carving a laminated stock

02 February 2011, 02:19

I've read through Les Brooks big stockmaking thread, plus several dozen threads I found with search engines, my old copy of Dunlap's book, etc.

The particular stock I have to work with is a semifinished laminated piece. It needs all of the inletting done.

So far I've found very little about working with laminates. Is there anything special I should watch out for? Or will just making sure all my tools are kept honed sharp enough?

02 February 2011, 02:50

Lord Frith

quote:
Originally posted by TRX:
I've read through Les Brooks big stockmaking thread, plus several dozen threads I found with search engines, my old copy of Dunlap's book, etc.

The particular stock I have to work with is a semifinished laminated piece. It needs all of the inletting done.

TRX,

Good on you for wanting to do an inlet by hand. I have done a few using the Les Brooks method and more using roughed out blanks. Don't know about a laminate, though. I am suspecting you will discover grain running all over the house, but not unlike some typical stock woods of the one piece variety. Keep chisels, gouges, scrapers and knives as sharp as you can. Patience and good inletting black or gold will help immensely. Don't expect to fit the metal in a weekend. Try for zero tolerance in your wood-to-metal fit. Can not put it back on.

Best of luck, keep posting and welcome to the forum.

Stephen

So far I've found very little about working with laminates. Is there anything special I should watch out for? Or will just making sure all my tools are kept honed sharp enough?

03 February 2011, 01:02

ShortandFat

I've been told the hardest thing working with laminate is inconsistent texture, hard, soft, hard, soft, checking is difficult.

Regards S&F

03 February 2011, 21:39

butchloc

i found that chisels don't work as well as does sanding.

06 February 2011, 04:41

clowdis

Splits pretty easily too, kinda like the wood is brittle from all the glue that has been impregnated into it. It really isn't much fun to work with chisles but files and rasps will be OK. Agree with S&F that checkering won't work as well here as it will in some other woods.

06 February 2011, 04:57

butchlambert

I did 2 that were laminated with carbon fiber cloth. One was redwood and the other walnut. They are BR stocks.

Redwood is splintery, but not bad. Walnut is great.
Butch

08 February 2011, 05:15

chop3r

I have recently finished a checkering job on a laminted stock. It was certainly different. I found that I had to lightly scuff the areas to be cut with sandpaper so that the cutters would grip otherwise they just slip like hell.

I also found it best to use 16 lines per inch cutters. Anything finer and the head of the diamonds can break off

08 February 2011, 23:41

Wildbill7mm

I find using draw type carving tools very helpful instead of the traditional push type chisels. also if using any type of chisel on laminate use as broad a carving tool as possible and take it slow. Checkering is very hard on laminate but can be done if you again use triple cutters instead of doubles and so forth.

09 February 2011, 05:37

TRX

I'm not planning to do any checkering, just inlet and finishing.

I think I may buy a cheap blem stock just to get the feel of things before setting to work on the fancy one. I'm sure not all laminated stocks will cut the same, but I'm a better machinist than woodworker...