I am ordering a Kickezz in a bit to fit onto my gun.

I have a shop and can do the job, but...have no belt or disk sander and no need/want for either.

I do have a good RO sander and have a gazillion hours behind it freehand on all kinds of shapes.

For grins, I left on a 40 grit disk and tried it out on my current pad, it seemed to cut nicely and removed material well - easy enough, I think.

Anybody have objections here? As my new stock is currently only rough sanded, I intend to scribe the new pad, take it off, sand to the scribe line then mount it to finish down to the stock and then final sand also while its on the stock.

OK?

Should work fine.

It's just slower than a belt sander would peel it off.

Don't bother taking it off. Wrap 2 or 3 layers of masking tape around the stock below the pad and sand like mad.

Once you hit the top and you start going finer, rip the tape off and replace it with one layer and go slower or finer, or both until you hit THAT layer.

Now just work it down through that tape with the pad (finer sandpaper) until you meet the wood.

Then finish the whole thing.

That's the plan then, thanks. Just too easy.

If you get nervous with that last wrap or two of tape, just put the sander away and pick up a hand file. It's slower than hell, but you won't hurt the wood.

R.

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do the tape deal unless you want a buggered up stock. That takes a hell of a lot of practice and a few ruined jobs before one will master it. Buy one of the "off the gun" recoil pad grinding fixtures. There is the Miles Gilbert is from Midway USA and the B&R from Brownells, both will do a fine job.

Nah...thanks, but I've been working with wood my entire life. This task, in the scheme of things, is an easy one.

I just took the stock (Beretta 686 Sporting, nice gun but stock too high and thick) down 3/8" and rolled in about 1/4" offset - all with 40grit and my RO sander. Very pleased with it now.

viewtopic.php?f=216&t=448533

Despite the fact that the stock is unfinished, if I nick it to the point where I would have touched a finished stock...I will report here and humbly accept the "told ya so" comments.

Cheers, it will be about two weeks. KB

+1 berettaclayshooter

Sounds like you aren't asking for ideas. You already have them. So, no objections here. It's your gun and your project. Jigs and such help some folks do professional work with less risk, but it's not to say you can't do it without props, especially with an unfinished stock to work with. With all your experience, your approach should work out just fine...seriously. The suggestions given are because we all know it's really hard to add material back. Let us know how it turns out with pix if possible. Thanks, good luck and enjoy the process.

I'm surprised a Random Orbit sander works. I never tried one but I have all the equipment needed to do a pad the "normal" way. I can't imagine you'll get into too much trouble. You're already dealing with a stock that had been altered.

I was also, having read otherwise, but thought I'd give it a go and it was sitting on my bench anyway. The 40grit pad I had on there made quick work off my current Beretta Microcore pad...we'll see what it does with the Kick-ezz.

I could easily borrow a belt sander, but HATE to borrow tools. Don't need one badly anyway, and when I purchase tools these days, I try to get the best....really don't want to get spendy for a tool I just don't need.

FWIW, I'll use Waterlox for the finish. I have it here and it's been my finish of choice for about five years - so I understand it. Virtually anything is better than the stock Beretta finish on the 686 and the 4 light coats on a piece of stock scrap I have here look nice; it will take two or three more to get it right, but it will look good, I believe.

Sounds like you don't need help. Send pics...

Don't get me wrong. I have never done up a recoil pad and didn't want to dump a bunch of money into tools. Many good folks here to ask....

Pad just ordered, along with fresh shellac flakes and a raft of sand paper which I need anyway.

I've experimented with a finish and garnet shellac with Waterlox over it produces a wonderful glow with depth, yet leaves just a little bit of pore and grain - which I like.

Cheers, yes I will post pics.

RO sander would be much better than an belt sander.

Last one I did I cut an inch or so off the stock since it originally didn't have a recoil pad. I used that inch to sand the pad before putting it on.

Use something finer than 40 grit I would think. It will leave a very rough surface and an 80 grit won't be that much slower, unless you have a lot to take off.

Good luck.

I love Waterlox. Most people don't know about it. I use it everywhere.....tables, turnings, stocks, etc. They used to make what they called a "gym floor finish", but I think it has another name now.

Yep, I researched and used Waterlox on the oak floor I laid as we re-did the home.

Since then, it's been my finish of choice on everything I've done. Used over shellac, one gets a depth and pop that just works right.

Talk about two finishes that are just too easy to use - it's these.

See the post that just went up freehand pad install.

Delayed due to ice storm, we're back on the bench.

Fifteen minutes of 40grit sanding gets us here. Rough tape job will come off after one more pass with 40grit. I'll go to 100 to see and then to one layer of tape. When that begins to get buggered, I'll pull it and finish sanding the stock along with the pad.

For grins and out of the FoV, is the fore arm (three coats 1lb garnet shellac and the first light coat of Waterlox).

And this is where we are now.

Two lessons learned: I ordered the large Kickezze and had to sand a veritable s-load, in retrospect, I should have measured and ordered the pad closest to the size I ended up with. This would saved quite a bit of time.

I read somewhere that somebody used Scotch tape for the last bit of sanding (to protect the stock). This seemed to be a good idea, as it is thinner than painters tape. Bad idea, as it is hell to remove and gummy. It is also far less tough than painters tape.

All told, it took about an hour of sanding, i.e., about two hours in the shop. The next time I do this, I will borrow a belt sander for most of the work, but am very pleased with the RO for that last tiny bit (with 100 grit) as it is so very easy to control. The pad is now polished up with 400 grit and mineral oil (off the gun) and the stock has his first wash of shellac.

Looking good. I'm still surprised a RO sander works. It certainly took longer but you saved $60 in labor against having a smith do it.

Thanks. For the $60, I'd rather sent it out to a shop.

Problem is shipping and logistics. This all adds up. Combined with the fact that I had to plug and drill the end of the stock when the new pad got here and it was better just to do it here.

Now...about all that rubber "sawdust" on my bench and floor.

For grins, here is the stock after three wash coats of shellac. This is the stock I lowered by around 3/8" and rasped in about 1/4" of offset.