Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Disc or belt sander for recoil pads?

Any preference as to which one works better for grinding recoil pads?

As always, thanks for the info.

Disc.. Easier to work the stock around when grinding.. I've done most while mounted on the stock - some while mounted in the pad jig, but 95% of the time it's on the disc sander..

I just use my hand held belt sander.

But only because that's all I have. I think doing it with a disc sander would be far superior. Someday I've got to get me one.

I've seen a couple I believe done with a chainsaw....

either sander set in the verticle makes it easier to see what your doing i prefer the disk though

I've used both, hands down the 12" disk sander with a 2-5hp motor is the best.

Use caution the first one hundred you do. After that you will kinda get the hang of it. Use tape and just learn to kiss into the tape with a hundred grit disk. Finish by hand.

Watch out for the toe of the stock. that's what makes it or breaks it. I don't use a rest. Also have a good strong light source hanging over the sander. No shadows allowed here.


Make sure when you go to square the butt on the sander it's level, I test by standing the stock on a metal plate and stand back and look at the stock all around to make sure it is flat and level. Use a spot of glue to set the pad before you screw the two screws into the stock. I use a razor blade with the two screws run in backwards to mark the heads and use grease before I run the screws in from the back end. When I have the pad lined up, I tap both screws to mark the location and drill with a #31 drill bit. Takes me longer to type this out than do one.

Truer words never spoken. For some of the spongier pads (Limbsaver comes to mind,) a 60 grit disc works better.

Exactly - me either. I've got a 200 watt bulb directly overhead and the sander's positioned to get the light exactly at the junction of the disc/pad.. LIGHT, is EVERYTHING!!

Not much to add, a 12" disc is king. I get by with a 6" however. A few pics:






MtnHtr

Mtn Hunter, that stock design looks familiar. Pic #4, explain. Are you using wet/dry sand paper?

Wet or dry with lemon oil. Make yourself a small sanding pad with rubber sheeting and a piece of wood. Take the plastic base of the pad down close to the stock line. Sometimes one has to carefully re-grind the rubber to line up with the plastic base. The included instructions for grinding the Pachmayr decelerators is pretty accurate.

Best to do your pad grinding in the A.M., when you are fresh and alert. Don't grind pads late at night when you are tired, you don't want to fumble.....

MtnHtr

I use the 3M masking tape. three layers to start, then down to one layer before switching to scotch tape for the final.

I used to use the 60 grit all the time and one day I tried the 100 grit disk. I found I can grind into the masking tape a little safely?

When I get into the scotch tape, I'm going by hand. I don't use that fine of a finish vary often, only on vary high end stuff. For the few that are willing to spend twice the money.

If you had a video showing a pad being installed using a disk sander you would see some real gyrations to get the toe area right. The sides and the heel are easy, where the separation comes is the toe and the two lead in points (both side to the toe)

I did the same with my overhead light source.

I used to grind on one day of the week only, save up all my pad work till then. Filthy just isn't the word to describe how you end the day.


I have a five hp VFD motor, I have been meaning to convert for this job, every time I do a pad I swear I'm going to convert the darn thing. I'll bet you could run the RPM down for the final work on the pad and get a better finish. This drive and motor came off one of the cheap (news paper want adds special, 35.00 bucks tread mill) I highly recommend the near give away tread mill for VFD motors and controls. They make great grinder motors using wire wheels for slow rust carding. Or buffing. Caution they have huge amounts of torque and can get you.

I have a 12" disc and a 6x48 belt. I'd say I use the belt for 90% of all jobs. foredom rotary sander to chase it down to the tape, retape then use 220 and block sander, rarely taking it off the stock.

Good posting Guys....One question,if you wanted to round off the edges,say English style,how do you do it? By hand? buffer?

On the same belt sander, followed by the same procedure to make sure its nice and rounded symmetrically-

For pads other than Limbsaver, I ensure my shop vac is hooked up to the discharge chute of the sander.. Keeps things clean that way..

But those %#^@* Limbsavers - no matter what you do, that crap gets all over everything.. Just for the mess, lube necessity and aggravation, I charge an extra $5-10 when I have to do one of those..

I think I have done more of the English pads than any other. When ever someone asks I use a drum sanding roll on my old beat up Roto tool. it ain't fancy, but it works. Most of the guys that want this done are shooting clay. I have used them on my drill motor with good luck also. The pachmayr pads are already round on the top for the old English pad. You might want to look one over before you start sanding. The heel that normally caches clothing is vary round and I haven't had any complaints about that.