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 Glass Bedding 
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There has been a lot of posts recently about member's wanting to shoot farther distances. Trigger work and glass bedding of the action are modifications that are done to maximize the performance of your rifle. I had a glass bed job to do today and used it to for this post. The "glass" bedding term refers to fiberglass, and I use a two-piece epoxy resin.
Below is a stock Remington PSS stock.

Image

The first step is to determine where in the stock you want to stop your glass. Using painters tape put a strip on the stock then lay the barreled action in the stock. Line the tape up on the barrel to match the tape on the stock. Then wrap tape around the barrel this will create a dam that the glass won't pass. It also centers up the barrel in the stock.

Image

Once the dam is made use more painters tape to cover the stock in the action area. This is to prevent epoxy from getting onto the stock.

Image

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I use a 3 ounce jiggers cup, intended for bartending, to mix my epoxy. Each job is different so different amounts will be needed. After doing 10 or so stocks you get an eye for home much product to use. I also add dye into the epoxy to match the color of the stock.

Image

One note use a release agent on the action or you will just glue your action to the stock, which is BAD.

The whole purpose of glass bedding the action is to rid the action of any pressure points that may be in the stock. You are basically making a mold of the barreled action. I use surgical tubing to bind the action into the stock. When you push the action into the stock you should get the excess epoxy to squeeze up out of the stock.

Image

Once the barreled action is set in the stock and secured with the surgical tubing I mark the stock with the time. After an hour check back on the epoxy to see how hard it is. Once you can press your fingernail into the epoxy and it leaves a small crease it's hard enough to remove the action and trim the excess epoxy. If you wait to long the epoxy becomes very hard and is difficult to trim.
Trim the excess using a razor knife and carefully using the stock as a guide trim it flush with the stock. Once the excess is trimmed put the action back in secure with the tubing and wait another 24 hours for the epoxy to fully cure. After 24 hours you can do some fine tuning on the glass to get a good uniform fit. Also install the bottom metal and bolt together and check to see if you missed any excess epoxy.

When choosing a rifle some inexpensive rifles use plastic stocks. These stocks are unable to glass bed. So when choosing your next rifle maybe select the wood or laminate stock so you can glass bed the action in the future. Why choose an inexpensive rifle that when your skills improve you have to purchase a new stock? It is not uncommon for some stocks to cost $300 or more.
I didn't really mention stocks with aluminum bedding blocks or pillar bedding. This PSS stock has the aluminum bedding block.

Image

The aluminum adds strength to the stock. It covers the whole area of the action. Pillar bedding is when you bore the action holes larger to fit a 1/2 column of aluminum. The pillar gives the action screw more support.


Last edited by tpryder on Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:35 pm
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Great post Tom!


Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:12 pm
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Very nice, Tom. I had absolutely no idea what glass bedding involved, before reading this post. Now I is just a little smarter. :D

I really appreciate the time you take to write up these tutorials!

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Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:33 pm
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MadPick wrote:
Very nice, Tom. I had absolutely no idea what glass bedding involved, before reading this post. Now I is just a little smarter. :D

I really appreciate the time you take to write up these tutorials!


No problem after 9 or 10 tutorials I've finally figured out how to upload photos! Seriously, if there is something you want to know more about. Let me know and I will make a tutorial for it. I appreciate you guys giving me room to make the posts!


Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:44 pm
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I pretty much follow the sames steps you've shown. For a parting/release agent I use Kiwi Shoe polish in neutral color. A couple of light coats that are allowed to dry have yet to fail me with every barrel and action popping out of the epoxy with a light tap from a nylon faced mallet.

I also prefer Devcon 10110 metal epoxy to any of the "Glass" bedding agents. It's stronger, doesn't soften with heat, and is highly machinable. If one has a mill they can finish the edges as desired. (for real small bedding jobs like one-piece scope rails I use the old "slow cure" J-B Weld. It too is tough and once cured resists heat.)

I also use a couple of stockmakers pins which are merely rods sized the same as the action screws and extend well beyond the bottom metal. They don't hold the action and bottom metal in place but are great to keep any wayward epoxy out of he holes. Just make sure to coat them generously with parting agent.

It's also a good idea to tape the front edge of the recoil lug. It should be tightly bedded on the rear but allow for expansion of the lug itself to the front. A piece of shipping or pipe tape is usually enough clearance.

These are just some thoughts I'd add, the pictures and explanation are great.

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Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:01 am
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thank you

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Sun May 04, 2014 8:10 pm
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Cool writeup and quick photo session.

I am going do this to my savage fv-sr first before i do a full size gun...lol

One question what do you put on the back parts, like where the botom metal is , so no epoxy gets in those areas?

Also how come not down the entire stock or atleast another halfway down or so to really stiffen it up?

i also have heard the devcon is the stuff im after, at like where, auto parts or marine parts stores? or will normal hardware stores have it?


Sun May 04, 2014 11:14 pm
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mustangfreek wrote:
Cool writeup and quick photo session.

I am going do this to my savage fv-sr first before i do a full size gun...lol

One question what do you put on the back parts, like where the botom metal is , so no epoxy gets in those areas?

Also how come not down the entire stock or atleast another halfway down or so to really stiffen it up?

i also have heard the devcon is the stuff im after, at like where, auto parts or marine parts stores? or will normal hardware stores have it?


I have the same rifle, and from the OP I don't think you can do a plastic stock. Can you?

tpryder wrote:
When choosing a rifle some inexpensive rifles use plastic stocks. These stocks are unable to glass bed. So when choosing your next rifle maybe select the wood or laminate stock so you can glass bed the action in the future.


Sun May 04, 2014 11:27 pm
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Sorry i forgot to add i will do this when it get in of of those boyds stock. as this factory little savage stock...sux...IMO


..Carry on...


Mon May 05, 2014 1:10 am
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mustangfreek wrote:
Also how come not down the entire stock or atleast another halfway down or so to really stiffen it up?

i also have heard the devcon is the stuff im after, at like where, auto parts or marine parts stores? or will normal hardware stores have it?



You want to leave all but about 1"-1"1/2" of the barrel "floating" so it can follow it's natural harmonics when the round is fired. This yields the best accuracy.

I buy Devcon at Graingers. It comes in a 1# kit and is good for several projects. If you're only doing one project just use Marine-tex in the Gray formulation. It's pretty close to Devcon in spec's and comes in smaller containers that are more suited to small jobs. It's available at the Marine Supply Stores like West Marine and others. Either Devcon or MarineTex gray is fine.


On the bottom metal, I buy a couple of 1/4-18 bolts at the local hardware store about 3" long. I cut off the heads and insert them in the action. All of my rifles have aluminum action blocks so I wrap the "bolt bodies" with enough electrical tape to fill the extra space in the holes but still let the bolts slip easily into the holes. When bedding the tape keeps the epoxy from filling the action block holes and keeps the bolts centered in the holes. This also keeps the action properly centered over the action block holes and the action not "rotated" in the stock. I put the bottom metal over the protruding "headless" bolts and merely secure it with the same elastic wrap I use to hold the action firmly in place. Make sure to wax the bolt threads and the electrical tape so parting the assembly is smooth and easy when the epoxy has cured.


BTW, "Yes" I do bed my stocks with aluminum action blocks. Tried going without bedding but found I could squeeze another 1/4 MOA of accuracy out of the rifle with the block bedded and the action was under zero stress when the action screws were tightened. Can shoot longer strings before having to "cool down".

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Mon May 05, 2014 5:02 am
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mustangfreek wrote:
Cool writeup and quick photo session.

I am going do this to my savage fv-sr first before i do a full size gun...lol

One question what do you put on the back parts, like where the botom metal is , so no epoxy gets in those areas?

Also how come not down the entire stock or atleast another halfway down or so to really stiffen it up?

i also have heard the devcon is the stuff im after, at like where, auto parts or marine parts stores? or will normal hardware stores have it?


When you first put the action in the wet epoxy just let the epoxy drip down into the bottom of the stock. Later when you trim the excess off the top of the stock come back and trim the excess from where the bottom metal and the trigger will go. Don't put in the bottom metal when glass bedding this is unnecessary, and will only complicate the bedding process.

Here is a link to the bedding screws I use. http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools ... d6644.aspx
In a pinch you could use some long screws and cut the heads off, but if you have a Mauser 1/4x22 screws might be hard to find. Even Winchester Model 70 are 1/4x32

You ask a good question about bedding more of the barrel. Most barrels have a taper to them, but the chamber end is usually straight. A heavier contour barrel you can bed out farther. With skinnier hunting barrels the taper is much more extreme and makes it harder to bed.

You can find the epoxy at hardware stores or online too. You could use JB Weld as long as you used a good release agent.


Mon May 05, 2014 7:19 pm
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damn, good info..

thanks tpryder and deadshot.


Tue May 06, 2014 2:12 am
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One thing to consider when bedding rifles that use internal magazine boxes that aren't integral to the action, make sure the formed metal box doesn't get squeezed between the bottom metal and the action. Some stocks, especially aftermarket stocks, are inletted so the bottom metal will force the box up against the action and then the ends (ears) will actually tend to bend until they contact the pillars or action block. This creates stress in the action which is exactly what you were trying to prevent by bedding.

Two ways to cure this issue. If the bottom metal is slightly below the stock surface just add some shim washers at each action screw to give more room for the magazine box. If the bottom metal is flush or shimming would give you more "reveal" than you want, then merely grind or file a slight amount off the bottom of this formed metal box. Usually this is only a very small fraction of an inch to get the clearance you need. On custom gunsmith I've talked with allows "a fingernail thickness" of clearance between the action and magazine box. I just use a dental pick to make sure I have "some" clearance.

As for putting the bottom metal in place while bedding, it's a matter of choice. I only use the Devcon Epoxy Putty and it doesn't run like Acraglass so I go ahead and install the bottom metal to force the guide "screws" into the center of the action block. this makes it so I ABSOLUTELY have the action properly set in the "muck" and not rotated, even slightly.

If one is concerned about any epoxy getting on the bottom metal and getting it stuck, just spray it with PAM. Some people even use PAM for a parting agent but if you want a precision job use wax and then polish it down when it dries before bedding. That gives the tightest fit possible without sticking.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother
" - William Shakespeare


Tue May 06, 2014 5:40 am
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