Refinishing a laminate stock.

[skifastchad]

I've searched and can't find an answer to this one.

Has anyone sanded down a cinnamon laminate stock?  What color is the wood underneath?  Is it a light birch plywood color? or is it truly brown underneath?

I want to make a stock like the color commonly known as pepper laminate.  I have a Gray stain that makes the perfect color finish on birch plywood, but I don't know what it would do to a handi stock.

Any pictures or info on prior attempts to do this would help greatly.

Thanks

[quickdtoo]

Look at Fred M's website in the FAQs under barrel fitting, his two custom Ultra stocks were completely cut down and refinished, he explains the process, they look the same color after being recheckered and finished. 

Tim

[burntmuch]

I reshaped a cin lam. But I didnt stain it. I just went wit a couple coats of minwax

[skifastchad]

Thanks for the leads Tim.  It looks lighter than I expected.  Especially since it looks like he used a clear coat or oil finish.  I have an extra cinlam stock that I want to experiment with, so I think I have a weekend project.
I'll go ahead and use this opened thread for pictures and updates of my progress.  If it doesn't work, I can always refinish it close to factory color and use it on my rainy weather shotgun.
 

[quickdtoo]

I've got a bunch of cinn lam stocks, they aren't all the same, some are lighter, some are darker. They aren't all cookie cutter either, try swappiing recoil pads and you'll see what I mean!! 

Tim

[MSP Ret]

I have recently come into possession of one of the gray laminate Monte Carlo Buttstocks that has no finish on it, it appears to be from the factory or manufacturer prior to being finished (I also was able to get a a finished gray one with it). The wood itself has been stained gray and still needs final fine sanding prior to applying the finish if this helps. My belief is each of the lamination's of wood are completely stained prior to gluing and pressing them together, this is for a true laminate and not a palletwood laminate stock, that type is different and stained after gluing as part of the finish. I am not sure what I am going to do with these yet but if I decide to finish the unfinished one I will let you know how it turns out. I just bought them because I know how hard they are to come by....<><....