# white vs red oak



## dant (Sep 6, 2009)

I Have built a bar using red oak and red oak plywood. I have some white oak, If I used the white oak for drawer pull would it come close to matching the red oak after staining. i plan on a cherry stain.


----------



## LouLewyLewis (Sep 2, 2009)

Hello...Question...you don't like the color of red oak? And what is the reason for cherry stain ?


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

It really depends on the individual pieces of RO and WO. They can look very similar but can also vary a lot.


----------



## dant (Sep 6, 2009)

I like the red oak, I was just given a some white oak. I won't use it if it going to look bad and not match. I have not pick out a stain color. I said cherry but I really just want a darker stain with a bit of a red tint to it. I pretty new to woodworking and even less when it comes to staining.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Test a couple of pieces. I built this bench out of a combination of quartersawn white oak and red oak:


----------



## LouLewyLewis (Sep 2, 2009)

Now that is a very nice piece, great picture.


----------



## expo09 (Aug 21, 2009)

red and white oak won't look completely similar, so it depends on the exact design and whether it matters of not.


----------



## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

knotscott said:


> Test a couple of pieces. I built this bench out of a combination of quartersawn white oak and red oak:


The sitting part of that bench is the most flat cut "quartersawn" I can recall ever seeing. :shifty:

Nice work, though, whatever the cut.


----------



## shivi (Sep 8, 2009)

hello.

The red oak has spiny tips. http://www.arborday.org/Trees/TreeGuide/…

The white oak has oblong leaves. http://www.arborday.org/Trees/TreeGuide/… and also: http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/fallfol…


----------



## mi77915 (Jul 26, 2009)

Nice looking bench. Personally like red oak better then white oak. I make a lot of my furniture out of it and just use a poly finish, no stain. Just my 2 cents. :icon_smile:

Tom


----------



## Just Bill (Dec 29, 2008)

The two look considerably different unfinished, but when finished, often hard to tell which is which. As suggested above, also depends on how it was cut. White oak does better outside, if that matters.


----------



## mranum (Mar 27, 2008)

I have mixed them quite a bit and generally they look fine. In a kitchen I did I made a raised panel from dark White Oak with a Red Oak frame, go to my albums and you can see it there if you want. I thought the contrast actually looked nice.


----------



## Rick C. (Dec 17, 2008)

IMO the wo and ro won't look bad at all,may even compliment each other.This sounds like a big project though,I,personnally,would not stain the oak any darker than a red oak stain if any stain at all.I like natural that's just me.Show pics when you're done
Good Luck,
Rick


----------



## wicker (Oct 21, 2009)

hello.


White oak is a fair choice for outside projects. It's more resistant to rot and insect damage than red oak. Don't use red oak outside. Quarter sawn white oak was the primary choice for Mission style furniture. As a cabinet maker, I'm bored with seeing red oak everywhere (unless the design is unique). I don't mind the look of white oak (unstained).


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This is not an outdoor project*

Did you even read the first post? Or are you just advertising "wicker furniture" like all you other replies?:thumbdown:


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

dant said:


> I Have built a bar using red oak and red oak plywood. I have some white oak, If I used the white oak for drawer pull would it come close to matching the red oak after staining. i plan on a cherry stain.



*WELCOME TO THE FORUM*

I'm going to try to address the original question. For using the WO for the pulls, yes, you can get them to look like RO.


----------



## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I agree with Cman, you can make the white oak look like red oak. But on the outside chance that you cant, why would a slightly different looking piece of whatever even be an issue on a drawer pull? I like to use brass drawer pulls on most of my furniture. 'Difference' can break up boredon at times.


----------



## rfanslow (Aug 25, 2009)

dant said:


> I have some white oak, If I used the white oak for drawer pull would it come close to matching the red oak after staining. i plan on a cherry stain.



What I personally would suggest is that you match your grain pattern best you can .. dont worry about the color between the two since you said you were going to use a stain... the stain will make the two look alike.... (wait) you just need to time the white oak a little longer on the stain then the red and use test pieces to get that timing down...


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

In reality, any difference between the two could be as inconsequential as the difference in different selections of the same specie. What I'm saying is that if all you had was Red Oak, there could be as much a differential between boards as there is between RO ands WO.


----------



## kitchen (Oct 21, 2009)

Red oak is open pored. White oak is closed pored.

White oak is more dense.

The color is diffrent(as has been pointed out already).

Both are very attractive when qrt sawn. White oak is a bit more dashing in this form. The rays are larger.

Like all lumber, the beauty lies in the artisan.


----------

