I've never seen pics of anyone bedding a Sako 85 with its crazy proprietary lug, and I finally decided to tackle mine. I've done quite a bit of bedding, but this is completely different. I'd really like to get some critiques from the pros... if you think this approach has problems, please let me know. If you've done a Sako 85 and would do it differently, I'd also like to hear that. The stock is a standard fill McMillan fiberglass (not Edge); the rifle is chambered in .25-06 but will eventually become a .30-06.
I had to think about my approach to this, as this design essentially introduces a third part into the receiver/stock equation. For the record, I don't like the design at all; it's a cost-cutting measure on an otherwise top-shelf rifle, and it's a PITA for projects like this. I decided that the best approach was to bed/epoxy the block into the stock as the first step, then skim bed the action over the block (and into the tang) as step two. It's a long story, but I had to reuse the old aluminum recoil block from the factory stock--that's why it's dinged up a bit (getting it out was a mother).
1) Here's the lug area hogged out to prepare the surface for bedding and prepped to make sure that the block sits flush on the pillar. The photo is washed out a bit, but it was roughed up pretty good, all the dust blown away, and then degreased thoroughly with denatured alcohol.
2) I rough sanded all of the anodizing off of the block to "etch" the surface, then drilled shallow recesses into the block to allow the Devcon to make a mechanical lock. I then cleaned up the holes and gave it a good degreasing. Right before inserting the block into the Devcon, I took a flexible putty knife and firmly pressed Devcon into these holes, filling them before setting the block into the lug--this reduced the likelihood of getting voids in these recesses. As the Devcon surrounds the block, it'll cure against the Devcon in these voids and create a mechanical lock (I think).
3) Here's the sanded block, sitting in the prepped area so that I could gauge how much Devcon I'd need. You can see that I left room on each side for the bedding compound to surround the edges and lock into the recesses.
4) After Devcon was pushed into the lug area and onto the flat, I inserted the block, cleaned up the ooze, and used a large machine screw and bolt (coated with release agent) to ensure the block was making firm contact with the lug and stock flat. Not a lot of torque here, just a bit more than finger tight.
5) Here's the finished product, before I skim bed over the top and insert the action. Everything lines up nice, and I managed to clean up the ooze.
[img]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/redoakoutfitter/null_zpscdca72f0.jpg[/img]
** One thing I didn't do was screw or otherwise mechanically "fasten" the block to the stock flat along with the bedding compound. So, the weakest link in this system is the Devcon's bond with the stock itself. Given my experience with Devcon, I don't think it'll be an issue, but we'll see. In the factory stock, the block fits with a very firm press fit and probably wouldn't come out in a thousand years. This older style block really doesn't lend itself to screwing like the newer one, so I decided that it probably wouldn't be an issue as long as block was flush against the pillar and otherwise bedded perfectly flat. We'll see.
Here's a pic of the bedded block looking up through the floor plate access.
[img]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/redoakoutfitter/null_zps892be917.jpg[/img]
More pics as I finish the skim bedding...
I had to think about my approach to this, as this design essentially introduces a third part into the receiver/stock equation. For the record, I don't like the design at all; it's a cost-cutting measure on an otherwise top-shelf rifle, and it's a PITA for projects like this. I decided that the best approach was to bed/epoxy the block into the stock as the first step, then skim bed the action over the block (and into the tang) as step two. It's a long story, but I had to reuse the old aluminum recoil block from the factory stock--that's why it's dinged up a bit (getting it out was a mother).
1) Here's the lug area hogged out to prepare the surface for bedding and prepped to make sure that the block sits flush on the pillar. The photo is washed out a bit, but it was roughed up pretty good, all the dust blown away, and then degreased thoroughly with denatured alcohol.
2) I rough sanded all of the anodizing off of the block to "etch" the surface, then drilled shallow recesses into the block to allow the Devcon to make a mechanical lock. I then cleaned up the holes and gave it a good degreasing. Right before inserting the block into the Devcon, I took a flexible putty knife and firmly pressed Devcon into these holes, filling them before setting the block into the lug--this reduced the likelihood of getting voids in these recesses. As the Devcon surrounds the block, it'll cure against the Devcon in these voids and create a mechanical lock (I think).
3) Here's the sanded block, sitting in the prepped area so that I could gauge how much Devcon I'd need. You can see that I left room on each side for the bedding compound to surround the edges and lock into the recesses.
4) After Devcon was pushed into the lug area and onto the flat, I inserted the block, cleaned up the ooze, and used a large machine screw and bolt (coated with release agent) to ensure the block was making firm contact with the lug and stock flat. Not a lot of torque here, just a bit more than finger tight.
5) Here's the finished product, before I skim bed over the top and insert the action. Everything lines up nice, and I managed to clean up the ooze.
[img]http:/
** One thing I didn't do was screw or otherwise mechanically "fasten" the block to the stock flat along with the bedding compound. So, the weakest link in this system is the Devcon's bond with the stock itself. Given my experience with Devcon, I don't think it'll be an issue, but we'll see. In the factory stock, the block fits with a very firm press fit and probably wouldn't come out in a thousand years. This older style block really doesn't lend itself to screwing like the newer one, so I decided that it probably wouldn't be an issue as long as block was flush against the pillar and otherwise bedded perfectly flat. We'll see.
Here's a pic of the bedded block looking up through the floor plate access.
[img]http:/
More pics as I finish the skim bedding...