Seeking guidance from experienced glass bedders

[Animalguy]

I bought a Bell and Carlson fiberglass stock for a Remington 788 that has been glass bedded with the action canted a few degrees. The cant wouldn’t allow the action screws or detachable magazine to line up. I’ve relieved the bedding at the tang and recoil lug to allow the cant to be corrected. I feel like I’m going to have to bed it in “phases” to get it right and fill in the previously goofed up areas around the action screws and trigger/magazine cutouts. I’d love to find an experienced person to guide me through this process and make suggestions for this situation, not just bedding in general.
I’ve watched some videos. I’m experienced in most manners of reloading and DIY gunsmithing. I’m not entirely ignorant, but not confident.

 

[ReservoirDawg10]

Remove as much as possible and look at it as a new bed job. Can't imagine doing it in stages to be of any good.

But, the best thing you can do, is just take it to Accurate Ordnance or American Precision Arms.

 

[Control for Smilers]

+1 on AO. they do very good work.

 

[rockyfatcat]

I bought a Bell and Carlson fiberglass stock for a Remington 788 that has been glass bedded with the action canted a few degrees. The cant wouldn’t allow the action screws or detachable magazine to line up. I’ve relieved the bedding at the tang and recoil lug to allow the cant to be corrected. I feel like I’m going to have to bed it in “phases” to get it right and fill in the previously goofed up areas around the action screws and trigger/magazine cutouts. I’d love to find an experienced person to guide me through this process and make suggestions for this situation, not just bedding in general.
I’ve watched some videos. I’m experienced in most manners of reloading and DIY gunsmithing. I’m not entirely ignorant, but not confident.

So the new stock wasn't right and instead of sending it back, you're headed down the rabbit hole. I like what ReservoirDawg10 said and look at it as a new bed job.

As it's already a fiberglass stock, glass bedding it again is essentially just another fiberglass repair. You said fill in the previously goofed up areas around the action screws and trigger/magazine cutouts. Does that means that you hogged out the bedding at the tang and recoil lug, and elongated all the holes?

If so I can see how you might look at doing it in stages, but the perfect glass bedding is a one shot deal that cuddles everything snug and immobile without inducing any extra forces.

If the action screw holes are that jacked up. I would completely fill and repair them first. Redrill the holes correctly so that when you reglass it you can do everything in one shot.

Redrilling the holes perfectly after the holes have been filled can be tricky. Think like a machinist and use a drill press.

 

[Animalguy]

Thanks Rockyfatcat for the information.
For clarity sake, this is a 30yo stock for a 50yo rifle that some soul bedded 20+ years ago.
I bought it, not aware that it was bedded, during negotiations. While not ideal being bedded for another action, I would use it as is, if it weren’t for the cant.

The previous gouging and hogging that happened when someone tried to make the cant work is the reason I thought I’d bed it in phases. I was thinking bed the action channel and lug and tang in one process and bed the magazine cut out and trigger cut outs and screw holes in another process to add back material previously lost.

The stock would be $500ish new and its for a seldom improved rifle. Trying to take advantage of a deal on a stock and make a welcome improvement over the birch that came on it.

 

[rockyfatcat]

Thanks Rockyfatcat for the information.
For clarity sake, this is a 30yo stock for a 50yo rifle that some soul bedded 20+ years ago.
I bought it, not aware that it was bedded, during negotiations. While not ideal being bedded for another action, I would use it as is, if it weren’t for the cant.

The previous gouging and hogging that happened when someone tried to make the cant work is the reason I thought I’d bed it in phases. I was thinking bed the action channel and lug and tang in one process and bed the magazine cut out and trigger cut outs and screw holes in another process to add back material previously lost.

The stock would be $500ish new and its for a seldom improved rifle. Trying to take advantage of a deal on a stock and make a welcome improvement over the birch that came on it.

I have a couple years working with fiberglass as a full time job. Why don't we look at this chunk of fiberglass as if it was made for a completely different action. Plan on performing good fiberglass layups to each of the damaged areas and start fresh.

Can you do vacuum bagging? Bagging will get the most fiberglass as densely packed as possible. After the fiberglass is cured you can machine out just enough material to position the receiver for re drilling the mounting holes.

Everything should be working toward setting up for when you do the glass bedding it you can do everything in one shot.

 

[Animalguy]

Just watched a vacuum bagging video. I’m not equipped or prepared mentally to start that.

 

[rockyfatcat]

Just watched a vacuum bagging video. I’m not equipped or prepared mentally to start that.

Vacuum bagging is optimal and my employer did not have us use it. We used polyester resin that you can get anyplace. My employer bought bolts of fiberglass cloth for us to use. Some people use Chopped strand mat. I am not a fan of Chopped strand mat. That being said, Chopped strand mat might be a good choice if you need to fill a long deep elongated hole. Might want to have some chopsticks handy to pack the long wet strings of Chopped strand mat down the hole.

When you go to lay it up. Plan everything out in advance and cut pieces to fit. Cut several more than you think you need, and cut a couple a little smaller and some a little bigger than you think you'll need. Get a piece of cardboard and lay out all the pieces in the order you think you need them. When the resin is mixed. The timer is ticking and you need to hit it and quit it. No time to do anything else.

Clean everything with acetone. Prep your area and with masking tape. 2" Tape is cheap and will protect anything you don't want resin on.

How about a couple pictures to see what you are working with?

 

[Animalguy]

Oversized and out of round action screw holes

I’ve already ground down rear tang bedding.

Trigger guard view.

Middle support wrecked and attempted to rebuild.