Finally making the base for my bench, I have had a number of 4x6 or so dunnage pieces that I had packed home thinking it was white oak, but they sure don't look like the white oak board I have for a later project:
Absolutely, it is Oak.
Actually the end grain pics look like RED Oak while I would say possibly White Oak on the face pictures.
rather than white.
It may be live or willow oak. Live oak has an interlocking grain and is difficult to split--a desirable trait for dunnage. Red oak splits easily.
Some folks consider live oak to be red oak. Others divide oaks into four groups, rather than two--red, white, live and willow, and chestnut oak.
I suppose chestnut oak is another possibility.
Don't think it's white oak. Both red and white oaks have pores, but white oak pores are blocked up.
Could be red oak (most likely) but it could also be chestnut or elm. It's hard to tell from the end grain photo. If the rays are visible then it's oak. These rays look a little skinny for oak though, but still too visible for chestnut or elm.
I'd incline towards "some weird red oak". There are an awful lot of oaks out there that aren't Q. alba or Q. rubra. They also hybridise easily, so you can find local variants that just don't appear anywhere else.
Shoudl make a fine bench. Finishing is a it of a lottery with red oak, some is great, some looks dull and ugly. Shouldn't be a problem for a bench though.
I agree - definitely looks like oak - some of those ray flecks are really impressive, even from the end grain shot. I'd say definitely not elm, almost definitely not chestnut. I'd probably also vote for some type of red oak. Andy
Fri, Jan 20, 2006, 3:24pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@swbell.net (Leon) doth claimeth: Absolutely, it is Oak.
Free wood is always popular wood.
JOAT If you can't say anything nice about someone, you must be talking about Hilary Clinton.
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