Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Glass bedding - how to develop clean lines?

I've bedded quite a few rifles and am always looking for a better way to develop a clean bedding line in front of the recoil lug. I typically bed about 1" or so in front of the recoil lug. The compound normally has a parabola/tongue shape at its terminal point. I normally work with a sharp tool to create a clean, straight line. But this is a PITA.

I've seen folks end up with nice clean lines at the terminal end of the bedding compound in front of the recoil lug and am wondering how guys do that. I've seen a couple videos where guys tape the barrel from just in front of the action-barrel junction to the end of the forearm which leaves a clean line but looks to be a PITA as well.

What are you all doing to create a clean line in front of the recoil lug?

Thanks.

I have started putting tape one the stock and tape one the bottom side of the barrel (more than on on the barrel) . When you remove the action from the stock, there will be a line in the bedding at the top side (where the tape was on the barrel). I use a sharp tool to cut/scrap down to the tape one the bottom (tape on the bottom/stock side). The tape down on the stock keeps the bedding from sticking to the stock and make clean up way easier.
I am always looking for a better way to do this part of my bedding so I too am interested in hearing how other do this.
I know there are a lot of guys that do not bed in front of the recoil lug, but I do.

You can use a wide vinyl electric tape on the barrel.The bedding material won't stick to it.

It typically does not make a perfectly sharp line but I build a Dam of tape in the stock at the point I want the bedding to stop. this Dam needs to be thick enough to get you close to your barrel when inserted and tightened into the stock but not actually touching it. Now I top off the tape dam with some modeling clay which will compress as the barrel is inserted but somewhat prevent bedding material from flowing over the dam you have created with the tape. The trick is to get the tape dam as close to the barrel as you can without touching and this takes much trial and error. I attempt to get it so I can slide a piece of paper between the barrel and the dam when the action is tight in the stock, which means I need very little modeling clay.

Now it will still need some cleanup to look good because the modeling clay tends to stick to the bedding material. Using modeling clay that is the same color as your bedding helps with the looks somewhat. An exacto knife can be a big help at this point.

I've used tape and also a dam of modling wax from the dental industry.

Tape and clay , I use 3m blue tape.

When bedding a rifle in a wood stock, some of the things that need be done are a PITA..no getting around it. I seldom do it anymore. Composite with a bedding block now.

Tape and plumber's bowl wax. Lots of cussing.

Nothing. Let it flow, let it flow..... Actually, 2 of the last 3 that I've done have been full length bedding.

Just use tape and release agent. Its pretty simple really..

I did one 2 days ago that came out clean with a straight edge. Did not use tape other than to raise/center the barrel toward the fore end tip. I used a couple of coats of Johnson's paste wax, letting it dry between coats. Then I used a clay dam on the waxed area, making sure I had a squared off edge. After that I brushed more wax on the clay. Used Acraglass Gel.

Modeling clay dams.

I just take my stocks to a gunsmith as apposed to doing it myself. I don't mind paying for a quality bedding job because I know if I tried it wouldn't be this good.

Outstanding work.

In thinking about this & confronting the challenge myself this is what I think I’d do next…

In front of the lug at a location of your choosing, put down a tape barrier for a couple inches to capture the ‘forward overflow’

At the tape line junction, there will be a precise point where the bedding compound is no longer attached to the stock substrate & will be easier to trim back to that point with a razor knife skor.

I’ve not done this so I could be full of buckeye balls but I fully understand your question & have wondered about solutions myself.

Yes, scoring a line through the bedding where the tape edge runs works. You can then begin to pull the tape it will pull right along the scoring line. Sometimes you have to use an exacto knife to help it along.

Yes, that's beautiful!

That bedding is like a machined and polished aluminum bedding block, only nicer. Wow! He must have finished it on a mill?

Dingo
That is a fine looking bedding job for sure. If the rest of your smiths work looks that good, you have found a good one.