OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
from a local sawmill several years ago.
I now have a need for some in a marine appplication where the wood will
see a lot of water and UV. Red oak is out, but I'm having trouble
telling which boards are white oak in my piles. I mean, on some pieces
(especially among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference
is obvious -- but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure
whether it's red or white.
Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
Thank-you for any replies.
"DouginUtah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "- Colonel -" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:2007122109585916807-nobody@verizonnet...
>> OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
>> from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
>>
>> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>>
>> Thank-you for any replies.
>
> Get some Sodium Nitrite - NaNO2 (5 or 10% solution) and put a drop on the
> wood. If it turns black it is white oak.
If it is not white oak, it blows up?
"- Colonel -" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2007122109585916807-nobody@verizonnet...
> OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
> from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
> I now have a need for some in a marine appplication where the wood will
> see a lot of water and UV. Red oak is out, but I'm having trouble telling
> which boards are white oak in my piles. I mean, on some pieces (especially
> among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference is obvious --
> but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure whether it's red
> or white.
>
> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
> Thank-you for any replies.
>
This is going to sound smart-alec but red oak is either reddish or
whiteish. Usually, white oak is whiteish or reddish.....
Now that i've made you curse me for that response.... (which is true),
here's a link. try the straw technique.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Distinguishing_White_Oak_from_Red.html
Put one end of a stick in water. Blow on the other. If you see bubbles, it's
red. If not, it's white.
Bob
<clare at snyder.on.ca> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:53:25 -0500, B A R R Y <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>- Colonel - wrote:
>>>
>>> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>>
>>If I have samples handy, I find it relatively easy if the boards have
>>been surfaced.
>>
>>Red oak is usually pinker, white is usually cream or beige. There is
>>usually a difference in the texture, with with white harder, tighter,
>>and slightly smoother.
>>
>>The two woods also have significantly different smells when cut or planed.
>>
>>The boards you get wrong will easily blend with the other species. <G>
>
> I'm not 100% sure, but from my recollection:
> Drive a bare iron nail in the board, wet it and let it sit for a few
> days. In my experience red oak gets a nasty black stain and discolours
> the nail. White oak does not. Something to do with Tannin levels.
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>
Colonel wrote:
> OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
> from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
> I now have a need for some in a marine appplication where the wood will
> see a lot of water and UV. Red oak is out, but I'm having trouble
> telling which boards are white oak in my piles. I mean, on some pieces
> (especially among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference
> is obvious -- but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure
> whether it's red or white.
>
> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
> Thank-you for any replies.
>
The cell structure of red oak is similar to a bundle of soda straws.
You can blow through it. White oak has a closed cell structure. For
those boards in question cut off a small piece and see if you can blow
through the end grain.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
Colonel wrote:
>
> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
If I have samples handy, I find it relatively easy if the boards have
been surfaced.
Red oak is usually pinker, white is usually cream or beige. There is
usually a difference in the texture, with with white harder, tighter,
and slightly smoother.
The two woods also have significantly different smells when cut or planed.
The boards you get wrong will easily blend with the other species. <G>
On Dec 21, 2:58 pm, - Colonel - <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> ... I mean, on some pieces
> (especially among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference
> is obvious -- but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure
> whether it's red or white.
>
There are many species of red oak, and many species of white,
plus some authorities class chestnut and live/willow oaks
separately from red and white, others do not.
To further confuse matters, many plants, oaks included, readily
hybridize in the wild. (As my brother the zoologist notes, "Plants
are sluts.") So the wide variation you see in your stock is not
surprise.
As many others have noted, from the woodworker's perspective
what matters most is the porosity. Red oaks are porous,
white are not. The pores can result in tiny bubbles in the finish,
which can be mitigated by using a grain filler, and red oak can
ooze oil finishes for a long time after application.
If that doesn't matter, you may prefer to match boards based
strictly on appearance.
My father made a built-in bookcase of ash,. The back was leftover
oak flooring. You have to look really closely to tell the difference.
--
FF
"- Colonel -" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2007122109585916807-nobody@verizonnet...
> OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
> from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
> Thank-you for any replies.
Get some Sodium Nitrite - NaNO2 (5 or 10% solution) and put a drop on the
wood. If it turns black it is white oak.
-Doug
"- Colonel -" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2007122109585916807-nobody@verizonnet...
> OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
> from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
> I now have a need for some in a marine appplication where the wood will
> see a lot of water and UV. Red oak is out, but I'm having trouble telling
> which boards are white oak in my piles. I mean, on some pieces (especially
> among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference is obvious --
> but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure whether it's red
> or white.
>
> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
> Thank-you for any replies.
>
Cut a 1/8" piece off the end so that you can look through the end grain of
the board. If you can see light through the end grain of blow air through
the end grain you have red oak. If you cannot do either of the above it is
white oak.
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:53:25 -0500, B A R R Y <[email protected]>
wrote:
>â Colonel â wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
>If I have samples handy, I find it relatively easy if the boards have
>been surfaced.
>
>Red oak is usually pinker, white is usually cream or beige. There is
>usually a difference in the texture, with with white harder, tighter,
>and slightly smoother.
>
>The two woods also have significantly different smells when cut or planed.
>
>The boards you get wrong will easily blend with the other species. <G>
I'm not 100% sure, but from my recollection:
Drive a bare iron nail in the board, wet it and let it sit for a few
days. In my experience red oak gets a nasty black stain and discolours
the nail. White oak does not. Something to do with Tannin levels.
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
In article <2007122109585916807-nobody@verizonnet>, =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIENvbG9uZWwg4oCT?= <[email protected]> wrote:
>OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
>from a local sawmill several years ago.
[...]
>Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
Odor when wet. White oak smells like vanilla and toast. Red oak smells like
cat piss.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:58:55 GMT, Colonel <[email protected]>
wrote:
>OK, I have quite a bit of mixed red and white oak that I bought, green,
>from a local sawmill several years ago.
>
>I now have a need for some in a marine appplication where the wood will
>see a lot of water and UV. Red oak is out, but I'm having trouble
>telling which boards are white oak in my piles. I mean, on some pieces
>(especially among the ones that are obviously red oak), the difference
>is obvious -- but there is a fairly large percentage where I'm not sure
>whether it's red or white.
>
>Does anyone have any good, easy, relaible ways to tell which is which?
>
>Thank-you for any replies.
Try to blow through a cross-sectional area--the red oak will allow air
to pass through, the white oak will not. That's the reason red oak
soaks up water and white oak will not rot. Of course the easiest
method is by appearance, but be aware that white oak can take on more
color variations than red oak.