Laminated gunstocks

[tuppence]

Don't know how others might think, but I think laminated wood gunstocks look every bit as ugly as polymer/fiberglass stocks. However, look at the site

and look at some of the photos of their laminated stocks. These guys have a proprietary? method of laminating two veneer-quality panels on the outside with three crossed panels inside. Anyone got any ideas how they do it, please post them here. I assume they are using vacuum pressing and the outer layers must be thicker than your usual veneer. I would bet the upper and lower parts of the main stock (back end) are solid wood strips. I would like to try it, so any ideas are appreciated. T.

[Jim]

It took a while to find on their site, but they pretty much tell you everything there is to know about the process at this link:

Ray, President McFeely's Square Drive Screws (Proud owner of a Winchester 52C paper puncher with a laminated maple stock!)

[tuppence]

Jim, Thanks. I had missed the details when I browsed their site. It's pretty much as I had guessed. However, still can't figure out how thin the dress panel is on the outside surfaces or how much those surfaces are curved, and carved?, etc. It could be done with fine veneers and get as much showy surface as they get (maybe more), but who wants a thin-veneered gunstock? Although it could look very nice! And, with modern glues, would be very durable, especially if done in a vacuum. Oh well, just another project I was thinking about doing, as if I needed another project...but I'll have to try it anyway. T.

[Jim]

I suspect that it depends on the style - a stock with a thick cheek piece may have a thicker veneer than a stock without. I guess there is the possibility that the cheekpiece would be the only part of the veneer left after carving.

After re-reading their descriprion, I think what they are doing is cutting a thick slab off one face, the bookmatching that and using the resulting two pieces for the outside "veneers". The remaining slab is then cut into three slabs, with the outer two reversed (flopped) to reorient the grain. The inner slab is relatively thin, and appears to not be flopped in any way. In summary, it is somewhat like they are turning the board "inside out". Sounds like a lot of work, and I'm not sure how effective it really would be, but it does somewhat insure figure on both faces of the stock.

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 13:29:01 -0500, "tuppence" calmly ranted:

Probably anhydrous-ammonia-saturated thick veneer (very bendy stuff from what I've heard) formed in a vacuum press, then glued on like a shell and finished. Pretty cool for plywood, wot?

-- Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ---- --Unknown