Recoil pad shaping question

[426nut]

Howdy, I am in need of a little advise. I recently lopped off section of my daughter's air rifle stock so that it would fit her a bit better. While I've been able to scribe and grind the pad down to the overall shape of the stock, I'm not certain how to do the final fitting without either scuffing up the stock or removing too much material from the butt pad. The pad is currently a 64th or so proud of the shape of the stock. What's the best technique for removing this last little bit without having to refinish the stock. I've played with the idea of taping up part of the sanding block so that it can glide along the surface of the stock while trimming the overhanging pad down but I'm sure there's a better way to do it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you. E.

 

[Doug Beach]

I don’t know what you’re using to take the pad down, but you could wrap tape around the stock and watch for when you touch the tape. This will get you within a few thousandths.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

I usually wrap the stock with some type of slick tape,(3M packing tape)then use a slat about the size of a paint stir stick with 220 grit or so stuck to it. Something about having a long, narrow strip of abrasive makes it so much easier, compared to using a sanding block.
Putting the pad in the freezer beforehand also helps it cut evenly when hand sanding. That's a Kick-ezz suggestion, not mine, but it works.
Good to put a bit of some sort of wax or something on the stock before using that tape. It's pretty grabby, and sometimes pulls finish up.

 

[powderbrake]

Keep the piece you cut off, so you can replace it when she gets bigger.

 

[Sniperhandle]

Buy yourself one of these jigs, It makes the job of getting the angle at the top and bottom of the pad easy. You scribe the pad with a sharp scribe after you screw it onto the stock. Wear a pair of Opti-visor's and grind the pad on the belt sander right up to your scribed line.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

A very sharp chisel! made from a 1/4 lathe bit. Tape stock and cut into recoil pad

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Yes to taping the stock. I use blue or yellow masking tape. But this job comes with the very possible peril of at least scuffing the stock if you try to get it too perfect. And I don't mean perfect but just close to it is dangerous territory doing this job. I don't know of a better way but practice helps maybe more than anything. Tough to get just right but really easy to mess up.

 

[zeke06]

Plus one on the grinding jig. I made one while at Colardo School of Trades and still use it. When I used to grind a lot of recoil pads, I was good enough I didn't even have to do any hand sanding to get a perfect fit. When hand sanding we also used lemon juice to help cut the rubber, pledge also works well.
It's a messy job so make sure to wear a mask and safety glasses.

 

[Riesel]

I've learned something from this thread and appreciate the OP for the question.
As far as the recoil pad goes, I would call that close enough as she will grow out of it in a year or so.

 

[DaveTooley]

I always painted the pad with a white grease pencil, mounted the pad and scribed a line with a razor knife. Grind until the line is gone and most of the time it took just minimal hand fitting with a file. Brownell's hanging fixture on a 10" disc grinder.

 

[Will Henry]

Two layers of masking tape . Grind through the first layer and smear the second. In the last fifty years, I can't even guess at how many pads I have ground. Stock modifications, including pad replacements, were a huge part of my business, through the 70's and 80's certainly. I don't do many now, but still do them the same way. WH

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Two layers of masking tape . Grind through the first layer and smear the second. In the last fifty years, I can't even guess at how many pads I have ground. Stock modifications, including pad replacements, were a huge part of my business, through the 70's and 80's certainly. I don't do many now, but still do them the same way. WH

Exactly what I do. It's a fine line between smearing the bottom layer and scuffing the stock though. Remember, this is free hand on a freaking belt or sanding disc. Real easy to screw up. Doing a good job of fitting a butt pad or making and fitting an aluminum butt plate are jobs that sound easy but are not at all easy to do well. Making a butt plate sucks, frankly. I've started using carbon fiber plate rather than aluminum on bench rifles. Looks cool and machines a lot easier than aluminum. A little lighter too, is another benefit when every little bit matters. We're talkin a file and sandpaper work here. Lol!

 

[ricco1949]

I use a jig like @Sniperhandle above.

I scribe the pad first and then rub baby powder in the scribe line to highlight the line.

I rough shape the pad on a 12 inch disc sander and do final shaping with a 1 inch belt sander. I found the belt sander to be much easier and forgiving for the final touches.

 

[Mike Kohout]

+1 on what Mr Tooley said, I would also sand the pad flat first and then use white shoe polish, then mount it and scribe my line. The Graco one also works good if you use a disc sander, I always use a 10" disc in 80 grit then finished with 180 and 220 grit by hand with a small blocktofinish, the Brownells is topnotch to use.
Mikey

 

[mikecockcroft]

Blue painters tape does not work well on a blue swirl fiberglass stock when fitting a recoil pad.
Yellow would have been better. Thank God it was my stock.