Theres Gotta Be A Better Way To Make Bedding Look Nice!!

C

cl5man

Guest
I own a small gun-shop and primarily do long range hunting style guns. I've bedded a lot of stocks, I'm not a newbie. I prefer to use Probed 2000, not because i think it better than anybody else's but it just what I stuck with. When bedding stocks I have no problems with making the mating surfaces tidy, I struggle with making the top seem between the action and stock look nice. When doing wood stocks its easy as I can just sand everything flat and touch up with some sealer. When I do fiberglass I can't just start sanding as it takes the finish off the stock. Even if the stock is jet black it's pretty noticeable if theirs any sanded away finish. My procedure is to use regular duct tape up to the edge of the barrel channel, set the stock, wipe away any overflow down to the tape and make it as thin as possible. After wiping all excess compound away I use a q-tip with alcohol and gently wipe the seam all the way around. This seems to really smooth up the transition and looks really great when I'm done. Once it dries overnight is where I always run into problems. During the drying process the seem actually shrinks a touch and creates a groove, albeit a small one, but it makes the compound paper thin where it dries on the barrel. After removing the action the compound is nice looking but not perfect. I leave the tape on and try to sand the top flat but I always seem to rub just a little to hard or the tape is caught by the sandpaper and moves allowing exposed fiberglass to rub the sandpaper. What are some other methods of making this seem look perfect? I did some work on a McMillian bedded stock and it still amazes me on how good of a job they do. This stock was camo white, not a single mark on top anywhere. But i could see the sanding marks on the bedding compound so I know they sanded it down somehow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll be bedding a personal gun this weekend and try some new suggestions.
 
Try putting on 2 layers of masking tape, say beige on the stock and then blue on top of that. It gives a bit more bedding on top after the shrinkage and then cut with a small file instead of sand paper. I use about a 4 inch file about a 1/4" wide. It will not flex and will allow you to cut real close and not get too low also hold the file tilted down inside a bit. Cut until you have cut through the blue tape but stop on the beige. Just be sure not to let the end of the file hit the bedding inside on the other side from where you are working.

Sam Duke
 
What Shrinkage?

What you think is shrinkage is not. Most epoxies like this will flow a bit eventually and this can lead to low spots around the edges etc. It is just filling in voids that are somewhere under the action. Don't clean up the edges, use plastic tape on the stock and use a rounded tool to scrape of the excess, this will leave a fillet that can flow down to keep things topped up. The best way to put the initial bedding in is to have a smooth thick layer in the bottom of the stock that can flow up and out so as to not cause void and only in the stock, don't put epoxy on the action. A thick blob is easier to remove from the action than a thin smear. These are just cosmetic flaws that do not affect accuracy and after you pull the action and clean up you can put it back together and then fill these low spots from above so it looks good.
 
Bedding

cl5man
I have know way bedded as many stocks as you. I have also bedded with Probed 2000 and many other bedding compounds. I tape the stock as you have suggested. The best way I have found to prevent the shallow groove along the sides of the action is to let the bedding compound dry to a stiff paste then use a plastic butter knife to trim off the bedding compound. Use the rounded front edge to smooth the bedding compound level to a little high to the action in the stock. The plastic knife will not mar the stock or the action. (Cheap white plastic butter knife like McDonalds uses). I would like to know if and when you do come up with a better way to finish trim the stock bedding. There is always more than one way to do things.

Chet
 
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I cleaned up a wood stock just this morning. Same way as always, pull the action and file outwards until you are almost there and then 45 or straight across. Stop when you get really close to the stock and switch to 320 on a block. McM stock have a dull finish so it you end up with 600 will be fine. Hardest is a prefinished wood stock that you don't want to scratch. A ceramic scrapper is very handy as well but if you try to cut to much you will end up with a wavy surface. Never sand deeper into a fibreglass stock than you need to because you might hit a mine field of bubbles. To do this on a fibreglass stock does not take me more than 20 min.
 
bedding

I like what Mr. Robertson added. I also do leave it a little high and use a file a sand paper to clean it up after setting a day or more.
Chet
 
cl5man said:
I own a small gun-shop and primarily do long range hunting style guns. I've bedded a lot of stocks, I'm not a newbie. I prefer to use Probed 2000, not because i think it better than anybody else's but it just what I stuck with. When bedding stocks I have no problems with making the mating surfaces tidy, I struggle with making the top seem between the action and stock look nice. When doing wood stocks its easy as I can just sand everything flat and touch up with some sealer. When I do fiberglass I can't just start sanding as it takes the finish off the stock. Even if the stock is jet black it's pretty noticeable if theirs any sanded away finish. My procedure is to use regular duct tape up to the edge of the barrel channel, set the stock, wipe away any overflow down to the tape and make it as thin as possible. After wiping all excess compound away I use a q-tip with alcohol and gently wipe the seam all the way around. This seems to really smooth up the transition and looks really great when I'm done. Once it dries overnight is where I always run into problems. During the drying process the seem actually shrinks a touch and creates a groove, albeit a small one, but it makes the compound paper thin where it dries on the barrel. After removing the action the compound is nice looking but not perfect. I leave the tape on and try to sand the top flat but I always seem to rub just a little to hard or the tape is caught by the sandpaper and moves allowing exposed fiberglass to rub the sandpaper. What are some other methods of making this seem look perfect? I did some work on a McMillian bedded stock and it still amazes me on how good of a job they do. This stock was camo white, not a single mark on top anywhere. But i could see the sanding marks on the bedding compound so I know they sanded it down somehow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll be bedding a personal gun this weekend and try some new suggestions.
Click to expand...

One thing to remember about McMillan, they can cheat! :)

Since they built the stock they have the gelcoat right there in hand for touchup. I'm not saying they're not good, just that I've found evidence of touchup, with the original color..... something the rest of us just don't have access to. (Actually, not completely true, we DO have access to the gel, even the same color palette, but it's expensive to have laying around going bad.)
 
We used to do high gloss quality finishes. We sanded to 1000x and then used a couple of different grits on a wheel which ended up so you could do your tie in them. I don't wear a tie any more and it took a 10:1 employee ratio to find those that could do the job in a no pressure situation. Happily semi retired!
 
As to preparing the stock, masking, etc., and applying the bedding material there are a zillion videos on youtube. Some are good , some are great, and some are just there!
 
Get yourself a piece of delrin ( I used a round piece) Then get on your bench grinder and grind yourself an edge of your own design. I use a knife edge style.

Then you have a tool that you can use with sufficient pressure to trim the showline edge of your bedding while the action is in the stock. The delrin is stiff enough that you can use good pressure to cut through the SEMI-SETUP bedding. All this while leaving your barreled action in the stock to full cure. The delrin should not hurt the finish on the action or the stock.

I grind my edge damn near knife blade sharp to achieve a perfectly clean cut. After a few jobs the edge does get a little dull. A few seconds on the grinder and good as new.
 
I clean up as much of the over flow with blue paper towels and alcohol as possible.I like to wait until the epoxy is rubbery then cut it off . I use a piece of plexi glass that I break for the cut off tool . Usually use a piece of 1/4 in plexi and snap it in the vise (wear safety glasses ) this creates a sharp edge like a piece of flint . Can use it a few times the break another piece . I go to a sign shop were they will give scrap pieces away .

Also use a smooth mill file to draw file and high edges .

Chris
 
Clean-up

I don't worry too much about clean up while soft. It is important that the action is not locked in by overflow however. It is also easier to remove a big blob from an action as opposed to a thin smear when hard.
 
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