Bedding day. . .

[LongRifles, Inc.]

Well after almost four years I finally whipped up some resin and got a stock done. I took a small collection of pics to kinda illustrate the processes involved for how I do stock work. Many have asked over the last year or so and I promised someone at some point that I'd show it, so I'm making good on it.

Enjoy.

Chad

Set up: Telling the machine where the origin points are and getting the stock blank straight with the machine. Please excuse the barely visible explative language written on the one vice jaw in sharpie marker. I snapped a photo on my phone and sent it to an old buddy and I wanted him to feel right at home with my picture. (we verbally abuse one another at every opportunity)



Primary inlet: Getting material out of the way so the action has someplace to sit. Shown is the barrel channel being machined.



Checking the fit: The barreled action now sits in the stock. Everything is pointing in the right direction and at the appropriate height. The stock now comes out of the machine and moves into bedding prep stage. In this photo the action is actually sitting slightly above show line. This is because I had not yet removed the bolt stop on the receiver. Once removed the action sits half in/out of the stock.



Taping: it's too easy to slop bedding someplace you don't want it, so I get carried away with masking off the stock. Just easier for me this way. I have "pull tabs" that I remove once everything is in place. These tabs get the bulk of the bedding material off the sides making clean up much easier once it's time to pop the action out of the stock.




Action prep: Clay, clay, and more clay. Then spray on the release agent and install the pillar studs. Action is now ready for the goop.




Removal: I got a little ahead of myself. The action has been popped out and the deck surface of the stock has been rough sanded to bring the bedding/stock to an even finish height. From here it's back in the machine for the 2ndary inletting work. Side by side of before and after: This is a different gun of mine that I bedded years ago using the same method/procedure. Once finished the new stock will look very similar.



Completed top side 2ndary inlet. Now onto the bottom and then sanding, sanding, and more sanding. (I hate sanding btw)

[LongRifles, Inc.]

Here's the pic showing the top half done:

[tINY]

If she doesn't shoot, it's not because of the stock or bedding...



-tINY