You may be correct on the use of resin Bob. I don't recall all the details of putting stocks into vacuum bags and pulling a vacuum to seal them.
I do recall they were removing the stocks before whatever finish was set up, so the exteriors could be wiped clean and not make a mess. So I'd guess if it was an epoxy resin it wasn't a quick setting epoxy, but probably something like Acraglass that takes hours to even thicken, and 24 hrs to fully set up.

Vall, I googled "vacuum chamber wood finishing" and all it came up with was resins for stabilizing.

JS47 wrote on Aug 28^th, 2018 at 10:58pm:


Agree that IF one wants to use vacuum removal, one needs really effective equipment. Perhaps best followed by pressure injection of sealant.

As regarding moving guns from high to low or low to high humidity, those are just the kinds of changes in ambient conditions that lead well known riflemen, such as Jack O'Conner , to sealing the interior wood surfaces on their rifles. Basically this means ALL the interior surfaces, which on every new rifle I ever bought in USA were totally bare wood and highly sensitive to changes in humidity. These bare surfaces also soak up sealent fluids, such as stock finishers, really well. Even more likely to result in stock warpage is stocks made from fancy wood with grain patterns far from purely straight grained. Also, remember that during O'Conner's time as gun writer, it was common to use "shims" in barrel channels to control vibration patterns, perhaps leading to increased chance that shrinkage/swelling of bare wood would result in unwanted changes of POI in precision hunting rifles. As I recall, free-floating rifle barrels was to be the ultimate solution to such problems.

If one believes the rationals given for laminated stocks, and they do sound quite correct IF done properly, then that is one more way to get really stable stocks. Perhaps the logical extreme for wood stocks.

If, one is simply trying to prevent shrinkage of stocks in purely collector guns, then the techniques and practices of major museums are highly recommended. I would presume that NRA HQ collection uses such practices.

Schuetzenmiester wrote on Aug 28^th, 2018 at 12:52pm:


If I ever had to go to a laminated stock to get better accuracy, I'd rather have less accuracy! I find nothing appealing about a laminated stock, and not sure I could even own one on a bolt action hunting rifle! I'd rather have plastic or some man made material on a hunting rifle. At least it would be lighter, and all one color!

I've seen laminated stocks made wholly of walnut with fancy outer layers that were quite spectacular.  Not cheap, I'm sure.

Bill Lawrence

svartkruttgris#369 wrote on Aug 29^th, 2018 at 3:10pm:


Since I'm not a fan of laminated, why would I want any colors? 

After working with wood for 40 years , solid and laminated . Solid wood is like a sponge it will soak up anything it comes in contact with. The reason laminated stocks are more stable is that when wood is machined into  strips , all of the tension is taken out 
Of each pcs. So when laminated together , warping is less prominent. Larger pcs. Of solid lumber always have some kind of tension. moisture will change that tension Causing warping 

Doug