Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Murphy
Brian, what's you opinion of fitting a pad, on the gun, with some tape on the wood?
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I realize Bill's question was directed towards Brian, but was regarding a tape method I described, so Yesterday's outing was timely.
Walter Eisserer completed an 8 (EIGHT) year apprentice program in Austria, before coming to the US, to spend 20 years with Griffin & Howe (and concurrently working at Continental Arms on weekends) and then worked for Gary Herman for 15 years, until Safari Outfitters closed in Ridgefield, CT. I put Walter in the Judson Darrow, Joe Jurjevic category. Sadly, he is closing up and moving to way-upstate NY to live with his son. I can't image how long it will take him to pack up his shop.
The installation of the pad, shown in the photos, took less than 15 minutes, from the first picture to the last picture. This pad was then coming off the gun for a full pigskin cover. In the case of pads not leather covered, it goes on once, and is not removed for hand work. This works for Walter because of his experience, but may not be true of all.
As Chuck stated, Walter also uses a disc sander. Note this machine, in the pictures is not what you see today, as it has no table, just a guard at the bottom edge of the wheel. He bought this machine from Continental when they closed. As he stated, the only good method, and tool to use is one where you can see the stock and the tool at the same time. Using a belt sander means either the tool is blocking your view of the point where it is sanding the stock, or, if the belt sander is clamped with the belt on the upper side, the stock is blocking the view. Likewise, using a powered, vertical belt sander, means the stock is still between you and the belt, and you can not see how close you are getting.
Using a disc sander, where you are able to look at the stock - tool interface is Walter's only method, though he says you can use a vertical belt, if you stand to the side of the machine. Notice that he holds the stock in both hands, and does not rest the stock on the machine's table.
He took the pad ( Packmeyer is his choice only when they get covered in pigskin) right down to the taped surface, then hand sanded, starting with 120, and going to 400.
The gun he was doing, and the other of a pair, were $30,000 worth of Perrazis, but he had two Hollands on the bench to do next. He explained that when he does pads, he does all at the same time, and had, that I could count, eight to do that day.
What I've described, and shown, is one man's method, and doesn't make another man's method better or worse. That I believe he is the most skilled gunsmith I have ever been permitted to watch (for many hours, and over a 40 year span) has nothing to do with it.