Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Bedding a wood stock with out pillars

I don't know how to put in pillars but I was contemplating glass bedding a wood stocked weatherby vanguard. Would you glass bed it if you weren't able to put in pillars???? What say you guys??? It would be my first bedding job.

For your first try, it is probably ok to go without pillars. Even asking the question means you know it will be less stable than if you did pillars, but it will be better than nothing. If you are willing to accept that, then give it a shot. You could drill out around the screw holes and do a cast pillar rather than aluminum. Just make sure the barrel is free floated and all wood is well sealed.

It would be better is you could find someone local to teach you how to do it with pillars.

With good bedding compound? Sure. Devcon is the cat's azz.

You can definately bed a wood stocked rifle without pillars. I've done it many many times.......Make sure you have everything you need before you start. You don't want to start and find out you left the Q-tips in the bathroom medicine cabinent. Make sure you use plenty of good release agent in all the necessary spots and use some good blue painters masking tape on the areas where you don't want bedding compound. If it is your first try at it you may end up getting it all over the place (hopefully not but sometimes it's just like that on your first attempt). Read through some gunsmithing books and look thru recent threads here on bedding. Ask guys like Karnis, northern dave, and others here that have done it many times for cheap tricks and tools of the trade. Karnis uses a sharp stick to cut away the excess after it has stiffened up a bit (works great). I told Karnis I use a sharpened turkey call striker because they are very comfortable and most of the time made out of hardwood. Are you going to be freefloating the barrel while you are at it??

Yes, I will be free floating the barrel. Just nervous about getting things started. I hope to not make a huge mess. I am just wondering how you keep the action and tang threads from getting all gunked up with bedding compound???

Modeling clay.

Pics are worth a thousand words:




I know this isn't a weatherby but it would be the same concept. They make alignment rods that screw into the action screw holes or you could go cheap like I've done (as pictured). Forster makes a nice set that I use now.

RatherB,

pillars were never considered a necessity until pliable and flexible composite stocks became common.
the pillars are simply to give bedding stability to a base which could be compressed by the force of the action screws, which is unlikely in a wooden stock...

If you wrap tape around the portion of barrel that comes out of the forearm before you start, it will center the barrel in the barrel channel.

Nowdays I just bed around the rear screw, the front screw recoil lug area, and the first 1" of barrel, not the whole action.

No need to panic, the bedding material does not set up faster than you can work it.

You can cut the apprehension in half by just doing half of the work in one setting. I would just bed the rear screw first with the barrel centered in the barrel channel.
Next day bed the front screw recoil lug area.

I agree with Straydog. It is easier, especially on your first go, to do the job in sections. It will also give you an idea of just how long it takes the material to set.
If you're not buying an entire kit, Johnson's paste wax is a good release agent.

I'm not sure what kit to get. I have hornady spray lube for reloading (one shot) I think it's called. I've thought about using that for the release agent...???
Also...would you remove the trigger mechanism and bolt when bedding?
What about the magazine box and spring that shoves cartridges up??? I'm assuming I remove those also??
And lastly, should I dremmel some holes in the wood to give the bedding something to grip???

What you should have for your maiden voyage into bedding , is a bedding kit from Brownells , or whoever . One shot should work fine as a release agent . You need to remove a little wood from where you are bedding and rough it up so that there is a good bonding surface . You are also going to want some modeling clay to fill the voids where you don't want bedding compound . applying release agent wants to be your 3rd from last step . after clay and before bedding . If you can remove the trigger ( and reinstall it ) it's never a bad idea . Remove the mag box and follower , and bolt .