Bedding Compound
- Thread starter QuarterHorse
- Start date
I use grease on my action screws and put them in just tight enough to hold the action in proper location.
Sometimes, when a rifle has a wooden stock and the recoil plate area seems small, I've installed pins or screws in the wood behind the plate and cut them off at the wood surface. That helps to keep epoxy from failing under recoil. I've also done it behind the rear of some actions, especially on older stocks that have been oil-soaked. Punky wood is cut away underneath, but not at the surface. Epoxy fills the voids.
Sometimes, when a rifle has a wooden stock and the recoil plate area seems small, I've installed pins or screws in the wood behind the plate and cut them off at the wood surface. That helps to keep epoxy from failing under recoil. I've also done it behind the rear of some actions, especially on older stocks that have been oil-soaked. Punky wood is cut away underneath, but not at the surface. Epoxy fills the voids.
I bed my Savage accu-stock but removed it later . I used the putty stuff because the gaps that needed to be filled were so big . I did not want the thin stuff running down and or in to every nook and cranny or needing to apply it 3 o 4 times to fill the gap . There were many reasons I was bedding a stock that does not need it . Long story short The accu-stock does NOT need to be bedded and I removed the bedding and the rifle is shooting fine .
This is just to show when you need to fill large gaps the putty is the way to go . Really it would be good for any bedding but you will need to put just the right amount because it does not compress as easy . I explain below
This was all done before I ever shot the rifle with the bedding in . I used the putty stuff first and it was to thick for my receiver to pinch it down all the way or I did not apply enough torque to the screws . I only torqued it to 40lbs when doing the bedding .I used the original action screws and just put a bunch of release agent on them ( I used sizing wax , worked fine ). Savage said 40lbs on each screw so thats what I did . In hindsight probably not what I should have done .
The action was sitting off the bottom block a little bit and I could tell the action was sitting up higher then before . Not much but some . I was thinking that may be preventing the side ribs from clamping the action the way it was intended . What I did to fix that was sand down the bedding material about a 1/16" and by doing so exposed the bottom spine of the aluminum . I then used a thiner steel reinforced epoxy and bed the action again . By using the thinner compound . When I torqued down the action it squeezed all the new bedding material away from the spine and the final result is what you see in the picture . You can see the second bedding of the thinner compound . It's darker then the first coat of the putty . putty is grey-ish the other almost black
This is just to show when you need to fill large gaps the putty is the way to go . Really it would be good for any bedding but you will need to put just the right amount because it does not compress as easy . I explain below
This was all done before I ever shot the rifle with the bedding in . I used the putty stuff first and it was to thick for my receiver to pinch it down all the way or I did not apply enough torque to the screws . I only torqued it to 40lbs when doing the bedding .I used the original action screws and just put a bunch of release agent on them ( I used sizing wax , worked fine ). Savage said 40lbs on each screw so thats what I did . In hindsight probably not what I should have done .
The action was sitting off the bottom block a little bit and I could tell the action was sitting up higher then before . Not much but some . I was thinking that may be preventing the side ribs from clamping the action the way it was intended . What I did to fix that was sand down the bedding material about a 1/16" and by doing so exposed the bottom spine of the aluminum . I then used a thiner steel reinforced epoxy and bed the action again . By using the thinner compound . When I torqued down the action it squeezed all the new bedding material away from the spine and the final result is what you see in the picture . You can see the second bedding of the thinner compound . It's darker then the first coat of the putty . putty is grey-ish the other almost black
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Thick putty epoxy would not be my choice for exactly that reason. The epoxy needs to flow out as it's displaced by the action. I often use JB Weld but don't really like it because it's too thin, best is a "mayonnaise" consistency that'll cling to vertical surfaces and not run off.
It's generally not a good idea to torque action screws or studs tightly as this can induce stress into the receiver. It's been commonly done like that for decades, but most thought now is to use pressure evenly distributed across the action, by wrapping it with electrical tape (stretched), or surgical tubing around the stock.
It's generally not a good idea to torque action screws or studs tightly as this can induce stress into the receiver. It's been commonly done like that for decades, but most thought now is to use pressure evenly distributed across the action, by wrapping it with electrical tape (stretched), or surgical tubing around the stock.
reynolds357
New member
When bedding with putty, you need to get close to the right amount and pre form it a bit. Torque the action to specs, wait a minute, do it again, wait a minute, do it again. so on and so forth until the same torque quits turning the action screws.
QuarterHorse
New member
Well all I can do now is wait. 
I have tape holding the action, used kiwi on the longer bolts I ground the heads off of like guide pins, and she's setting up as of four hours ago. We shall see what tomorrow brings.
I have tape holding the action, used kiwi on the longer bolts I ground the heads off of like guide pins, and she's setting up as of four hours ago. We shall see what tomorrow brings.QuarterHorse
New member
Well I got home and with a little elbow grease I got it out! It wasn't perfect on the rear lug, but, I'm going to run with it as there is hardly any more surface area I'm going to get bedded anyway.
Need to get 'er all cleaned up, scope back on, and get some hand loads dialed in!
BTW I did float the rear tang just a touch. Not sure if it'll matter or not, but, I did it anyway.
Need to get 'er all cleaned up, scope back on, and get some hand loads dialed in!
BTW I did float the rear tang just a touch. Not sure if it'll matter or not, but, I did it anyway.