Putting a new pad on a rifle I'm refinishing. The last couple I've put on I haven't been real happy with. The toe seems to not be tight to the stock and its been the same with all of the last few that I have put on. The pad I have been using is the Pachmayr Decelerator. Even with the screws tight there is a paper width of gap at the toe then back about 1.5 inches.
I don't glue the pads on but is that something I should be doing. Its a bolt action so it wouldn't matter. If so what the best way.
Also what is the best grit sandpaper to get the best finish when I sand the pad to the stock.
I don't know if I'm being very clear on what I want so maybe a couple of tips would help me out.
Thanks Tony

quote:

Originally posted by 257 Rock:
Putting a new pad on a rifle I'm refinishing. The last couple I've put on I haven't been real happy with. The toe seems to not be tight to the stock and its been the same with all of the last few that I have put on. The pad I have been using is the Pachmayr Decelerator. Even with the screws tight there is a paper width of gap at the toe then back about 1.5 inches.
I don't glue the pads on but is that something I should be doing. Its a bolt action so it wouldn't matter. If so what the best way.
Also what is the best grit sandpaper to get the best finish when I sand the pad to the stock.
I don't know if I'm being very clear on what I want so maybe a couple of tips would help me out.
Thanks Tony

Flip the pad over and "LIGHTLY" sand the bottom flat. The pads sometimes have a slight curve too them which require a slight sanding to make them flat. You should really do this first thing, but, if you are careful, and take just enough to clean it up, you should be okay as far as keeping the angles straight. If you do this in the middle of the job you will lose what reference lines you have scribed. I make it a point, now, to do this to every pad before scriobing and grinding to size.

I use 60 and 80 grit discs. On my belt sander I use 80 and 120.

I always glue them on. I use a two part epoxy and acrew them on and use some surgical tubing to put some force on the pad until it sets up.

One of the posters on here, who I respect greatly, also says to grind a slight concave to the end of the stock which will allow the pad to fit tightly when screwed on thereby eliminating that gap at the toe.

I know some guys that don't use screws they just glue them on. That way, when it comes time to replace the pad, you just cut it off.

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I know some guys that don't use screws they just glue them on. That way, when it comes time to replace the pad, you just cut it off.

yup.....I'm one of them!!!

Yes, but if you screw it on, all you have to do is insert a screw driver and unscrew it. No having to re-prep the stock, nor mix epoxy. Simple on, off!

Who said anything about simple?

Now I'm NO Smith or Stock Maker . I have how ever laminated , roughed out and refinished many many stocks .

I simply sand as close a fit as I can manage , then use an elastic polymer adhesive such as 3 M 5200 or Sika Flex 290 . Either in black or white depending on the base color and high lite line .

I just put a small amount of the adhesive on the base edge and put the screws in .

With masking tape around butt pad and the stock for protection , let set for 20-30 minutes or less ? , wipe excess off done deal . Completely seals adheres and blends perfectly .

Replacement ? razor knife around the edge remove screws yank the pad off !.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

I also sand the butt with a slight concave middle. Pad must be sanded perfectly flat first.

I am assuming your using a wood stock?

Sand the bottom of the pad lightly...

File the butt flat and I mean flat and level in all directions, this is time consuming and you can hurry it up a bit if you use inletting black on your recoil pad so you can see high and low spots.

You can use screws or black glass or both if you fit the pad to start with..If I use screws and glass then I have a press on a 6 ft. 1" pipe with wood faced steel jaws that I put the stock into and tighten it with the crank until the pad bulges a bit, let it cure overnight and you have a perfect fit. sand it flush with the stock and finish the stock and pad together.

Remember to use wax on your screws as they will be glassed in but will last forever with the glass in the screw holes and the wax will allow you to unscrew them should the ocassion arise..

Thanks alot to everyone. I don't post very much but I visit this site just about every day. It sure is nice when you have a question that some of the best in the world are so willing to help out with the correct answers. Again thank you very much Tony

I know dam little about gunsmithing if anything . I admit that and make no excuses for it either .

How ever I " Learned " something from some decent ones !. Some who used to Epoxy Butt pads on and some simply screwed them on . Right ? Wrong ?.

When newer elastic polymer adhesives were made available to the General Public and " Perfected " !. I found that was the " Trick adhesive " to use .

It compresses 50% elongates 400% , but no one would ever know by how it holds fast in place .

A small amount around the outer edge of what ever is being attached to the butt of the stock will HOLD FAST . It how ever can be simply removed by a razor or xacto knife run around the edges a few times . With some effort Pulled off the stock . It hardens well enough to sand but not Brittle hard !.

If any of you have ever built or have seen a wooden railing put up on a deck for an example .

The carpenters carefully cut half lap or miter joints where the corners of railings meet . What then happens when weather changes comes wood moves wood cracks or splits in these joints .

Not if the wood is dry and one uses a urethane or polymer adhesive in the joints . 50%-400% no splitting of the joint because it allows movement but WE never see it move .

Experiment with a couple of scraps of wood inside or out mate them with either of those two products I mentioned and see for yourselfs if it's not BETTER !.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

I have always re cut the wood stock but with a power miter saw, screwed the pad to the butt, and sanded the pad flush with the stock. I put masking tape on the stock so I know when to change to the fine grit belt on the sander. I use a belt sander in a bench vise. I keep my eye in the plane of the belt and rotate the stock while maintaining the stock angle with respect to the plane.
This works well for oil finish stocks. Just rub more oil on.