Glass bedding an action (kits etc)

[boltaction308]

There are many different instructions, videos, etc on the internet about glass bedding an action. I have also found a couple of "kits". does anyone have any experience with any of these or have any to recommend?

http://www.scorehi.com/
http://www.erniethegunsmith.com/

[country gent]

On my NRA match rifles I always used Bisonite bedding kits. It is a rieson/epoxy steel filled and very hard and strong when cured. A good working time and fairly thick but not putty. It is not quite as easy to use since its not a 50/50 mix like most.
My procedure went like this. I routed 1/8" grooves into the stock where bedding was to be 1/8" deep or so. roughen all the areas with coarse sand paper. Fill all but the action screw holes with clay or play dough. give all metal parts 2 coats of release agent Let dry between coats. Coat action screws with 3 coats ( if possible make up allen head screws for the bedding job the hex is stonger than slots if an "opps" occurs) with a popcycle stick put a layer of bedding filling routed areas to bottom. place barreled action into stock and clamp or screw down tight. Dont try to push all the exoxy out. With a towel and clean popcycle stick ( cut end square) clean expoxy from around action and any "drips", watch for a couple hours . Let cure according to bedding makers instructions. Bisonite was a 24 hour cure time if I remeber correctly. Pop action out of stock, it will "pop" you may have to bump it some to break the seal/bond. Due to air bubbles you may have to repeat this a couple times. Mix what you think you will need plus a little. Have all tools and rags ready and handy. Lay everything out so you know whats going on and where it is. A few paper towels make cleaning up excess much easier than cutting it down when cured. Bisonite is hard on burrs and files. Any Pillars repairs need to be done before bedding.I also routed out the material where the rcoil lug bears some for a good fit there.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I recommend Brownells. not only can you buy the stuff necessary but they also have tutorials on doing it.

Randy

[Tazman1602]

What W.R. said, Brownells Acra-glas for non-magnums and Brownells Steel bed for Magnum rifles. USE PLENTY OF RELEASE AGENT TRUST ME ON THIS ONE........and don't ask me how I know............

Art


I recommend Brownells. not only can you buy the stuff necessary but they also have tutorials on doing it.

Randy

[gwpercle]

I glass bedded a rifle , BE CAREFUL, that epoxy rosin goes every where and gets into every hole, nook , cranny and crevice and when it hardens it's there. You don't do it right and you just ruined a fine french walnut stock.....when that stuff gets into screw holes, when it gets on screw threads , you got a problem on your hands then.
If you have a nice stock..take it to a smith...if he messes up he has to fix it.
Don't ask me how I learned this lesson...Gary

[DCM]

What W.R. said, Brownells Acra-glas for non-magnums and Brownells Steel bed for Magnum rifles. USE PLENTY OF RELEASE AGENT TRUST ME ON THIS ONE........and don't ask me how I know............

Art

+ another 1 on that.
Small amounts of modeling clay to keep it out of threads etc. and Plenty of blue or green painters tape to keep it off of the parts of the stock/action you don't want it on.
Mix well and let it cure completely before removal.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I glass bedded a rifle , BE CAREFUL, that epoxy rosin goes every where and gets into every hole, nook , cranny and crevice and when it hardens it's there. You don't do it right and you just ruined a fine french walnut stock.....when that stuff gets into screw holes, when it gets on screw threads , you got a problem on your hands then.
If you have a nice stock..take it to a smith...if he messes up he has to fix it.
Don't ask me how I learned this lesson...Gary

That is the primary reason I use Brownells Accra Glas Gel kits, it doesn`t run like maple sap in the Spring.Robert

[Mk42gunner]

I glass bedded a rifle , BE CAREFUL, that epoxy rosin goes every where and gets into every hole, nook , cranny and crevice and when it hardens it's there. You don't do it right and you just ruined a fine french walnut stock.....when that stuff gets into screw holes, when it gets on screw threads , you got a problem on your hands then.
If you have a nice stock..take it to a smith...if he messes up he has to fix it.
Don't ask me how I learned this lesson...Gary


That is the primary reason I use Brownells Accra Glas Gel kits, it doesn`t run like maple sap in the Spring.Robert

I like the Accraglas Gel from Brownell's. My first attempt at glas bedding a rifle was with the regular Accraglas. Not a very fun experience. Once I discovered the Gel version I have done several bolt action rifles with no real problems.

Clean up is a lot easier before the bedding sets up.

Release agent is your expendable friend, cover everything that may come in contact with the bedding.

Robert

[Frank46]

Use the release agent on both action screws and their corresponding holes, then push the threads into some butchers wax. helps keep the gel from migrating into the screw holes on the action. And #1 on the release agent is your friend. Anywhere you even think the gel will go use it liberally. Frank

[wgr]

What W.R. said, Brownells Acra-glas for non-magnums and Brownells Steel bed for Magnum rifles. USE PLENTY OF RELEASE AGENT TRUST ME ON THIS ONE........and don't ask me how I know............

Art i know how you know:D

[B R Shooter]

I use Marine Tex. I make my own pillars and drill them accordingly. I know some people don't have the ability to turn pillars, and getting pre-made pillars can work. Marine Tex sets hard, Bisonite does too, as does Steel Bed. Acuraglass seems to always be somewhat gummy to me, haven't used it in years.

I use PlayDouh instead of clay, it releases and is much easier to clean up. For a release agent, Johnson's Paste Wax. Two coats of that and I've never had a problem.

[Stonecrusher]

I use Marine Tex. I make my own pillars and drill them accordingly. I know some people don't have the ability to turn pillars, and getting pre-made pillars can work. Marine Tex sets hard, Bisonite does too, as does Steel Bed. Acuraglass seems to always be somewhat gummy to me, haven't used it in years.

I use PlayDouh instead of clay, it releases and is much easier to clean up. For a release agent, Johnson's Paste Wax. Two coats of that and I've never had a problem.

BR you do just like I do. Gray Marine Tex is good stuff. I like the consistency of it, like cake frosting. I have found if you put the bedding compound in the stock and coat the areas of the barrel and action you are bedding that you don't get the visible air bubbles in the finished job. Or maybe you do but you can't see them and the job looks great. I never liked trying to do a second coat of bedding. When you do it in one shot there is no chance of getting high spots and the action fit is perfect. All I use Acraglass for anymore is repair work.

When it seemed like I was doing a lot of Rem 700's I took a chunk of steel and cut a slot in the end to hold a 1/4" lathe bit using set screws, like a fly cutter. I set the tool so it would cut the same diameter as the barrel. I chuck this tool in the lathe and hold the pillars in a tool holder for a quick change tool post. I center the pillar up vertically and feed the apron to cut the end of the pillar to the exact radius needed to fit the barrel. Works great, and you only have to set it once.
I guess you could do the same on a mill, but my mill is a little Mickey Mouse so I just use the lathe.

[725]

Brownell's Acru-Glass kits have it all. Just did a .300 WM and it came out great. Use all the release agent possible. Masking tape any potential spill areas and release agent on screws. I let the mix go into the stock screw holes both in the receiver area and the tang area and bump the barreled action to the rear and let it set up. The screws must have release agent on them, or you're toast.

[handyman25]

Brownell's Acru-glass. I use two coats of release agent.

[country gent]

With the M1A it used to be common to bed with Bisonite tune and check then gue in stock with a thin epoxy. I never did this as I seen to many where the barrel or a small part failed and couldnt get the rifle apart. But I know of many who did do it. Was a nightmare to work on them. I have used accraglass gel marine tex micro bed on bolt actions but always used bisonite steel bed on the garands and M1As. Another trick on a bedded gun is if your not using it release screw tension or on service rifles the trigger gaurd. Takes pressure off the bedding. Keep oil and solvents out of bedding areas as they will soften some beddings. WHen you guys bed a rifle (bolt action) How far forward on the barrel do you bed? Float or a pressure point up front on the barrel ? Clamps, action screws, or rubber tubing to hold in place? I have seen all done and am wondering.

[nekshot]

I prefer brownells release agent best. Midways is kinda ok, pam is ok but DO NOT TRUST OIL!!!! Any other release agents that work?

[sundog]

Acra-glass gel and two coats of Brownell's release agent.

I know folks who have used JPW for release agent and swear by it. I have not so cannot comment as to how well it works

[akajun]

Ive been using the Devcon steel putty. It does not run, has a long "pot life" and is tough as nails. Donwside is you need a scale to measure it out properly and when dried, is hard on tools which you go to clean it up. For release agent I have been using the spray on release from Brownells. You will also need some modelling clay, masking tape, razor blades, small putty knife, electrical tape, and a bunch of 1/2" sticks with the ends sharpened flat like a screwdriver.

FOr cleanup get some carbide burrs for your dremmel and a couple of chisels, rasps, etc.
The best tutorial I have seen is on the Accurate shooter forum and uses pillar bedding colums. However you can use the procedure without the pillars if you buy the action bedding screw guides that brownells says. The last three rifles I have bedded with this procedure have been real hammers. I ve done it both ways, but when doing pillars, I make my own.

[Char-Gar]

I have been using Brownell Accra produce for 40 years. First the glas and not the gel. When making a stock I first do a careful bedding of wood to metal and do some test firing. I then use Accra-Gel to give long life to keep the wood from compressing or getting oil soaked over the years. I have found that a gel bedding job will give an increase in accuracy of no more than 1/4 MOA and sometimes no increase.

Accra Gel is much easer to use for bedding but Accra Glass is a much better adhesive it you are sticking two pieces of wood together.

[M-Tecs]

I have had best service life with Devcon steel putty or Bisonite. I mostly do NRA match rifles or NRA service rifles (M14’s, M1A’s and M1 Garand’s). My favorite is Devcon Titanium but this is cost prohibitive for most applications. The M1A’s and M1’s tax any bedding material and some are not up to the task.

For release agents I prefer the ones that don’t leave a film or layer like the Brownells release agent.

[David2011]

Acra-glas Gel plus pillar bedding has given me good results. A couple of layers of pipe wrapping tape (0.010" thick) on the barrel ahead of the area where you want it bedded will assure that it's free floated. Put mold release on the tape, too. Masking tape on the outside of the stock will protect it from epoxy. Make sure to have some space behind, beside and beneath the recoil lug for the epoxy and no bedding in front of the recoil lug. Brownell's Acraglas Release Agent is very good when used with modeling clay to plug every cavity. The oil based (plasticine) clays are very resistant to epoxy and don't harden quickly.

David

[MBTcustom]

I'm going to give my 2cents, and I certainly don't know everything, but I have built a rifle or two.

The best mold release agent I have ever found is Johnsons Paste Wax.
I cut in some masking tape to the front side of the recoil lug to give it .005 clearance on the front of the lug, when the bedding is set up.
I smear the JPW on thick and heavy, and use compressed air to blow it over the action and into every nook and cranny of the action, action screws, bottom metal, and barrel, then I buff it off with a rag. This gets it everywhere, and it leaves a residue that is less than .00005 thick and nothing sticks to it. Go back over the action with plumbers putty (modeling clay). Don't use too much of either of these two products, and don't use too little. Just do it right! LOL!
I too use steel pillars fore and aft.

Now, I use the Devcon putty, and I am anal about mixing it in correct proportions and mixing it thoroughly.
I protect the outside of the stock with masking tape, and pile the stuff in there like it's free. Lots of fellers glom on the release agent, and skimp on the bedding compound. This is totally wrong.

Once the stuff is good and set up, remove the action screws (it's a good idea to use the T-handle bolts for this, because they can be a bugger to get out, and you don't want to strip out the heads), grab the stock in your left hand, and the barrel in your right, and gently pull them apart until you hear the crack.
Vise the stock right over the action and hold the barrel in your left hand and put your RH flippin-em-off finger in the bolt hole, and wiggle the action while providing upward pressure. Just a few wiggles and it will come right up and out of the stock.

If you did it right, there will be no voids or wrinkles in the bedding compound.

Now, just rip off the masking tape and chip off the excess compound on the outside of the stock. Crack the bottom metal off and clean it up too. The compound drips will crack right off with a plastic chisel.

Mount the stock in the mill and mill out the trigger area, and clean up the overrun under the barrel, and in the magazine well. Drill out the bolt holes in the pillars too.

Now, use an undersized drill bit to drill any compound out of the bolt threads if there is any in there (usually there is), and chase the threads with a tap that has a drill point ground on it.

Put that sucker together and enjoy the fruit of your labor!

That's how I do it. It's not the only way, but it's a way that may work for you.
Enjoy.

[boltaction308]

... and no bedding in front of the recoil lug.
David


David, whats the reason for no bedding in front of the recoil lug? One of the videos I saw on youtube showed putting a layer of tape on the front I think for the purpose of what you are saying but I am not sure.

Thanks for all of the comments

[MBTcustom]

Remember how I told you to pry the barrel away from the stock till it cracks, then wiggle it out strait up? If you dont give it a little bit of somewhere to go, then the bedding has quite a lot of purchase on the action and it can be ten times harder to get it out. The recoil lug is the only part that the bedding compound can get a kind of vertical friction lock on, and you can't very easily give it a draft angle, so the tape gives it just that couple thousandths of an inch wiggle so you can get the darn thing out.

[LynC2]

I have had best service life with Devcon steel putty or Bisonite. I mostly do NRA match rifles or NRA service rifles (M14’s, M1A’s and M1 Garand’s). My favorite is Devcon Titanium but this is cost prohibitive for most applications. The M1A’s and M1’s tax any bedding material and some are not up to the task.

For release agents I prefer the ones that don’t leave a film or layer like the Brownells release agent.

My experience pretty much duplicates yours and I thought the Brownell's release agent did an excellent job, but J paste wax and other's did in a pinch.