Finally! I picked up the laminate stock for my CZ550 in .416 Rigby in Montana last week. It's a bit flashy, and there is an out-of-pattern dark smudge on the bolt side of the stock, but what can you expect for $300. It's even checkered, got swivel studs and cheekpiece, and has a Decellerator recoil pad.

Now, the checkered part looks and feels rather dry, like it need a good coat of something, and of course I'm anxious to see if I can't carefully sand out the dark smudge. Furthermore, the whole thing is rather shiney, so I'd like to dull it somehow.

Question: what type of surface treatment does a laminate need, or what type of treatment will do harm? Oils e.g. will they work their way into the resin that bonds the laminate. Stain of any sort...? What can and can I not do in my attempt to make it look just a tad more subdued?
(short of sending it back and ordering wood).

Frans

Begin by getting some OOOO steel wool and a bottle of Evan Williams Black. Remove the barrelled action and tape the butt pad. Your goal is to turn the shine into a dull luster, so begin by rubbing with the grain softly. After you have rubbed all the stock, wipe it with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol(no pun intented)and decide if enough shine is gone, if not do it again, and again, and again until you are satisfied. Then take a cloth pad and apply a thin coat of floor wax and rub this as if you are trying to remove all of the wax. Put the rifle back together,take the tape off the butt pad and enjoy the new flat look. None of this is rocket science and should take no more than 30-40 minutes even if you have one arm.
My laminated stock is 1/8 walnut on walnut, built in the early 70s. Never have had a problem and everyone wants me to do one for them, but one was enough.

I just use Teak Oil and it makes a nice finish.

Steel wool, OK. Should I rub the Evan Williams or drink it? ;-)

So oil won't damage the resins that hold the laminates together? Cool, so I can use dark gun stock oil or similar to try and darken it just a tad...?

Frans

A general comment, not specific to laminated stocks. Adhesives used in fabrication of "heavy duty" forms -- construction beams, trusses, etc. are very stable. I'd expect a rifle stock to be fabricated with "space age" adhesives.

And so now I'm wondering if there's not a bottle of Evan Williams Black in the back of my liquor cabinet?

your last comment in originalpost was the best

send it back and get wood !