How do they stain wood stocks?

[Lucky]

How does this get done? Do they take several thin pieces of wood and glue them together, or do I misunderstand?

"Our Laminated Gunstocks are Composed of 1/16" Birch Veneers Which Have Been Completely Saturated With Colored Dye, Then Hydraulically Pressed and Bonded Together Using a Superior Resin Adhesive."

 

[ceetee]

Think of the different layers in a sheet of plywood. Now think of those layers stacked up thick enough to form a rectangular block big enough to turn into a rifle stock.

I have no extensive experience with laminate stocks, but they've been around for decades... Supposedly, they're more stable than regular wood; they won't swell or warp as bad. They sure can make 'em pretty, too...

 

[Jim K]

They told you. Solid wood stocks are stained, like any other wood, with a stain to give the color the maker wants. Laminated stocks are made of sheets of wood of a thickness determined by the appearance wanted. Those sheets are stained or dyed what ever color is wanted prior to being laminated (glued and heat bonded together). As to the one illustrated, UGH!

Jim

 

[Lucky]

Thanks, the more I thought about it the more sense it made, but the grain structure throws me off. I can't figure out how they're getting curvy lines. Am I right to assume that they don't put the block of wood into the mill 'squared away'?

 

[musher]

Think of it as a topo map of the stock.

 

[Lucky]

I tried that, but couldn't figure out why there were grains on areas I thought looked flat. I guess I'll just need to order one then, and see it up close!

 

[dfaugh]

I can't figure out how they're getting curvy lines.

Actually, I was looking more carefully at the picture...And, if you look closely, it looks like the main part, and wrist/thumbhole have the grain running in the same direction. It's slightly deceiving becasue of the cutting at angles. THEN they put on the cheekpiece with the grain running in a different direction. I love the look of these stocks....for some guns.

 

[ceetee]

The grain on the cheekpiece looks like it's going a different direction because you're seeing a cross-section... basically a slice through it. The lines curve the way they do because the cheekpiece slowly curves away. Like one poster said... a topographical map of the stock.

(Good reference there, too...)

 

[22-rimfire]

Cross Section, topographic map with the dark lines corresponding to topographic contour lines.... not so sure. Composite stocks are essentially a glued together mass of wood, just like plywood. No reason why they can not glue pieces that are at different grain orientations prior to cutting the stock down to its final shape. They have some pretty amazing glues now and they won't let go.

I'm not particularly fond of man made composite or laminated stocks although I believe it represents the future as walnut becomes more and more scarce. Hardwood stocks pretty much look like ... well cheap wood..... We are being conditioned to think of them as "pretty", but that is all there will be available unless you want to spend an additional $100+ for walnut.