Stock bedding 101 tips/tricks

[jasnt]

I thought we should have a thread on bedding where we could have everyone’s thoughts and experience on bedding in one simple thread. 

I’ll start with my own
Bedding compound: I like devcon metal plastic myself

Release agent: I like wax for toilet bowl seal.  Cheap and can be used to plug thread holes and pin holes.

Dams: I’ve used wax, clay and foam. I like the wax best as it’s easiest to clean out

Tape off everything! Bedding can be messy

[Crunchy]

I used kiwi neutral wax.  Worked fine, although rather than coat it heavy and try to buff it off, I should have applied 2 thin coats. 

I used marinetex gray.  Like it because it is a little thinner and easy to fill voids.  It turned out really good for only being my second stock.  Better than I would have thought.

I used modeling clay.  It wasnt as user friendly as I would have thought.

All the real work for me was after I pulled the action out.  Ton of filing and chisel work to get it looking just right.

[Stein]

I'm lazy, I bought a stock with an aluminum bed and pillars and a torque screwdriver.

[Tracker0721]

I haven’t used the toilet bowl wax yet but plan too. For a release I like PAM. Gets all the cracks and crevices. Devcon or acraglass are my go to’s. The acraglass release agent has been good to me too. Though I’ve tried a good few releases and bedding compounds, yet to stick an action to a stock. I really didn’t like the last stuff I used, it shrunk a TON when it set up. I had to re-bed to get a good looking finish. Think I might have it thrown in a drawer somewhere so I’ll find it and post the name. 10 or 20 mil tape for plumbers/electricians works great for taping off the barrel and other parts. Not to mention the 20 mil makes for a great free floating barrel channel when full length bedded.

For a really clean job tape off the top and a bit of the sides with blue painters tape. Don’t forget to wax em still. Same with inside the barrel channel if free floating. Peel the tape off and you’re left with nice clean crisp lines.

Also when removing the barrel DON’T be a fool and hold the stock while hitting the barrel against a table! They show that trick at gunsmithing school but they don’t tell how many guys bust out the material in front of the recoil lug or bend metal or anything else. Tap with a soft faced hammer, like rubber or plastic, all up and down the top and a few along the bottom and it should lift out. A dowel in the rear to lift with really helps too. Straight up and out is the goal.

[Karl Blanchard]

I've used pam, shoe shine, even hornady one shot case lube on small jobs.  The clear shoe shine is preferred release agent.  For dam's I use my kids Play-Doh.  Small jobs like recoil lugs or pic rails I'll just use jbweld but devcom for full bed jobs.

[wooltie]

Any tips on tightening the action screws after seating the action?  I plan to bed the rear tang, recoil lug, front action screw area (which is a flat surface), and possibly the barrel shank.  This after I install the pillars.

I plan to seat the action, then tighten the rear screw first -- using just enough torque to level the action in the stock.  I might use clay in the barrel channel to support the barrel because the weight of the barrel pulls the rear action upward.

Then I'll tighten the front action screw.

I'm thinking just hand tight, like enough torque to prevent things from moving, or turning the screws until the screw heads touch the bottom metal?

[hunter399]

I'm no expert only did it once around a recoil lug.
Used jb weld ,used a layer of masking tape,then snow seal boot wax on masking tape for release agents .
Just didn't want jb weld  touching my recoil lug or any metal.

[Crunchy]

I would fill the screw holes with wax so when you push the action into the epoxy the holes dont fill with it.  Then heavy coat of wax on the actions screws.  I had some issue with the barrel wanting to tip forward (28 inch plus brake).  So I just kept slight pressure on the rear of the action until I got the front action screw in, and then the rear.  I also wrapped the barrel with 1 inch tape to keep it centered in the action and also helped keep the barrel from tipping forward. 

[wooltie]

I would fill the screw holes with wax so when you push the action into the epoxy the holes dont fill with it.  Then heavy coat of wax on the actions screws.  I had some issue with the barrel wanting to tip forward (28 inch plus brake).  So I just kept slight pressure on the rear of the action until I got the front action screw in, and then the rear.  I also wrapped the barrel with 1 inch tape to keep it centered in the action and also helped keep the barrel from tipping forward.

I saw one method on youtube where the guy used 3-4" long aftermarket screws instead of the actual action screws.  The screws were screwed into the action first, then the action was seated into the bed.  The screws functioned like posts.  He also allowed bedding to flow into the pillar holes themselves, effectively reducing the size of the pillar holes down to the size of the actual screws.

[jasnt]

I've used pam, shoe shine, even hornady one shot case lube on small jobs.  The clear shoe shine is preferred release agent.  For dam's I use my kids Play-Doh.  Small jobs like recoil lugs or pic rails I'll just use jbweld but devcom for full bed jobs.

i can see play doh working great. Modeling clay is such a pain to clean out

[Magnum_Willys]

Kids play doh.  Use two pencils to keep action screw holes in stock free of bedding  when applying.   Screw in two long bolts - well waxed and taped if possible with heads cut off into action screw holes.   Remove pencils and Put action into stock and hold together with surgical tubing til dry.  You dont want to pull together with action screws - that creates stress points.