grind to fit buttpads....

Hitzy

Hitzy

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Just want to say this was the first and LAST time I will ever do one of these.....what a friggin mess and stink...blech.
Used 3 different sanders..... stationary belt, hand belt, and palm sander. I'm happy with the results, it was one of the pachmayr basket weave 1" thick units....took quite a while to get it down, then very slow with the final sanding. I was refinishing the stock on this one, it would be a nightmare to try this on a finished stock you didn't want to wreck.
 
It is a tedious job that looks quite nice when done right.i agree that it would be better done outside but not always an option. Spraying the paper with wd40 helps. Had a very reputable gunsmith do one once and he made an absolute mess. Couldn't have taped it because he stripped finish off the stock.no more getting anyone else to do it.i can ruin it myself lol.
 
After you do a bunch it gets much easier. Many make too big a job out of it. Use a Gunsmither Tools type jig and back scribe the pad and fill the scribe with chalk. Use 80x on a disk and then finish it going along the pads with 120x on a hard block, making all the scratches go that way and disapear. Split the chalk line in half when you grind and keep it moving, if you try to grind in small facets it will really show.
 
Using a grinding jig makes the job much easier on the nerves as the pad can be ground off the stock so there are no HOLY #$%^ gouges in the finished stock. By the way none of the pads smell good when ground, maybe the manufacturers could add a nice pine scent. :)
 
Limbsaverver sent me a couple of pads to try. I used all the suggested tricks and gave on up on them. Kickeze grinds very well so that's what I use for a soft pad.
 
Didn't find the one I put on my 870, long ago, as being too much fuss. Used a belt sander mounted on a solid bench. Took about 10 or so minutes. No idea what grit paper. Wasn't recently at work in a metal fabricating shop. Likely fairly coarse.
 
I don't think the thinner pads would be such a pain.....this was a bigger stock and they only came in 1" size. The sides of the rubber sanded well and look good, no tear out or gouges. I was going to use the stationary for the initial grinding, but it only has one speed...fast, and it would just dust and smoke no matter what grit. The hand belt sander had a speed setting so it did most of the work. Ironically the stationary did a good final sanding due to the speed and how smooth it left the rubber.
I'll get a pic up once the stain I dry.
 
I always use 80grit sanding disc pads that fit in your drill. I get them at Canadian Tire. I wrap the stock with two layers of masking tape right to the edge of the wood. Install the pad and hold it in the vise then grid away at the pad taking it down until you just touch the masking tape. It takes a little judicious finesse at this point. But with the sanding pads in a small electric hand drill I find it gives you the fine control needed at this point. In my experience hand held belt sanders and bench mounted sanders just don't give you the fine control needed. Especially when your putting a pad on a finished stock and need to avoid scratch marks at all costs. This is not a 5min job. It takes a little time and patience to whittle the pad down just right to the first layer of tape. The pad when finished should be an extension of the butt stock. It should not flare or narrow in. It should follow the lines of the stock perfectly.
There are obviously other ways and better ways to install pads but this is the way I have done it for years as it has worked for me, and I have put on a lot of pads with no complaints thus far.
 
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I have one of those disc sanders and never crossed my mind for this project....if I ever do another one I'll give er a go!

Well I'm done with this is one...no collectables were harmed in the making of this rifle...well by me anyway.
Swede sporter done up in Europe somewhere, had a fairly heavy barrel installed, d&t, nice trigger, good crown job, decent work. Got a chewed up CG stock for it to accommodate the heavier barrel. Had holes and dents all over it, but was very nicely bedded and my action dropped in with some resistance, pretty tight fit actually. I did a soft refinish of the stock, it's a backup "gopher to moose" gun so doesn't need to look brand new. All in about $400 including the Nikon scope...and it shoots like a champ.

 
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