Pillar bedding: should pillars touch the action?

[Winny94]

Im trying to educate myself on pillar bedding and I can't seem to find a clear answer; should pillars be in contact with the receiver, or is it better to have the receiver cradled completely by the bedding agent (i.e. shorter pillars)?
Along those lines, since I'm not confident in my abilities yet; can I pillar bed first, then after that has cured, glass bed the receiver? I feel I can do each in two separate steps, but not simultaneously.

 

[philipbrousseau]

look at stress free pillar bedding on www. 6mmbenchrest. take note of centering barrel in channel. you can also epoxy in the pillars and later bed the action. what rifle & stock are you working on.

 

[philipbrousseau]

some people let the pillars touch the receiver and some like epoxy over the pillars. if you search the net you will find alot of good information on pillar bedding and i'm sure someone on here will give the answer to your question.

 

[243winxb]

.035 of bedding materials covering the top of the pillar, https://mcmillanusa.com/pillar-bedding-article-part-iv/ The pillers also keep the bottom metal from compressing the stock. Was a problem with wood. Maybe not so much with the new synthetic stocks.

 

[Winny94]

look at stress free pillar bedding on www. 6mmbenchrest. take note of centering barrel in channel. you can also epoxy in the pillars and later bed the action. what rifle & stock are you working on.

I actually read that article and the MacMillan article, which is what spurred thus question.

My first go around is going to be on a tikka in the factory walnut stock.

After that I have a Howa in a maple stock.

 

[J E Custom]

I am one of those that wants the pillars supporting the action and the bottom metal to prevent any compression of the bedding material.

I epoxy the pillars in first and level the action leaving space everywhere else for the bedding. (Same with the bottom metal).

The bedding holds everything in place and the pillars maintain the torque by not being compressible.

This method assures a stress free bedding that will last many years.

Just the way I pillar bed

J E CUSTOM

 

[243winxb]

With temperature changes, what expands/contracts more? Pillers or bedding material?

 

[WildRose]

I am one of those that wants the pillars supporting the action and the bottom metal to prevent any compression of the bedding material.

I epoxy the pillars in first and level the action leaving space everywhere else for the bedding. (Same with the bottom metal).

The bedding holds everything in place and the pillars maintain the torque by not being compressible.

This method assures a stress free bedding that will last many years.

Just the way I pillar bed

J E CUSTOM

This is the way I learned to do it and not only does it work well it makes perfect sense from a standpoint of the physics involved. It doesn't seem to make much sense to bother with installing the pillars at all if they are not going to be in contact with the action.

Both may work but only one makes sense to me so that's what I stick with.

 

[gohring3006]

This is the way I learned to do it and not only does it work well it makes perfect sense from a standpoint of the physics involved. It doesn't seem to make much sense to bother with installing the pillars at all if they are not going to be in contact with the action.

Both may work but only one makes sense to me so that's what I stick with.

I agree with JE and Wildrose, I want metal to metal contact with the action, pillars and bottom metal..

 

[J E Custom]

With temperature changes, what expands/contracts more? Pillers or bedding material?

With the two in direct contact and temperatures ranging within 100o, there is very little expansion of the bedding or the pillars and less in the difference. All materials have a different coefficient of expansion but I have not seen this come into play and as long as proper bedding compounds are used (Very little shrinkage during curing) and have metal particles of near or the same materials as the pillars, they will be almost the same expansion/contraction and not present any problems.

I have heard the expression "Don't over think it" and this is one of those situations in My opinion.

J E CUSTOM

 

[WildRose]

With the two in direct contact and temperatures ranging within 100o, there is very little expansion of the bedding or the pillars and less in the difference. All materials have a different coefficient of expansion but I have not seen this come into play and as long as proper bedding compounds are used (Very little shrinkage during curing) and have metal particles of near or the same materials as the pillars, they will be almost the same expansion/contraction and not present any problems.

I have heard the expression "Don't over think it" and this is one of those situations in My opinion.

J E CUSTOM

Technically correct and very well put. Metals will change dimension quite a bit with heating but not in the ranges of temperatures that humans can tolerate.

 

[bigngreen]

You won't see the difference in a hunting rifle, as far as I know it takes a top end BR competitive rifle to see the accuracy difference. There are two things that I've had mentioned to me, the transfer of harmonics directly from the action into the pillars if directly in contact which the bedding makes a complete material type change which seems to dampen the harmonics. The other is the compression strength difference between pillars and bedding material, an even thickness of bedding material will have the same compression and same shrinkage vs a pillar in the middle of it all which has zero shrinkage and compression.

 

[Pdvdh]

Gordy uses G-10 pillars, and has for a number of years now. Which is what I used on the last rifle stock I bedded. Eliminates both potential issues expressed by bigngreen. Ordered them from Brownells. Just slightly more expensive than aluminum pillars. And easier to work with than aluminum pillars for the home gunsmith.

That's what I'll be using going forward.

 

[bigngreen]

The G10 is interesting, I've seen it used as a bedding block and a lightening matrix in stocks, it has some excellent characteristics for this use!!!