Last time I did it I ran into some problems. Got it done (using a jig, the shape and fit was fine but finish wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. Spent considerable time finishing by hand. Any tricks the pros care to share to make the job easier?

Freeze it

regards
S&F

A freezer and a bench belt sander are your best friends. This is how I do Pachy's, but I'm sure that LS should be similar.

I hadn't had much luck getting them frozen and better... use a little coarser pad/disk/belt tham you normally would.

AS strange as it sounds, going to a coarser grit does make the pad finish smoother. I think the finer grits slower cutting action causes you to push the pad into the sander with more and more force. Pushing harder deforms the pad material. The extra force deforms the pad causing chunking and the finished surface ends up looking anything other than straight. I've not had to freeze a pad since going to coarser grit. I do sometimes have to touch up with a finer grit when final shaping is completed.

Thanks guys I'll try the courser grit trick.

I agree with the “coarser is better ideaâ€. I’ve found an 80 grit belt (on my 6x48 belt sander) to work well on the softer pads. I think the more aggressive cut outweighs the grabbing, smearing action of the less aggressive or worn down grit. Keeping the belt (or disc) clean helps also

keep the belt clean and use a brand new sharp belt.

And now for the number one trick, keep the pad wet with WD40 or Kerosene. In a pump bottle. It helps to have a powerful dust collector close to the disc and an explosion proof motor when using WD-40 or even Kerosene. Seriously! Wear a good face mask and respirator.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:
And now for the number one trick, keep the pad wet with WD40 or Kerosene. In a pump bottle. It helps to have a powerful dust collector close to the disc and an explosion proof motor when using WD-40 or even Kerosene. Seriously! Wear a good face mask and respirator.

I second Westpac. The WD40 works well for a better finish. Plain old tap water will work too. I'm not sure which is best.

The respirator is a must for me, too. When I first got started, I did a few pads without it. It took days to get that stuff out of my nose. I figured that can't be good for me in the long run. I take the same precaution when buffing metal on a wheel.

If you are using a disc rather than a belt here's a thing that will help with the softer pads. One side of the disc is going up, the other side going down. Do all your cutting on the side that is travelling upwards. It will help preserve the lower edges of the pads.

I have been grinding recoil pads for years, but I have Limbsavers on a couple 300WMs, a 45Colt, and a 338WM that I did not grind but left over sized.

The reveal is covered up with cartridge carriers slipped on the butt.


This one with a pouch and a cheek pad is from Eagle industries, but there are many others available.


The way a recoil pad works, according to me, is to spread the rifle mometum's impact on the shoulder over area and time, so that the peak pressure is never high enough at any point on the skin to trigger the pain response in the nerves. The pad is a shock absorber [time], a pillow [fit], and a wide foot [area].

What does it all mean?
Leave it unground with more area on the shoulder and it works better to prevent pain [I figured this out independently].
If it looks bad or hangs up when shouldering, cover the crack with a cartridge carrier [The sniper community figured this out and I copied].