ned,

I will give you a fairly simple way and a tip to cut the pad almost dead nuts to the finish and if you work at it you can get it perfect. Grind the pad as mentioned on a belt sander or use a jig. Install the pad it you use a jig and inspect for excess pad and loosen the screws and push the pad to one side (there is some play) and then grind that side and do the other and the top and the bottom. Move it back to the normal position and check. If it is good in some positions, mark it with some white chalk and do not redo that area when you redo those sides if at all necessary. If you like and have some very small areas when it is almost done, do the chalk thing again and then push it to the side again and use sandpaper on the pad to get it down.



BTW, this process is for installing a pad on s finished stock as you can imagine. You did not say what you are doing or if you are refinishing the stock.

zlr, I come up from the bottom with a punch that will fill the hole and press up on the top of the pad. Then I use a very sharp knife or razor blade to cut a cross on the center. Use grease when put the screws in and do not screw them in with the pad on the stock. Push the screws home and gradually screw in both of them a little at a time. The cuts will blend right back together and be invisible.

Thanks guys. Sounds like I was doing everything right except for using decent lube. Guess I was worried about nothing in regards to lubing the pad.

Appreciate the help!

Take an ice-pick or some other pointed tool, push it through from the back side. I use chasey grease but vasoline or the like will also work to lube it. When you put the screws in lube the the holes again. Another tip is even if the screws are straight slotted heads use a screw-driver with the corners buffed round. But the lube will help the most.

I grind with a beltsander held vertical in a vice. Rap one layer of electrians tape and grind. With care and a couple of jobs you can get it really close. To finish a random orbit sander with a 100 grit disk will finish the job. With this sander one can cut into the tape and not go through.

Take your time and do a good job. Pedro

Dawn dishwashing liquid works real well also. Make sure that the screwdriver that you're using is nicely polished with no burrs that could cause the face of the recoil pad any damage. I always have one screwdriver that I've set aside for the job and that's all it gets used for.

Ray has the right idea about sanding the pad to the wood. Without using this technique, you'll never get the fit exactly right. I like to wrap the butstock in masking tape if I'm putting the pad on an existing finished stock as to protect the finish from the sanding. As soon as you sand down to the tape, you're basically done, but to really nail it down the right way, you should plan on refinishing the stock after the pad is installed.

By the way, this is sanding by hand with a wood, or rubber backup pad, not a belt sander.