What is 'Laminated' AK wood?

[Jabtime]

I bought a Russian AK set, and it is beautifully stained and glossed. It is also 'Laminate'. What does this mean? Is it a thin piece of plastic over it? Does it protect the stained wood from the elements? Does it make it more durable?

[Toxicodendron11]

Your Google-Fu is weak, young Skywalker.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/...laminated-wood

[Noah_Zark]

Think: Laminate = plywood.

A "laminate," or more correctly, "laminated" stock means that the furniture is made by gluing thin sections of veneer together the same as plywood, with the grain direction of each veneer ply running 90 degrees to each adjacent ply. This results in a more structurally stable product than one made from a monolithic piece of wood. The glue used is typically insoluble in water.

The Germans pioneered this construction of firearm furniture with the stocks on their Kar98k rifles. They did not have to select "clear" (defect-free) lumber for their stocks; they merely peeled veneer from logs and rejected sections of veneer with knot holes larger than a certain dimension. This was a significantly more efficient use of lumber, and the Soviets took a page from the Germans on 91-30 Mosin rifle stocks and SKS stocks before applying the same lessons learned to AK furniture.

HTH,

Noah

[Bravo Whiskey]

Think: Laminate = plywood.

A "laminate," or more correctly, "laminated" stock means that the furniture is made by gluing thin sections of veneer together the same as plywood, with the grain direction of each veneer ply running 90 degrees to each adjacent ply. This results in a more structurally stable product than one made from a monolithic piece of wood. The glue used is typically insoluble in water.

The Germans pioneered this construction of firearm furniture with the stocks on their Kar98k rifles. They did not have to select "clear" (defect-free) lumber for their stocks; they merely peeled veneer from logs and rejected sections of veneer with knot holes larger than a certain dimension. This was a significantly more efficient use of lumber, and the Soviets took a page from the Germans on 91-30 Mosin rifle stocks and SKS stocks before applying the same lessons learned to AK furniture.

HTH,

Noah

Laminated plywood in a nutshell

[mojo]

I bought a Russian AK set, and it is beautifully stained and glossed. It is also 'Laminate'. What does this mean? Is it a thin piece of plastic over it? Does it protect the stained wood from the elements? Does it make it more durable?

I think Russian stocks are the nicest out there. Some of the Polish are up there too.

[Marius Titulescu]

Laminated plywood in a nutshell

Exactly. Even if some manufacturers say that it's different and innovative, it's closer to laminated plywood than anything else.

[knight0334]

Laminate is multi-ply wood. It can be very thick or very thin plies, and all ranges in between.

Here is an example of a laminate AK stock.

In some cases, they are stronger than solid stocks - depending on the type of wood.

[X Hunter]

Down side; the glue used to make a laminated stock, can significantly increase the weight of the stock.

[Xringshooter]

I guess I'll say it THIS IS AN ALMOST 11 YEAR OLD THREAD - hopefully the OP has learned a thing or three since starting it.

[William Blake]

maybe the internet is really slow in Cluj-Napoca