# Oak questions



## Bluefilosoff (Mar 25, 2013)

Would this be Red Oak or White? This is from the Interlake in Manitoba, Canada. I want to hand render this into short boards about 15". Would I be able to make small boxes with this? The boards are about 1" thick.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Both Red and White can look very similar. I'm guessing that this one looks like White Oak. I wouldn't rule out Ash though.


















.


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## Paarker (Mar 20, 2013)

It doesn't look like either the red or white oak I'm use to, but the oak family is big.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

It looks unlike oak to me either, but It's hard to see.


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## Allen Tomaszek (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm thinking it looks a lot like rock elm. Don't suppose there's any leaves from the tree around?


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

You need better pics. This does not look like oak at all but it IS hard to say with those pics.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Can't tell much from those pictures about the species... but I can say without doubt tht you have a lot of patience to rip that log into boards with a cross cut green wood pruning saw! Holy cow, how long did that take?


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## Bluefilosoff (Mar 25, 2013)

*oak questions*

here are some better pics, or if i did not do this correctly, no pics!


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Bluefilosoff said:


> here are some better pics, or if i did not do this correctly, no pics!


What I'm getting is no pics. Do whatever you did the first time !


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## Bluefilosoff (Mar 25, 2013)




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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

So again....impressive work for all by hand. I'm on the fence...I can see white oak there....but it still looks of to me.


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## Bluefilosoff (Mar 25, 2013)

To clarify I initially used hand saws but switched to a reciprocating saw to split and rough cut to small boards. I then hand planed one side to flat and then ran them through a thickness planer and trimmed the edges and ends on my table saw. The wood is hard and heavy, dulled the saw blades quite quickly. I must say I would still love to do everything by hand but can't find a hand rip saw anywhere in these parts. Maybe I can find one for sale online.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Now it definitely looks like oak, most likely a white oak of some kind


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Bluefilosoff said:


> To clarify I initially used hand saws but switched to a reciprocating saw to split and rough cut to small boards. I then hand planed one side to flat and then ran them through a thickness planer and trimmed the edges and ends on my table saw. The wood is hard and heavy, dulled the saw blades quite quickly. I must say I would still love to do everything by hand but can't find a hand rip saw anywhere in these parts. Maybe I can find one for sale online.


I'll agree with Phinds... Mainly because every time I disagree on a species he proves me wrong :yes::no::yes::smile::laughing:

If you jump over to the hand tools section and see my thread there about batch ordering some saws - maybe you would be interested in one of those. For ripping that caliber of work though you would be better off with a frame saw.


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## Bluefilosoff (Mar 25, 2013)

firemedic said:


> I'll agree with Phinds... Mainly because every time I disagree on a species he proves me wrong :yes::no::yes::smile::laughing:
> 
> If you jump over to the hand tools section and see my thread there about batch ordering some saws - maybe you would be interested in one of those. For ripping that caliber of work though you would be better off with a frame saw.


Thanks very much for this, I appreciate the advice and assistance!


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

For my view in the South, the bark doesn't match any oaks we have...it's closer to a locust or a sassafras (deep and thick)...but the wood doesn't match sas and ??? on the locust, I haven't cut any but by chainsaw into firewood and it's hades on blades. The wood shown does favor the white oak family when qtr sawn. According to the photos and your stated thickness that's a lot of growth rings per inch...any history on this chunk??? it favors a tree grown under a heavy crown and it had to fight for light...good for quality, bad for producing size in diameter.


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## Rob Brown (Jul 7, 2009)

*oak color*

in my area, there are several varieties of oak, both red and white. Generally speaking the reds have a deeper grained bark and the lobes on their leaves are pointed as compared to the white oaks which have a smoother bark surface and the lobes on the leaves are rounded. The color of the wood can be influenced by the soil type and minerals. Red oaks also absorb more water because of the cell structure. Thus red oak is used for furniture abd white oak is used in boats. What you have looks like red,to me, but I would find a local arborist to find out for sure.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I'm fairly certain it's not sassafras... but the reason I even came back to the thread was to ask Phinds if he thought it might be Locust... And I see it was suggested by another as well.

I can plane a piece of locust tomorrow for comparison -


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## cw log&veneer (Mar 7, 2011)

possibly chinkapin,sweet oak or swamp oak ? members of the white oak family. I see a lot of it up around lake erie,nrthern ohio


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

firemedic said:


> but the reason I even came back to the thread was to ask Phinds if he thought it might be Locust


The rays. LOOK AT THE RAYS (well, the flakes, actually).

Neither honey locust nor black locust (two totally unrelated species) have flakes.

It's OAK DAMMIT :furious:

:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

phinds said:


> The rays. LOOK AT THE RAYS (well, the flakes, actually).
> 
> Neither honey locust nor black locust (two totally unrelated species) have flakes.
> 
> ...


OK OK!!! Geez!!!... The rays are obvious, gosh everyone knows it's oak! Duh!

:laughing:


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

Looks like chestnut oak to me. The bark, the color, and the grain all look like chestnut oak. Thought it only grew in appalachians, though.


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## Acercanto (Jul 9, 2013)

Even with the rays, I'd have to say Black Locust. A quick google says that it may have rays. The cambium layer being all shreddy, the bark, the tight grain, the hardness on tools, all (for me) point to Black Locust.

Acer


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Acercanto said:


> Even with the rays, I'd have to say Black Locust. A quick google says that it may have rays. The cambium layer being all shreddy, the bark, the tight grain, the hardness on tools, all (for me) point to Black Locust.
> 
> Acer


Yes, black locust does have rays. TINY, TINY rays that could not possibly produce the kind of flakes shown on this wood.

This is oak.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Oak- not black locust- we have lots of black locust here- bark is different.


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