doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Grinding a recoil pad

To get the stock flat I use a chunk of "C" channel that I had surfaced planed at a machine shop. I use a belt ( about 120 grit) that I cut and clamp to the steel. You can really get a stock end flat by pushing one end forward and then turn the stock sround and push the other end getting the bottom of your had as close to the sand paper as possible while pushing the stock.

Works for me.

Regards, GOrdon

Good tips from everyone. Kensal has it right, stop when you get close and do the rest with a file and emory paper/sandpaper.
I made my own jig for doing recoil pads. I've found out that most of the stocks I have done laying a bevel guage on the top of the stock the angle is 7 deg. and the bottom is -15 deg. So you have to set the bevel on your disc sander at 7 deg. towards the disc and for the bottom you have to drop the table to 15 deg.
I put the pad on the jig upside down so that I can see the line and stay close except for the bottom, I leave more because of the long taper.
Tedious work and no room for error.

I freehand it off the stock the way George and Chuck do it. Usually spray the back flat white so I can see the scribe line. Dull belt or disc grabs and drags on the toe of squishy pads (Kickeez). I should freeze them but never do. I like Decelerators but you need to know where the internal frame is. I also "shoot" the butt a la Gordon's method but with a 4X24 abrasive belt over two plywood blocks (3/4 X 4 X 10 approximately) tensioned by shims (masonite, plastic laminate driven between). I'm not a perfectionist. I think it should be faired to the lines of the stock and look good from 2' away; a 64th high all around doesn't bother me much so I file or block sand to two layers of brown paper tape and then wet sand. Consistently high is better than proud some places and undercut others and having a pro do it is better than whacking a good stock finish.

jack

I grind them on the stock, 2 layers of masking tape and grind through the first layer.....yeah its touchy, but I like the results best with this method. No room for day dreaming though. It only takes a few minutes with some 320 and oil to kill the last of the lip.
Steve

When I was putting pads on Mossbergs to M-12s, I would never think of taking longer than about 1 1/2 hrs for a pad job nor would I give any type of hand sanding a thought. I was getting $20 for the installation and often could install a pad to 'factory' standards for these working guns in just about an hr if I was diligent. I was putting on standard diamond vent pads and they were not the soft variety. They sand easily and don't take as much dilly-dallying. One grit, 80. Everyone was happy. My point is, the amount of effort should be commesurate with the quality of the gun.

All of these guys are giving fantastic info. You'll just have to figure out the way to do it with the equipment you have. I screw the pad onto the gun and use a pencil to go around the pad. The lead is hard to rub off when I am grinding/sanding. Some people use a scribe and fill the line in with chalk. Either way, like they said, when you get close, do the rest by hand. (I started doing pads by locking my Sears beltsander in my vise upside down at 45* angle and locking the trigger on using the lock button. Then I would plug it in. Now I use a vertical beltsander.) The more time you take, the better the job. I use transmission fluid, like Yeti. I pour some in the cap and rub it on the pad with my finger in the place I want to sand. It keeps the pad from coming apart in chunks and you can use pretty coarse sandpaper and it still looks smooth. That way I don't have to freeze them. Take your time and when you do the heel/toe, make sure you go slow and get the angle right. Keep checking by screwing the pad on the gun to check your progress. Let us know how it comes out. Good luck.

Thanks for the feedback. I've already got the 8" disk/belt grinder so I may try freehanding a test pad before ordering a jig. It seems pretty straightforward but those are the most dangerous projects.

Buy the Jig!

Do yourself a huge favor and invest in the jig. I can recommend the B-Square jig. If you follow the instructions you will be amazed at how professional a job you can do the first time, without risking harm to the stock in any way. Trying to grind the pad on the stock, especially the first time, is inviting disaster. A minor nick in the finish is no big deal, however, it is way too easy to cause a major gouge in the stock with a slip-up. This usually occurs while you are trying to shape the toe- line as you are working around the curve and at an odd angle. You can find yourself with a gouge in the wood so severe that it harms the lines of the stock because you will have to remove so much wood to correct the gouge.

The above is from the School of Hard Knocks 101.

Best,

Dan

I guess it really comes down to your skill level and how many you are going to do. I do lots and lots of pads and to me the only way to get that perfect look is to grind it on the gun. Another tip is to mount your sander low so you can look down on your work and keep the belt parralell to the stock at all times. you could also practice on lesser quality guns. Everyone has a prefference, I was taught from the begining to fit them on the stock. Its not hard, just dont loose your concentration.
Steve