Have a Winchester 70 xtr with red rubber butt plate that is dented from standing in corner too long balanced on one part of the recoil pad. Can I heat the rubber in hot or boiling water and reshape it?
That's a good question, and it does not look like anyone has written back to definitively say "No, you can't."
Sheister came closest in writing "Can't really repair those.", but did not specifically outline any harm that trying your idea might cause.
I have not done a full search about the hot water bath option but seem to recall reading something about that.
I'm just thinking through what harm could come by trying.
I imagine the pad is kind of hard, so the holes through which the screwdriver goes might be a bit crumbly and end up looking worse.
If you submerge it in boiling water you might separate the black base from the rubber pad (maybe - I don't know)
If there is a steel plate between the red and the black that could get some rust if not dried out well.
But overall I'm thinking there's no harm in trying. I would take the pad off, screw it to a block of wood cut so it can be lowered into a pot so as just to submerge the dented portion of the pad in the hot water. Before putting the pad in the water, I'd bring the water to a boil then take it off the heat, then let only the dented portion soak in that hot water for a while, and see if it softens up a bit, maybe enough to be kind of "kneaded" around and coaxed back close to it original shape.
If you can't stand it as is it's worth a try - might work fine.
Rex
