Laminate Stock - restaining

looch

looch

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So I recently received an unfinished Boyd's salt and pepper laminate stock (thanks Steve). Thing is, there are some spots where the factory staining process did not manage to penetrate, leaving natural wood-coloured areas. I called Boyd's and they say it's normal and to leave it as is, but I don't think it looks very good.

What are my chances at "uniforming" up the finish? What kind of stain should I use? Should I not even bother?

Thanks.
 
Like they say with many products, "Test in an inconspicuous area first".

You can buy small sample packets of stain at Home Depot and Rona. Perhaps you could try them first on a similar sample of wood to see how it looks. You'll need to apply it sparingly and precisely, and that will be a challenge.

As for should I bother, how bad is it?
 
If the stock was purchased "unfinished" there shouldn't be any factory stain on it. The discolouration could be natural differences in the wood grain or contamination at some point after it left the factory.
I only have one experience with a Boyds "Nutmeg" unfinished stock, and it looked ugly at first glance. However a very light sanding with 320 grit followed by 400 made it look better and feel great.:)
You can use any finish you like on it, and with a penetrating oil you can even put on a light coat or two before sanding. I used pure Tung oil---14 or 15 coats---with a very light sanding between every 3rd or fourth coat. It turned out very well in terms of smoothness and appearance, and I'd bet you could sink it in a lake for days before any moisture could get inside. There's no way it will ever warp.
 
try oiling it before you decide. Laminate stocks look a bit different dry vs oiled. Or, if you like the way it looks dry, you could use a water based clear coat.

As far as stains go, regular oil stains work OK on laminates, though the resin the wood is impregnated with doesn't take too much color. If you want a deeper colour, try shoe polish
 
prosper said:
try oiling it before you decide. Laminate stocks look a bit different dry vs oiled. Or, if you like the way it looks dry, you could use a water based clear coat.

As far as stains go, regular oil stains work OK on laminates, though the resin the wood is impregnated with doesn't take too much color. If you want a deeper colour, try shoe polish
Click to expand...

For that matter just wipe it with a damp cloth. If it evens out the colour to your satisfaction you're good to go. If not it will dry overnight and you can consider what to try next.:)
 
I wasn't clear...

When I say unfinished, I mean there is no finish coat on the stock, i.e. TruOil, linseed, urethane, etc. That is not what my question is about. The stock does indeed arrive from the factory with the stain (colour) applied. My question is regarding this colouring.

It is a salt and pepper laminate - meaning it is grey and black. The problem is that it is not grey and black all over, as if the factory staining process did not fully penetrate the laminate. So instead, my stock is grey, black and tan.

I'm on dial-up so my picture posting abilities are limited, but here's one:

boyds.jpg


Whaddaya think?
 
Without being able to hold this myself I'd say "Yes" to idea of a bit of sanding, except that if it is a case of the original stain not penetrating it sure won't show more stain if you look deeper.:) Might lighten the surrounding wood to match, but is that what you'd want?
This looks like maybe the underlying bonding agent actually penetrated all the way through the laminate in that one area under pressure. Or some of it got wiped on (and sealed) the surface at some point.
If it's just on the surface it could be sanded clean and re stained. In that case you could drive youself to drink trying to match the original or perhaps ask Boyds to send a couple of ounces of the factory original for you to try.
Good luck.
Edited to add that if you took off a tenth of an inch you'd be well into or through the second layer of laminate. This sure wouldn't improve the look of that area. Look at the end grain inside the mag well and you'll see that each lamination is only about one sixteenth of an inch in the center, tapering to zilch at the edges on the outside.
 
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My guess is that sanding will improve it. The reason I think this is because I think the wood is stained as a veneer before it gets glued together. If you drill a hole through it (don't do this) it will be grey the whole way through. So the next layer of laminate under that missed patch should be grey. I've worked with a couple pepper laminates and I've noticed a few small areas where the wood wasn't stained, but nothing near that large. If you do sand it, make sure you use a rigid block to keep it straight.
Good luck,
dh
 
stock was black on black so colour is not an issue. The only thing that should have changed from layer to layer was the direction of the grain as each layer should have been glued down in the opposite direction. Giving the stock its strength and ability to resist warping or shrinkage like walnut.

by the time you sand it out to 400 you will hardly notice any marks if at all.
 
gunpro said:
stock was black on black so colour is not an issue. The only thing that should have changed from layer to layer was the direction of the grain as each layer should have been glued down in the opposite direction. Giving the stock its strength and ability to resist warping or shrinkage like walnut.

by the time you sand it out to 400 you will hardly notice any marks if at all.
Click to expand...


Good call Steve!:D
What do you think caused the blemish in the first place?
 
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