Boyds and Acraglass

[grit]

Boyds stock-
I just purchased a thumbhole stock from boyds. The stock was virtual inletted. The stock required a little fitting: trigger gaurd mortise was too shallow. I had to remove some material from the front of the recoil lug recess, where the corers weren't square. I also had to open the barrel channel a bit at the forend.

The stock required finish sanding, 120 then 220. I finished the stock with a sealer and six coats of exterior polyeurethane. The stock looks great.

The safety is difficult to flip. Why isn't the safety on the **** trigger gaurd /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif?

My opinion: This is a very nice stock, requiring little work, and a fantastic value.

Acra glass gel-
I just bedded the barreled action in above stock. I found the gel easy to use. It mixed well, stayed where I put it, and made very little mess. I also used it to fix a cracked stock on a very cool remington 34. As everything is still setting up, I don't know how the release agent works....

I thought it a bit expensive for the quantity. There is enough for another rifle. I will bed a synthetic stock tomorrow. I will post results.

 

[Buffalobob]

Which thumbhole did you get? The varminter?

 

[grit]

The stock is for a sporter weight (not any more) winchester 70. I got the Ross.

I took the action out a while ago. The bedding job turned out very nice. A tense moment or two trying to break things loose. I left the magzine in to make a dam for the bedding. When I put things together I scraped a little glass into the magazine. The magazine was glued in. Fortunately it was minnimal, and broke loose with a rap from the mallet. No trouble cleaning the finished product. Now I can't shoot it for two and a half days. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[grit]

I bedded the synthetic stock this morning. I doubled the recommended quantity of bedding. The forend on this stock is skeletonized. I put three lengths of carbon arrow shafts in to stiffen things up. The void I had to fill in front of the recoil lug was huge. Will the bedding shrink or crack in such a large space? There is enough gel left to touch things up later if required.

 

[Buffalobob]

Grit
I am not the expert on bedding. I am like you. Always worried whether I can get it loose. I do some small amount of work with fiber glass. Which is about the same thing. Me and my son have been repairing the spare tire carrier on a vette for the last three days. Is is often better to lay up some and let it cure a day and then lay up some more and not try to get too thick a layer all at once.

Anyway I am glad everything is working out for you. I guess it will be August or September before my gun is ready. I am having the gunsmith pillar bed it, so there is only the outside work to be done by me. It is the thumbhole varminter.

Just a thought on the seven layers of poly you put on it. On a car too many layers will lead to checking where there is flex. Poly is a little more flexible and a gunstock is more rigid so you should be OK.

 

[grit]

I just finished the synthetic stock. I am very pleased with the results on both stocks. The bedding in the synthetic is a little more uniform, as my skills improved just a bit at guessing how much, and where. While the synthetic stock didn't stiffen as much as I'd hoped, I don't believe I could make the forend touch the barrel accidentally any more. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The bedding seems to be adhering to the synthetic well. I roughened all surfaces to be bedded. I also drilled small holes, and cut small undercuts.

There is no checking in the bedding compound anywhere. Nor do I believe any will develop.

The stock is a bit heavier. However, I didn't add as much weight as I'd expected, considering the amount of bedding I used.

I'm very happy with the results. I accomplished my goals. Time will tell how well the bedding holds up in the synthetic stock. Both rifles feel much better. And I no longer have to worry about the synthetic throwing a shot off.
Hope this post has helped someone. I got a lot of advice from this forum. Best forum there is!