how to bed this?

[devildoc]

So I want to bed my A-bolt, got all the stuff on the way. I pull the stock off and see this.

http://a114.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/126/l_bb60a577ca51333b7cc7736161f41bc9.jpg

So my question is, how in the world can I stiffen up the forend without having to pour a whole pound of Epoxy in it? Bed a hunk of allthread rod in 1/4" of epoxy? Also (not shown in picture) there is hardly any clearance between the inletting for the trigger group and the rear action screw. so I don't know if I'll even be able to pour an epoxy pillar, let alone install an alluminum pillar. I'd really appreciate some advise on this one.

 

[jmden]

You might consider getting a laminate stock. But if the trigger is that close on this stock, it's going to be that close on any stock and that would seem to pose real problems for pillar bedding. Hopefully someone with A-bolt experience will speak up soon. Good luck.

 

[devildoc]

Maybe one day I'll be able to afford a nice new stock, but I'm a starving college student now. It was hard enough to come up with the dough to buy epoxy and release agent. For now I just wanna squeeze what I can out of this one how it is. After taking off the stock I'm amazed that It shoots as well as it does (~1MOA) I had to burn alot of powder to develop a load that shot that well though (probably would have been a good start on a new stock).

 

[royinidaho]

If it were mine and I were in your situation I'd go to the local farm/hardware store and get one (1) 1/4" electric fence post. They are about 4" long. Usually they are white and made of some kind of epoxy material. When full length they are flexible. Cut to 3 or 4" they are stiff. My last one cost me a dollar buck 50.

I'd dig out ,by whatever means are at hand a, slot that goes from the front of the void ahead of the recoil lug up the fore end for a couple or 3". That could give you as much as 5" of rod or so to cut.

Get some kind of epoxy, devcon, jb weld or whatever that will stick to both pieces of material. (I'm not sure that any of the ones i mentioned will?) Dab a little along the bottom of the void and the dug channel.

Press in the rod and cover w/whatever it is you choose.

If the flex point is where is is from my hollow stocks that should stiffen it quite a bit.

 

[devildoc]

Thanks a million Roy, that's kinda what I was thinkin'. I've read alot of your posts before and you seem to know what you are doin'. I've got devcon steel putty on the way. I think just to be safe I'll score the rod lightly to at least get a mechanical lock if the Devcon won't stick to it. I do have a rotary tool, so I don't think relieving a channel to put the fence rod in will be a problem.

Think I should just forget about the pillars? I've only got about 1/8" between the hole for the rear stock screw and the inletting for the trigger group.

 

[longtooth]

Fill the void with Styrofoam peanuts then cover with duck tape, then bed with epoxy like Accra gel, the plastic stock is stiff enough now, if you put in all this metal you are adding weight you might not want.

 

[devildoc]

Fill the void with Styrofoam peanuts then cover with duck tape, then bed with epoxy like Accra gel, the plastic stock is stiff enough now, if you put in all this metal you are adding weight you might not want.

What Roy was talking about was a fiberglass or epoxy electric fence post, no metal. I was talking about allthread rod, which would definately add some ounces. But I don't see much difference between a void and packing peanuts, I can't imagine how the epoxy wouldn't shift under recoil if the only vertical support it had was air and styrofoam.

 

[longtooth]

I probably didn't explain it correctly,
I use the peanuts or cut out a piece of solid Styrofoam to fill the voids to within 1/8 of an inch of the barrel channel. then I cover it with duct tape and duct tape the barrel with two layers of tape and cover with release agent or Johnson's past wax, make sure their are no wrinkles in the tape, then I use Accra gel to bed the action when that is dry I apply a coat of gel along the barrel channel and over the void, then reset the action and barrel in the stock. Clean up any gel that oozes out along the barrel and when its cured remove the barreled action, you know have a solid stock with the barrel free floated, if you want to solid bed the barrel don't use the tape on the barrel just release agent. The recoil will have no effect on the bedding your stock will appear to be solid but without much weight added. I have done this to many stocks and they have never failed me.
As to the pillar bedding of the rear action screw you can cut with a dermal or drill out the action screw hole to 9/16's but do it off center then cut a 1/2 piece of round stock to length and bed it into the stock, after it cures place the action into the stock and mark the location of the rear action screw and drill it out of the round stock, nothing says the pillar has to have the hole in the center.

 

[Dead Beat]

what long tooth is saying is hes makeing a tube out of the stock instead of a u shaped channel it's a boxed tube kinda like what they call a boxed spar on a airplane wing i can see were it will make a extremely strong and ridgid stock without alot of weight and if want a really strong stock use some carbon fiber ! LIGHT BULB

i have a tupperware savage stock when get back from my bear hunt im going to try it just for the heck of it and see how it shakes out

JIM

 

[devildoc]

hmmm, guess I have some thinkin' to do, on a horse sense level I think just bedding a rigid rod into the bottom of the stock is probably the best thing to do. On the other hand, I can see how the geometry of an epoxy gable forming kind of a keystone at the top of the void would be a pretty rigid structure.

but drilling out a piece of bar stock, in exactly the right place and angle so as not to produce any stress on the action is just beyond my capability. I don't have a drill press or a jig that would allow me to drill out the stock true enough to leave the action stress free. No way. I wish I had the tools, but I don't.

 

[blackco]

Just a thought...I'm sure someone could confirm or deny my idea, but...isn't something that is round more flexible than something that is square. What I'm thinking is if you are going to bed something in the stock, wouldn't aluminium square stock or even small angle be stiffer and lighter than all-thread for the same size. Or maybe even a piece of aluminium square tube in the channel.
I don't know, just a thought. Maybe not a good one.

 

[onzah]

maybe, maybe not

Just a thought...I'm sure someone could confirm or deny my idea, but...isn't something that is round more flexible than something that is square. What I'm thinking is if you are going to bed something in the stock, wouldn't aluminium square stock or even small angle be stiffer and lighter than all-thread for the same size. Or maybe even a piece of aluminium square tube in the channel.
I don't know, just a thought. Maybe not a good one.

THe stiffness is a function of the strength of the material and the shape. As you stated all thread is about the worst case scenario of stiffness vs. weight. A piece of pipe the same diameter as the all thread will be nearly as stiff and not nearly as heavy and will have the same stiffness in all directions. The same could be said of aluminum square stock. You would be better off using square or round tubing as the material in the center of the stock is not adding much if any strength or stiffness.

 

[300winnie]

devildoc,

Look at this thread. You may find it extremely encouraging. If there is anyone on this forum with experiences with A-Bolts it would be Jon A

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f26/pillar-intallation-browing-bolt-15152/index2.html

 

[longtooth]

300winnie
That link you posted says it all. If my directions on bedding the stock are followed it will look like the eighth picture down when finished.