil lug is taped on the sides, bottom, and front. Nothing on the back except release agent. I use Kiwi neutral shoe polish. The barrel nut also has one piece of electrical tape around it where the grooves are to keep anything from locking in there. The entire action, barrel, and action bolts are wiped down with Kiwi shoe polish. I also wrapped each action bolt with a layer of masking tape to center them in the pillars, keep them snug inside them, and also cut down on any bedding compound that could seep in and get into the threads (they have release agent on them anyway, but every little bit helps).
Here you see the 'wings' of tape on each side, ready to pull as soon as the barreled action is dropped into the mess.
I used JB Weld for my first two bedding jobs and haven't had any issues, so I did the same for this one. I used 3 packages. I put all 3 black 'steel' tubes into a cup first, then add the 3 gray 'hardener' tubes and start mixing. Mix it til it's one color, and then let it sit to release air that's trapped in it. It will come to the top. I used a paperclip to pop bubbles a couple times. Once I noticed it start to thicken, I poured it into the channel towards the front, letting it run over into the recoil lug hole a little at a time. Letting in slowly run in keeps from trapping any air in there. I then poured more right on top of the clay, between the action holes, and let it run both directions, pulling it up onto the sides where needed, and pressing it down into the holes I drilled all throughout the woodwork to help with mechanical lock. Then I let this sit for another 5 mins or so, again, to release air bubbles. At this point, depending on how much it's already thickened, I dropped the barreled action over into the channel, slowly pushing the straws down with the pillars until they fall out the bottom. Slowly letting the bedding compound squeeze out the sides, I dropped it all the way in. Keeping pressure on the top of the action, I wiped away the excess with wooden popsicle sticks, and q-tips soaked in WD-40. Once I was satisfied with it being clean enough, I wrapped it with electrical tape in it's final resting place. Before I started all of this, I leveled the stock, both directions. So now, when wrapping the tape, I placed the level on the scope base, and made sure it was level once locked down. And now, I wait... And pray... that I didn't lock the action in the stock. :)
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