Plywood

[Fox Mike]

What is the fascination with the plywood stocks and grips? The days of a good looking piece of walnut seems to have disappeared (except high end and Henry).

 

[GunnyGene]

Solid walnut and other good hardwoods are expensive. By using a less expensive base wood you can save a lot of money by laminating. The manufacturer just has to convince potential buyers that laminated stocks are prettier. So far they have been unsuccessful in convincing me. :wink:

 

[Dan in MI]

They started by using the "more stable" argument. Being completely soaked in glue/epoxy they don't absorb water like a solid wood stock can. That made them appealing to some. As with anything else once the camel gets his nose under the tent anything goes.

 

[57springer]

I like some of them, but also like the old walnut .

 

[BearBiologist]

Laminated or plywood?

Some laminated stocks can look nice (I had a Remington 350 mag carbine that looked pretty good). Sortal like synthetic: different needs and different purposes. A laminated stock on a pre-70 Winchester?? :-( :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[375hh1973]

As far as rifles go, I own one laminate, and ZERO walnut. All others are stainless/synthetic.

O/U shotguns I have one Blue Laminate target gun and 3 walnut hunting guns

 

[woodsy]

Plywood is MUCH more stable and predictable than solid wood. Solid wood can change its dimensions (in all directions) depending on temp and moisture exposure. So it is far safer for the maker to use something like ply. In some ways the ply is almost as visually attractive as solid. Am not preferring ply, but I also don't give two zz's about appearances when it comes to firearms. Others, though, are obsessed by looks.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

As a rule, I like "real wood" stocks, particularly on handguns. The ones we used to get from CaryC were spectacular.

That said, some of the laminated handgun panels don't look too bad if the different woods used are nice and the mix is complementary. And if I were going to use the gun under less-than-good conditions I'd rather use some "plywood" rather than ruin my nice "real wood" panels. JMHO

 

[JPGLSG1234]

Next thing you know they'll be selling them without stocks, as a cost savings measure.....

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I don't care for laminated stocks and have never seen one I like.

 

[Fox Mike]

Laminated or plywood?

Some laminated stocks can look nice (I had a Remington 350 mag carbine that looked pretty good). Sortal like synthetic: different needs and different purposes. A laminated stock on a pre-70 Winchester?? :-( :evil: :evil: :evil:

Yes! Same difference. Definition of laminated a: composed of layers of firmly united material
b : made by bonding or impregnating superposed layers (as of paper, wood, or fabric) with resin and compressing under heat

 

[Dan in MI]

Laminated or plywood?

In many outdoor sports laminated wood is often called plywood, and some use it as a derogatory term, some it's just a running joke.

 

[Mobuck]

I skip the 'plywood' and go directly to 'tupper ware'.

 

[Jeepnik]

I've been calling them plywood for years now and have often been chastised. Folks say they aren't just plywood. Well it's layers of wood (often times different types) glued together. Sounds like plywood to me. What gets me is the makers of plywood grips claim all sorts of wonderous things but never tell you they do it to cheap out on manufacturing costs.

 

[SamV]

I will take a laminate stocked long gun pretty much anytime over a plastic set of stocks. Actually, I have seen some pretty ugly wood stocks too. But like many people, I have purchased guns with synthetic stocks and finishes that look like someone used a can of Rust-Oleum, because they fit my budget at the time.

 

[WAYNO]

I own many plywood stocks and plywood revolver grips. Yes I know folks would prefer I say laminated. I'm often not politically correct. :mrgreen:

Never are laminated stocks my first choice. They perform better than many walnut or other hardwood stocks in contrary environments, but I prefer plastic stocks for this purpose.

Now, since they've got their foot in the door with plywood stocks, they would do themselves a favor by making all the layers the same color, ideally the color of walnut. It can be done, and when it's done this way, these stocks can be far more attractive than the arbitrary and opposed colors so often used in laminated stocks.

I have a very modern Marlin levergun with a laminated stock of silver and black laminations. I have tried re-staining this stock to be all one color, but what makes a laminated stock oppose the elements, also makes it oppose stain. Stain just will not get into the wood.

 

[GunnyGene]

If y'all solid wood fans are concerned with stability and weather resistance on a stock there are some very nice tropical woods that are available for a price that will perform as well or better than lamination. You'd have to contract for a custom stock for them however, and that can be quite expensive.

See this for some guidance on what wood species are suitable, Bocote, Bulletwood, Cocobolo, and several other tropical woods come to mind:

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-filter/

 

[Mobuck]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

 

[GunnyGene]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

Cabinet grade plywood layers are oriented so the wood grain is at 90* to each succeeding layer, this is what gives it the strength and stability needed for cabinetry. Oak is common for cabinet ply. Construction ply is the same, except a lower grade of wood (often a softwood such as pine or fir) is used which usually will have hidden voids and knots in it. Laminates may or may not have this kind of layer orientation, depending on the desired end use.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

I believe you are getting OSB mixed up with plywood.
OSB ( oriented stand board ) is wood chips glued and pressed together,
Plywood is layers of thin wood sheets shaved off logs and then glued and pressed together.

Years ago the Canadians had all these piles of wood chips left over from their mills and didn't know what to do with them.
Some guy came along and said " Hey let's glue it all together and press it into sheets. Then sell it to the Americans and tell them it is stronger than plywood ".
Alas , OSB was born.

I am not sure if the above story is true or not , but it sounds about right.

 

[GunnyGene]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

I believe you are getting OSB mixed up with plywood.
OSB ( oriented stand board ) is wood chips glued and pressed together,
Plywood is layers of thin wood sheets shaved off logs and then glued and pressed together.

Years ago the Canadians had all these piles of wood chips left over from their mills and didn't know what to do with them.
Some guy came along and said " Hey let's glue it all together and press it into sheets. Then sell it to the Americans and tell them it is stronger than plywood ".
Alas , OSB was born.

I am not sure if the above story is true or not , but it sounds about right.

That's generally true. There's also luaun which is the sawdust center layer of most 1/4" ply. And other forms of manufactured wood products, such as MDF (typically used in low cost painted kitchen cabinetry).

 

[Busterswoodshop]

You are correct.
I was talking structural plywood.
I very rarely use Luaun. Sometimes for a skin on something.
About the only time I use MDF ( particle board ) is for shelving material.

I hate MDF cabinets. They are typically put together with staples , hot glue guns and plastic clips.

 

[Dan in MI]

If y'all solid wood fans are concerned with stability and weather resistance on a stock there are some very nice tropical woods that are available for a price that will perform as well or better than lamination. You'd have to contract for a custom stock for them however, and that can be quite expensive.

See this for some guidance on what wood species are suitable, Bocote, Bulletwood, Cocobolo, and several other tropical woods come to mind:

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-filter/

Hey! You just leave bow making wood alone! That goes for you guitar makers too!

 

[GunnyGene]

You are correct.
I was talking structural plywood.
I very rarely use Luaun. Sometimes for a skin on something.
About the only time I use MDF ( particle board ) is for shelving material.

I hate MDF cabinets. They are typically put together with staples , hot glue guns and plastic clips.

Likewise with MDF. The stuff is nasty to work with also. Doesn't hold hinge screws well either. I can't even count the number of times I've had to dowel and redrill a stripped out hole in a MDF kitchen cabinet. But, most people can't afford better for a kitchen.

 

[GunnyGene]

If y'all solid wood fans are concerned with stability and weather resistance on a stock there are some very nice tropical woods that are available for a price that will perform as well or better than lamination. You'd have to contract for a custom stock for them however, and that can be quite expensive.

See this for some guidance on what wood species are suitable, Bocote, Bulletwood, Cocobolo, and several other tropical woods come to mind:

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-filter/

Hey! You just leave bow making wood alone! That goes for you guitar makers too!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yew kid, right?

 

[Dan in MI]

 

[Jeepnik]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

In decades past military arms used plywood stocks. This was usually done when they country of origin was desperately short on raw materials. Using plywood involves first making the plywood then shaping it. Obviously more labor intensive than just shaping solid wood.

Once hostilities ended and materials became available they dropped plywood like a hot potato.

 

[Fox Mike]

From my perspective, plywood uses shredded wood compressed and glued while laminates use intact wood layers glued and compressed. BIG diff when it comes to strength, stiffness, and durability.

Actually plywood is thin layers of wood glued together at 90° (grain wise) to each other and always an odd number of layers.
What you are speaking of is called particle wood.

 

[Kevin]

I like the colored laminated rifle stocks. Like some of those tricked out 10/22’s over in the ultimate section of rimfire central. And Volquartsen has some brightly colored laminated pistol sticks for the Ruger Mark pistols. Those are nice.

But on a revolver with any sort of historical significance, its gotta be walnut or another solid wood.

 

[Paul B]

"I have a very modern Marlin levergun with a laminated stock of silver and black laminations. I have tried re-staining this stock to be all one color, but what makes a laminated stock oppose the elements, also makes it oppose stain. Stain just will not get into the wood."

IIRC, the laminates are not only epoxied together but the wood is impregnated with epoxy as well. One of the reasons the laminate stocks weigh more than a comparable walnut stock.
Paul B.