# Glass Bedding Rifle Service



## fattybinz (Jun 12, 2018)

Just bought a ruger american predator in 6.5 creedmoor and picked up a Boyd's stock for it. Boyds recommends bedding the stock. I think I can do it myself but I don't have a lot of time these days and would rather just hire someone to do it. Anyone know of a good gunsmith or any other type of craftman that will do that kind of glass bedding work in the salt lake valley?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I always thought bedding was something you did to a rifle that needs it. Have you shot the rifle yet? As the old saying goes, "don't fix it ifin it..."


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## fattybinz (Jun 12, 2018)

BPturkeys said:


> I always thought bedding was something you did to a rifle that needs it. Have you shot the rifle yet? As the old saying goes, "don't fix it ifin it..."


I have not shot it...but the manufacturer of the stock recommends bedding, so in my book I'd think it is something I should do. I'd like to develop a load for this rifle. I would rather just bed it now to eliminate that factor...instead of shooting 150 rounds and then wondering if it needs to be bedded.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

It's getting close to the hunts and you may not find a Smith willing to do it in time for the opener. The Smith I used a long time ago had a sign above his door that said "Lack of planning on your part doesn't constitute an Emergency on my part". 


If you can set aside an hour one day you could do it yourself if you feel comfortable doing it yourself. The issues I've seen happen to the "DIY" guys is, they didn't apply enough wax to the metal parts (action, barrel, trigger) and it stuck. I know some use tape and have had good luck, but you still have a void IMO.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I'm a gunplumber and I've chambered and rebarreled a few Ruger Americans. I like the integrated recoil lug. Saves me the pain of "timing" the recoil lug. Anyway, It might benefit from bedding but I doubt it. I'd shoot it first and see how it shoots. The American has a pretty wispy barrel so it heats up quite quickly. Be careful with that. If your groups are jumping around try tightening your action bolts to different torques and see if that makes a difference. And one thing to consider is....are you a good enough shooter to tell if it makes a difference or not? I've bedded a Ruger American at the request of a customer and it was easy. I just did the recoil lug and under the chamber. Good luck.


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## fattybinz (Jun 12, 2018)

longbow said:


> I'm a gunplumber and I've chambered and rebarreled a few Ruger Americans. I like the integrated recoil lug. Saves me the pain of "timing" the recoil lug. Anyway, It might benefit from bedding but I doubt it. I'd shoot it first and see how it shoots. The American has a pretty wispy barrel so it heats up quite quickly. Be careful with that. If your groups are jumping around try tightening your action bolts to different torques and see if that makes a difference. And one thing to consider is....are you a good enough shooter to tell if it makes a difference or not? I've bedded a Ruger American at the request of a customer and it was easy. I just did the recoil lug and under the chamber. Good luck.


I believe I am good and consistent enough of a shooter to tell when something other than me is off. The Boyd stock I bought came with a basic bedding kit, so I think I'm going to try to do it myself. Just going to do from an inch in front of the recoil lug to behind the lug, also the back lug thing, and under the chamber. Going to go nice and slow. When you set the action into the stock, how tightly do you screw in the guard screws? Do you put it just enough to hold the action in place, or to recommended torque?


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

fattybinz said:


> When you set the action into the stock, how tightly do you screw in the guard screws? Do you put it just enough to hold the action in place, or to recommended torque?


While bedding the action into the fresh accu-glass? I don't tighten or use the action screws. I tape the action tightly into the stock or, even better, I use surgical tubing and wrap it tightly around the stock and action.


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## fattybinz (Jun 12, 2018)

longbow said:


> While bedding the action into the fresh accu-glass? I don't tighten or use the action screws. I tape the action tightly into the stock or, even better, I use surgical tubing and wrap it tightly around the stock and action.


Oh, that is surprising to me. I thought I'd need to tighten it down to get the accu-glass to mold to the action's shape and fill every bit of space in the stock. I guess not? Can I just clamp it down (not too tightly) with these kinds of clamps?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

No its like RTV silcone. People mistakenly run a bead around their parts then tighten them down. The proper way is to apply silicon, mate the surfaces and just shy of "snug", then you let the RTV Cure. THAT makes the gasket and then you torque it down. 
Torquing things while the material is fluid just forces it out.

Make sure you use plenty of releasing agent on the action though... and fill in any holes or channels with play-doh or other types of puddy that can be easily removed later.

-DallanC


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

fattybinz said:


> longbow said:
> 
> 
> > While bedding the action into the fresh accu-glass? I don't tighten or use the action screws. I tape the action tightly into the stock or, even better, I use surgical tubing and wrap it tightly around the stock and action.
> ...


You can use electrical tape. That works pretty well. I would get some long bolts, like 4" bolts, that match your action's thread. Use those as guides to make sure your action and action holes line up properly. You can use all thread or a lag bolts... Cut the head off if a lag bolts and then use a Dremel or angle grinder to cut notches in the under side if the bolt. That way you have a way to unscrew the guide bolts when the bedding has cured. So you would put your guide bolts in the action, paint a layer of bedding onto the action AFTER applying the release agent (I like kiwi shoe polish), fill the areas you want to bed with an excess of bedding compound, out your action down into the bedding and stock with the guide screws going through the bedding, etc. After getting the action seated correctly and the barrel in the channel lined up, you would use the electrical tape at two points on the action to secure it firmly to the stock until it cures.

That's a small nutshell on how I do it. There's quite a few great tutorials on how to do it correctly on the web. If you send me your email address through PM, I think I can send you an ebook that has some good info in it.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Some pretty good advise here, but at the end of the day you still have to go out and shoot the darn thing. Trouble is you won't have any idea if it shoots better or worse than before you bedded it. You certainly don't need to shoot no 150 rounds through it to know if it needs work( glass bedding or other). It's like a guy trying to by a new car and taking it out and having a bunch of stuff fixed before he even takes it for a test drive. Bolt the new stock on and give it a try, then make a decision. You might even want to shoot a few rounds through it with the factory stock, just to establish some sort of basis to make decisions. What about this....what if the gun shoots bad when your done...then what. Was it the bedding job, the ammo, the new stock...??? OK, I'll shut up and stay out of this thing.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I'm late to this and didn't read it.. but there is literally a pillar bedding kit for the boyd's stock for your Ruger American that you can quickly do yourself. Since you have to install the stock anyways this step would be nill and add nothing to your journey.


Edit: I could be wrong but your stock may have even come with pillars?


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

fattybinz said:


> Oh, that is surprising to me. I thought I'd need to tighten it down to get the accu-glass to mold to the action's shape and fill every bit of space in the stock. I guess not? Can I just clamp it down (not too tightly) with these kinds of clamps?


You do have to tighten it down so it molds to the action's shape. Just don't crank it down like the gorillas at SLC airport baggage handling might do. I've tried to use those kind of clamps. Sometimes your action will "roll" to one side or the other after you walk away. Black tape or surgical tubing works better. Tape it down tight if you can.


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## rtockstein (Mar 17, 2019)

I agree I'd generally shoot it first. But Boyd's stock inlets are pretty rough. I bedded mine right away when I got it because I was convinced bedding it would help. Pillars weren't preinstalled though. Had they been, I probably would ha e shot it first


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