Old recoil pad - rejuvenate??

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Potashminer

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I have a couple 50-ish year old rifles with recoil pads that have gone, or are going, hard. They have original maker's logo's on butt, so was wondering if they can be salvaged? I am assuming that something of original material is evaporating? If so, is it possible to soak these things (in something?) to rejuvenate them, or are they toast??
 
Never tried this however told by an old gunsmith that they will rejuvenate by soaking in linseed oil. nothing to lose by giving it a try.
 
Don't do linseed oil, it won't penetrate and never drys.

You could try Varsol.... for a day or two and see if it does anything... if it doesn't - add a match.
 
After a couple hours on internet, I think my assumption was wrong - not something "evaporating", more likely rubber compound is combining with oxygen/ozone - producing longer polymers - next stage should be crumbling - and I see evidence of that. So, not likely reversible at all... Sounds like "add a match" might actually be correct!!
 
Rubber Renue by MG Chemicals Ltd, 210 Corporate Drive, Burlington OntarioL, L7L 5R6, 1-905-331-1396. Check it out it should to the job
 
six said:
Rubber Renue by MG Chemicals Ltd, 210 Corporate Drive, Burlington OntarioL, L7L 5R6, 1-905-331-1396. Check it out it should to the job
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I would try this, I restore vintage stereo equipment and this stuff works good on old rubber belts from tape decks and turntables. Never tried it on a recoil pad but always thought I would give it try on one if I ever need too.
 
six said:
Rubber Renue by MG Chemicals Ltd, 210 Corporate Drive, Burlington OntarioL, L7L 5R6, 1-905-331-1396. Check it out it should to the job
Click to expand...

it will remove glaze from the surface, but likely not much else. I doubt it would soften it, and you'd have to use an awful lot of it to soak a recoil pad. I used to use it to clean the pinch roller on my Revox B77 open-reel tape deck back in the day. Still have part of a bottle; must be 30+ years old. Current price from a local supplier (Vancouver) is $12.70/125 ml and $63.40/L.

And it REEKS of oil of wintergreen- have good ventilation!

Ahhh... I see "Northshore" has had similar experience with it :) And "Butcherbill". Maybe it IS just Oil of Wintergreen!
 
The very best way to rejuvenate a recoil pad is to take it off and replace it with one which is not hard and crumbly. I don't think I have seen a hard Pachmayr pad. I know I have a couple which are close to fifty years old which are just fine.
 
ninepointer said:
This is one reason I'm wary of synthetic stocks adorned with rubber grips and racing stripes.
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Those synthetic stocks will have a much longer life than those old red, orange, black and brown recoil pads. Those old pads were made of natural rubber, and contained volatile plasticizes, when a two stage injection molding incorporates a "rubber" over molding, the material is not "rubber" but a two part urethane; this is the same stuff that they use to bond a steel frame to glass when making sunroof glass panels, shoe soles, foam in car seats; padding in dash boards, mud-flaps, automotive floor mats etc.; extremely resilient and chemical and heat resistant.
 
yomomma said:
Wintergreen, grows everywhete on my property, makes a nice tea
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I have a spare original set of carb intake boots that are nla new from Honda that I soaked in WG oil going on 5-6 years that are still soft and pliable, before treating them they were rock solid. Wintergreen really works well to soften up old hard rubber.
 
I've used xylene to "rejuvenate" the rollers in a thickness planer - worked 'OK' incidentally that is with rubber renew is made of ~ about 90% it works great on cleaning up 'grind' to fit red and black butt pads.

I think you are wasting your time trying to restore a hardened pad to reusable state - call up someone who does restorations of this type.
 
Butcherbill said:
Wintergeen oil rejuvenates rubber, I’ve used it to soften carb boots on 70’s motorcycles. It works long term, should work on a rubber recoil pad.

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Interesting thread and a solution to a problem I've contemplated many times. I wonder if it works on tractor tires? With the impending purchase of four new radials, the rears being almost 2g each... I might be massaging the new set with this tincture annually. Wintergreen grows on my farm as well, though I'd prefer purchasing commercially produced oil rather than raping my place of all traces. Magic plant: a little chew on the leaves or berries and the mrs. likes the kisses.. then go seamlessly into tire rubdown.
 
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