I'm going to install a kick-eez sporting clays recoil pad to lengthen the stock on my Beretta 682 Gold Sporting O/U shotgun. I'll make a "guide" for my sanding wheel first, so the pad follows the lines of the stock. I'll put a layer of paper/masking tape over the wood to prevent marring the finish. Then I'll finish it up with a file or sanding block masking the stock with scotch tape.

Kick-eez sells a kit to make the outside of the sanded surfaces smooth again, but one project doesn't justify the expense. What other chemicals can achieve the same effect on kick-eez pads (acetone & rubber cement for example)? Any other tips or advice are appreciated. Thanks - John

BZ,
Just freeze the pad and be sure its frozen before you start grinding, and install it like any other pad...They are hard to finish up with sand paper and file.

remember that they will tear and chunks will break off of them when mishandled even a little bit...thats why I don't use them..they just don't take the kind of field use I give a shotgun or rifle.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Sounds like it needs to be wrapped in a hand crafted leather cover, and glued into the edges... Or something like that.....
Scout...

I use the plumber's tape for protecting the stock, comes in 10mil or 20mil. sure-shot

Beelzebubba

When sanding Kick-eez pads under power I use a flat belt sander with 60 grit for 90 percent of the shaping, then switch to 320 grit at a slow speed. I have never found any reason to do any thing special like freeze them, just go slow with a light touch to avoid over heating the material.

For the final hand work use 320 grit wet/dry paper with a small square of hardwood for backing with a little water for lubricant. It doesn't tear and produces a smooth finish.

The product you are describing that Kick-eez sells is probably the Slick-eez. It dries to a very smooth and slick surface. It's designed to be applied to the heel of the stock to prevent catching on your clothes when mounting the gun. It gives the same results as using a sporting clays pad with the hard plastic insert in the heel of the pad.

A little trade secret: When you are through shaping the pad, clean it with a little rubbing alcohol then apply some Armor All. It will make the pad look very nice.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm confident it will look nice when finished. Craftsman, do you think lightly buffing it with a muslim wheel before using the alchohol/armor-all would help? - John

I never tried buffing a pad. I always got a smooth finish with 320 grit wet/dry paper and a little bit of water for lubricant (recomended by Kick'eez).

Craftsman,
I didn't mean to indicate that freezing was an absolute necessity, but it does help me to get a much nicer finish on the pad and speeds up the process...It will also keep those agrivating litte tiny pits to a minimum, on other pads...It is widely practiced in the industry I understand...I got the idea from Jack Belk and Bill Dowtin and tried it.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray,

I probably wasn't very clear when I mentioned not freezing pads. I did not mean to imply your technique wasn't a good one. I intended to say that since my pads turned out pretty smooth it never occurred to me to try anything differant.

As you know there is more than one way to skin a cat especially in Texas. I never have thought of any of my techniques was THE way to do it, I always thought of it as just A way to do it that has worked good for me.

Good Shooting & Good Hunting

Craftsman

Freezing does help produce a better finish on these god awful pads.

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NRA Life member

Kickeeze pads have served me very well on all of the shotguns I and many of my friends compete with. Craftsman has given excellent instructions-follow them.
BUFFING WHEEL- I have done this but be careful-It will remove material quickly and NOT evenly (sorbothane versus the plastic plate)
TIPS-My methods follow craftsman's to a tee but when I am done I usually wrap the pad with (3M colored) electrical tape so that the soft top of the pad does not catch my shirt. I have never had any of these pads come apart (chunk) and have some that have endured many TENS of thousands of rounds.