What is 'real laminate' composition ?
I have only examined 3 'laminate' stocks closely. Only 1 was really 'laminated' materials, the others were solid wood just showing more areas cut slightly 'across grain' (oval or parabolic shading near cheek piece, grip area and on the ends of the forearm).
I have some experience in gun furniture repair and construction, and I get conflicting opinions on laminate stocks. In the purest sense, you make a 'blank' to cut from with different layers of material, bonded with adhesives. Any shaping accross layers can show up as different color bands (depending on what materials were used).
You can get a very similar look by starting with a wood blank with large seasonal growth differences (spring growth light color, fall growth dark), and make the initial shaping cuts about 15 degrees 'off the grain'. Zebra wood is a good example. I guess you could call the spring/fall growth lines laminations.
Is 'lamination' used in reference to appearance or truly in reference to the original material (blank) that is used in construction ?
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.
I have some experience in gun furniture repair and construction, and I get conflicting opinions on laminate stocks. In the purest sense, you make a 'blank' to cut from with different layers of material, bonded with adhesives. Any shaping accross layers can show up as different color bands (depending on what materials were used).
You can get a very similar look by starting with a wood blank with large seasonal growth differences (spring growth light color, fall growth dark), and make the initial shaping cuts about 15 degrees 'off the grain'. Zebra wood is a good example. I guess you could call the spring/fall growth lines laminations.
Is 'lamination' used in reference to appearance or truly in reference to the original material (blank) that is used in construction ?
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.
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As far as I'm concerned (and the one good book I have on stockmaking!) a "true" laminate stock is indeed one that is adhered layers of thinner wood, blank cut and shaped to make up a correct size and shape gunstock! Anything else (in my humble opinion) is more of a veneer, as I understand your post. Veneers look really pretty but provide less torsional strength and rigidity.
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The laminated stocks I have seen are all laid up similiar to plywood, in varied shades of plies, but thicker plies than plywood. The idea came up as a way to defeat change of humidity and temperature from distorting the stock and point of aim, as some guns seem to be more or less affected by changes in forearm pressure. They may or may not add beauty (personal preferrence), but most seem to add weight, espec. in target/varmint guns. They can also be more durable than solid wood as heavy, repetitive recoil of big calibers can split/break walnut,ect espec. the highly figured grains. Soon after, the synthetic stocks started coming in, also heavy at first, to combat the same problems. The synthetics have evolved to light weight, durability, ect. but most seem to lack character. You either like 'em or not. Same with the laminated stocks. 0
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