Smoke Damaged Wood stock

Tucker 1371 · March 16, 2009, 09:46 PM

I have an AK that I had to leave home when I left for college and there was recently a fire at my house while I was away. The gun recieved no direct fire damage but it did get hot enough to warp the plastic blinds on the windows in the room it was in and it was covered in soot. I am home on spring break now and my gun is supposedly off getting refinished so I have yet to see it. I wanted to know if the laminate on the wood stock has been melted away is there a way I can have the stock re-laminated or do I have to find new stocks?

MrNiceGuy · March 16, 2009, 09:54 PM

laminated stocks are made by laminating multiple pieces of wood together and then cutting or carving the stock out

are you saying the pieces of wood melted off and you're wondering if they can be replaced?

or is there some varnish on the wood and you're wondering if it can be re-finished?

if it's laminated, and pieces of wood are missing, you're S.O.L.

If it's just a finished wood stock, then it depends on how much damage there is to the wood. If the wood is still intact then re-finishing would be easy, and the smoke darkened wood might even add a nice depth

Tucker 1371 · March 16, 2009, 10:05 PM

Oh, guess I'm not too sure what I was talking about. Whatever it is that makes the wood nice and shiny, has a glossy smooth feel to it, can that be repaired?

Tucker 1371 · March 16, 2009, 10:08 PM

here's my gun

EDIT: nevermind the url wouldn't work

Skans · March 17, 2009, 08:04 AM

As long as the wood isn't burnt, the stock can be refinished. Most of the AK's come with a cheap laquer finish on them. You will need to strip the finish off or sand it and then refinish the wood with either a polyurathane or an oil finish. Once you get it down to bare wood and get the wood smooth with progressive sanding, it's just a matter of applying multiple coats of urathane or oil. Sanding lightly between coats. I always wanted to do an oil finish on an AK, but a polyurethane finish would be more durable.

garryc · March 17, 2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

I wanted to know if the laminate on the wood stock has been melted away

Plastic melts at around 300 degrees. In that what you're talking about is plastic trapped between the wood layers, and the wood layers act as an insulator, it sounds like the gun got well above 300 degrees. It may have gotten into the area that the steel is effected. I'd strip that gun down to bare bones and check every inch of the steel for any discoloration. If I found one part that appears to have been effected, scrap the gun.

T. O'Heir · March 17, 2009, 01:33 PM

Laminated stocks are like plywood. Layers of wood stuck together under pressure and heat. Wood doesn't melt and neither will the glue used to make the laminate. It takes a lot more than 300 degrees F to bother the steel too.

longranger · March 21, 2009, 09:11 PM

Where in the house was the fire? Kitchen,garage or adjacent b/r.Where was the rifle,on the floor, in the closet,was the door closed where the rifle was.Closer to the floor the rifle was the least amount of damage will occur.
Did the F.D. do a "surround and drown"? You may have more moisture issues then heat issues.

March 16, 2009, 09:46 PM	#1
Tucker 1371 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: East TN Posts: 2,649	Smoke Damaged Wood stock I have an AK that I had to leave home when I left for college and there was recently a fire at my house while I was away. The gun recieved no direct fire damage but it did get hot enough to warp the plastic blinds on the windows in the room it was in and it was covered in soot. I am home on spring break now and my gun is supposedly off getting refinished so I have yet to see it. I wanted to know if the laminate on the wood stock has been melted away is there a way I can have the stock re-laminated or do I have to find new stocks? __________________ Sgt. of Marines, 5th Award Expert Rifle, 237/250 Expert Pistol, 382/400. D Co, 4th CEB, Engineers UP!! If you start a thread, be active in it. Don't leave us hanging. OEF 2011 Sangin, Afg. Molon Labe Last edited by Tucker 1371; March 16, 2009 at 09:48 PM. Reason: left out details

March 16, 2009, 10:05 PM	#3
Tucker 1371 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: East TN Posts: 2,649	Oh, guess I'm not too sure what I was talking about. Whatever it is that makes the wood nice and shiny, has a glossy smooth feel to it, can that be repaired? __________________ Sgt. of Marines, 5th Award Expert Rifle, 237/250 Expert Pistol, 382/400. D Co, 4th CEB, Engineers UP!! If you start a thread, be active in it. Don't leave us hanging. OEF 2011 Sangin, Afg. Molon Labe

March 16, 2009, 10:08 PM	#4
Tucker 1371 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: East TN Posts: 2,649	here's my gun EDIT: nevermind the url wouldn't work __________________ Sgt. of Marines, 5th Award Expert Rifle, 237/250 Expert Pistol, 382/400. D Co, 4th CEB, Engineers UP!! If you start a thread, be active in it. Don't leave us hanging. OEF 2011 Sangin, Afg. Molon Labe Last edited by Tucker 1371; March 16, 2009 at 10:09 PM. Reason: url did not work

March 17, 2009, 01:33 PM	#7
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Laminated stocks are like plywood. Layers of wood stuck together under pressure and heat. Wood doesn't melt and neither will the glue used to make the laminate. It takes a lot more than 300 degrees F to bother the steel too. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

March 16, 2009, 09:54 PM	#2
MrNiceGuy Junior member Join Date: August 16, 2008 Posts: 919	laminated stocks are made by laminating multiple pieces of wood together and then cutting or carving the stock out are you saying the pieces of wood melted off and you're wondering if they can be replaced? or is there some varnish on the wood and you're wondering if it can be re-finished? if it's laminated, and pieces of wood are missing, you're S.O.L. If it's just a finished wood stock, then it depends on how much damage there is to the wood. If the wood is still intact then re-finishing would be easy, and the smoke darkened wood might even add a nice depth

March 17, 2009, 08:04 AM	#5
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	As long as the wood isn't burnt, the stock can be refinished. Most of the AK's come with a cheap laquer finish on them. You will need to strip the finish off or sand it and then refinish the wood with either a polyurathane or an oil finish. Once you get it down to bare wood and get the wood smooth with progressive sanding, it's just a matter of applying multiple coats of urathane or oil. Sanding lightly between coats. I always wanted to do an oil finish on an AK, but a polyurethane finish would be more durable.

March 21, 2009, 09:11 PM	#8
longranger Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2008 Location: Buffalo WY Posts: 1,056	Where in the house was the fire? Kitchen,garage or adjacent b/r.Where was the rifle,on the floor, in the closet,was the door closed where the rifle was.Closer to the floor the rifle was the least amount of damage will occur. Did the F.D. do a "surround and drown"? You may have more moisture issues then heat issues.