doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Air pockets in recoil pads

I ground an original red Hawkins with parallel slots, last week, and was very disappointed to find that there were numerous little air pockets in the rubber in the toe area. They did not show up until the final 1/16" of material removal. I tried to fill them with the rubber dust and cyanoacrylate, but it didn't work. Very disappointed.

Is this a common thing or a rarity?

SRH

Something like red silicone rtv gasket maker might work but doubt you will ever match the color so the repairs don't show.

I'll look into that, Sam. I'm doubtful about the color, too, but we'll see. Thanks.

SRH

There is a method of repairing this problem but you have to anticipate that this fault can occur. So now it has happened you will know what to do, and that is before you fit the pad cut off some of the solid rubber that is destined to be waste and ground off and keep it to one side. And if the worst should happen and you end up with some air pockets showing though I draw the line at repairing two any more I scrap the pad.
You select a drill size that will just remove the hole but it must be very sharp to drill rubber, next use a high speed low voltage drill something like the type that starts with D and ends with L. Drill the hole out to a depth of about one eighth of an inch next using a hole punch the type usually used for punching holes in leather and cut a small plug from the rubber you saved from the pad in the first instance. Make it slightly larger than the hole you have just made. Now run some Bicycle inner tube patch adhesive into the hole then work the plug into the hole while the adhesive is still wet, while wet it acts as a slight lubricant. Let it dry I leave it about 24 hours cut the plugs excess off with a sharp knife and finish with the abrasive as the rest of the pad. I will say that the repair is not 100% invisible but it is about 95% because sometimes the patch glue does not dry totally clear.

[quote=Stan]
I ground an original red Hawkins with parallel slots, last week, and was very disappointed to find that there were numerous little air pockets in the rubber in the toe area. They did not show up until the final 1/16" of material removal. I tried to fill them with the rubber dust and cyanoacrylate, but it didn't work. Very disappointed.

Is this a common thing or a rarity?



Use rubber cement instead... Mix the dust into the cement, until you form a filler...

I have tried mixing rubber pad dust with rubber solution and other adhesives for that matter, the outcome has always been the same the solution changes the dust usually to a much darker colour. The outcome of this makes the repair more noticeable than the original hole. This is why the rubber plug is a far less noticeable repair.

The weird thing is that the dust that I gathered up from the pad was already a different color. It was browner than the red pad.

The air pockets in mine are tiny, smaller than the head of a straight pin. There must be 15 of them in an area that would not total over 1 sq. inch. I may try some rubber cement, Gooser, thanks for the suggestion. I bought a tube of the red RTV. I'm just gonna squirt a dab out and let it dry to see what color it is.

Thanks all, SRH

Sam, that was a good idea. I tried some Permatex red RTV and it was a bit too red, but filled in the tiny holes pretty well with one smear. I wiped off all but that in the holes. Even so, the pad looks MUCH better. I'm going to buy a couple more different brands in hopes of finding one with a color that matches even better. Worst case scenario ............ I'll have lots of gasket maker!

SRH

I am sure glad it worked Stan. I have not used it for that specific purpose but have used a good bit of it on my '28 Model A roadster pickup and am using it on my '38 Stude.

You got recoil pads on them, Sam? I'd a never guessed that!!!

Thanks again, SRH