Laminated stocks

[veep]

Hi guys,

As we know, the regular 3 stock materials are synthetic (plastic), Walnut or some other kind of wood, and them laminated which looks similar to Walnut but has the different finish.

When they say laminated stocks, is it actually regular wood with a laminated coating? or is it the laminate material all the way through?

If you sanded back a laminated stock to float the barrel or do whatever, do you ruin the laminated coat and let in moisture and whatever else? Or of it's the say all the way through I guess it doesn't matter?

Thanks.

[reddog]

They are thin sheets (veneers I suppose ) of real wood glued at 90 degree angles to each other . So
no you can't sand through the finish .

[Lorgar]

If you sanded back a laminated stock to float the barrel or do whatever, do you ruin the laminated coat and let in moisture and whatever else?

I did exactly this for my Ruger Hawkeye .243 to float the barrel.

You take off the buffed finish, but it's the same material all the way down.

Be sure to apply a coat of whatever gun oil/protection fluid you're using to the area as per normal and you won't have any problems.

[Prios]

You take off the buffed finish, but it's the same material all the way down.

There's no reason you couldn't buff it back up I suppose?

[Redwood]

There's no reason you couldn't buff it back up I suppose?

You can't user regular timber polish/wax because it won't absorb/stick to the laminate in the same way because it's too dense.

Microfibre cloth and a lot of elbow grease will bring it up some though.

[Zilla]

Laminate is pretty much the same across the board. Rifle stock, bench tops etc.

Head to Bunnings or Masters and speak to the guy and they'll have something for it. Give it a good hand buff.

[Varmtr]

The laminate stocks I have and have seen are made by 2 - 3mm thick timber glued to each other with the grain of the timber at 90 degrees to the next.

The theory behind it is that with the grain of the timbers going different ways, the stock has less chance of moving / warping compared to a straight grain stock.

Also the glue they use well on mine anyway is stronger than the timber itself.

So if the laminate stock is like the one I have described the timber will take any normal wood finishes. I sanded mine and coated it Birchwood Casey's polyurethane and came up a treat.

The first coat the timber absorbed it all so overall I ended up doing 3 or 4 coats.

[Aster]

If you just take the buttpad off you'll likely find the laminate behind it is a fresh cut and not polished down like the exterior of the stock.

That will give you and idea of the finish if you do some work on it. You'll be able to see the grain of the layers etc.

You shouldn't have any problem regardless... The glue really soaks through the layers so it's pretty strong throughout. I wouldn't have any hesitation working on it.