Recoil Pad Installation - How to suggestions please

[Pa SxS]

Thanks Edgar, interesting. I know Craig Libhart does it the same way but these guys have years of experience.

I recently tried another way to get the pad fitted to the butt after getting it close to the final shape. Once it's close, I mounted the pad and used electrical tape on the wood. Hand sanding with a block is difficult and time consuming and trying to get the hard plate of the pad down to the wood without cutting through the tape and scratching the stock is difficult. What I did was loosen the screws of the pad enough that I could insert a spacer of maybe 1/4" and tighten the screws to the spacer. That left a gap where I could sand the hard pad of the stock at a slight angle with the sanding block. Just bevel a little at a time, take the block out and check the fit. Keep doing this until it matches. Worked like a charm!

[edgarspencer]

Chuck, your method makes good sense. Walter has way more confidence (and guts) than I ever could have and takes the pad down to with a few thousands of an inch, and does only a few minutes of hand sanding. He has a new tape that he bemoans not having been invented till he decided to fully retire. It is some space age material that resists sanding abrasion, so he can actually sand right on top of it.
My dad and I spent alternating Thursday nights going to Safari, and those nights, Walter also worked till the 8pm closing (often even later) One particular night my dad took back an upgraded two barrel Parker that started life as a VHE 28, but ended up a John Warren highly engraved 28, with a Joe Jurjevic set of 38-55WCF barrels. My dad merely mentioned he might have liked the gun more if it was a straight stocked gun (he never even shot the rifle barrels) Walter disappeared with the receiver, went down stairs and ran it thru the bandsaw, and by closing had a shaped, checkered, and one coat of finish. He had also extended the trigger bow, and only needed to blue that.
Part of his work in Ferlach was hand making springs for sidelocks. He did a wonderful job reworking the locks on my 26" grade two, and has promised to do the same to my 30". Those springs are like butter.

[Bill Murphy]

I have correspondence between me and Joe Jurjevic about doing the rifle conversion on my 28 gauge Parker, probably from the seventies. He was quite the talent. We never agreed on the project. I remember ascending the stairway to the second floor at Continintal Arms when I was just a kid, but, unfortunately, never met any of the gunsmiths. I wonder if I ever met Edgar there? I wonder what happened to the John Warren, Joe Jurjevic 28 gauge Parker?

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I wonder if I ever met Edgar there?

If you did, you would remember

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I wonder what happened to the John Warren, Joe Jurjevic 28 gauge Parker?

I asked Gary one time and he couldn't remember. Probably it went into that black hole with my BHE 20

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

Hand sanding with a block is difficult and time consuming and trying to get the hard plate of the pad down to the wood without cutting through the tape and scratching the stock is difficult.

I meant to point out something that was very subtle, watching him work. Look closely, in the fourth picture, at his left thumb. Each time he wood put the stock to the wheel, he would keep the stock turning; never stopping in one spot until he took it away from the wheel. After each 'pass' he would check it for closeness with his thumb. He works so quickly and efficiently, it was hard to absorb it all in a single fitting. I didn't take anymore pictures after the first stock he worked on, but watched him do two more. I'm continually in awe when I get to watch a real craftsman.

[Pa SxS]

As we are of you Edgar