Beech stocks...

[Flying10uk]

It would be interesting to see a K98 laminated stock that has started to delaminate, presumably some have, but I haven't seen any.

[mrclark303]

It would be interesting to see a K98icon laminated stock that has started to delaminate, presumably some have, but I haven't seen any.

Agreed, I have seen some really poorly stored and battered examples, yet still the Laminate "appears" (proof of the pudding of coarse would be shoot them) serviceable.

[Roger Payne]

The K98 stocks were glued together with a resin based substance called 'Tegofilm', hence the laminate stocks are sometimes referred to as 'tegofilm stocks'. It's essentially just fancy marine ply, but I think it was the first non-water based adhesive for plywood manufacture & so resulted in no risk of warping due to humidity, & as it came in solid sheets, no voids in the structure. The setting process also involved subjecting the laminate to heat & several atmospheres pressure in order to get a very strong bond between the adhesive & the layers of wood.

[browningautorifle]

Of course you're all aware we tried the same thing with #4 wood? Laminate that is...

[Flying10uk]

They started using laminated wood for aeroplane propellers a long time before it was first used on K98 stocks.

[3mctoledo]

Looking around the internet and based on my opinion I have this to offer up:

I believe that machining capability would be one of the first on the list for selecting a wood.

This is a list of common wood species that are rated as excellent for machining. Ash, beech, birch, hard maple, red oak, white oak, and walnut.

Next issue would be wood stability.

First hardness when hit on the side against the grain. (dent-ability)
top to bottom.
1. Hard maple, 2. ash, 3. white oak. 4. beech. 5. red oak, 6. birch, 7. walnut

Second moisture content:
1. Walnut, 2. ash, 3. birch, 4. red oak and hard maple, 5. beech, and 6. white oak

Third is change in volume from green to dry:
1, Walnut, 2. ash, 3. hard maple, 4. white oak, 5. red oak, 6. birch, and 7. beech.

Forth is weight:
1. Birch, 2. walnut, 3. ash, 4. beech, 5. hard maple, 6. red oak, and 7.white oak.

Golf score it out and here is what you get.
1. Ash (however old growth trees are in short supply so this would not be a likely candidate)
2. Walnut (Traditional for good reason)
3. Hard maple (My favorite)
4. Birch (Classic for post war USGI M1s)
5. Beech and the oaks (They come from the same family of trees.)

This probably settles nothing but are worth considering.

So my guess as to why these species show up in stocks is that they machine well. Then probably economics and availability.

[browningautorifle]

This probably settles nothing but are worth considering.

No,no...that sounds exactly like the sort of reasoning that's being suggested. That info is probably 300 years old or more and gunmakers have forgotten exactly why it's that way, it just has been proved to be best that way.

[3mctoledo]

How likely a wood stock would go from dry to wet.

Generally speaking. since there looks to be no clear answer, we should consider open grain verse closed grain. Or the ability to change volume (size etc.) when exposed to the elements.

Open grain, as is oak, ash, mahogany and walnut. (Beech is in the oak family)

Closed grain species include maple, birch, cherry and hickory.

In my opinion an open grain will readily accept water, oil, stains and other things from the environment over closed grain.

Look at a birch or maple stock that are on rifles. Less color etc. penetrates the wood. Just an example in real life objects.

So the change in the stock volumes in maple and birch would be less than for the others such as walnut in the same (Wet or harsh) environment.

[Peter Laidler]

When you talk of harsh environments and dry to wet, just think of Malaya....... Mostly beech in my time, dosed in the warm linseed bath but between visits to the workshops it was pretty well permanently wet. So wet that the steel underneath it would severely rust unless it too was slathered in HM point grease. Seen gas cylinders and return spring tubes peppered with rust holes and No4 and 5 barrels deeply corroded

[CINDERS]

The Germans tried to build a wooden wonder (Mosquito) using the Tegofilm recipe or one very similar they had progressed fairly well and had flying prototypes until bomber command destroyed the only factory making the glue with the recipes along with how the processes were done which ended their attempt to mimic one of the allied aircraft they well and truly feared.