I hate red oak

[Pastor-Ed]

Wow, I didn’t expect such a response.

I suppose I exaggerated a bit… but only a bit. It seems that the availability and lower cost of Red Oak, along with the fascination that lots of folks have with “solid oak furniture” etc, has been the cause of this proliferation of red oak in the market place. I am sure that those of you who are working to appeal to the market place have to use Red Oak, because it does indeed fit into almost every home. It isn’t my favorite hardwood to work with anyway. Especially for finishing. Between the way it bleeds back stain or dye, (which white oak doesn’t do) and having to fill the grain if you want a super smooth finish (which is true with white oak).

Mick,
I hadn’t thought about the preponderance of pine at craft shows and such, I don’t get to attend many of them, so I’m not as affected by that market, but I am sure that particular look can get old too.

Scroll pup. One of the local Sawyers, always has a nice supply of Hackberry. I understand that it is a difficult wood to take care of when cut. If not dried almost immediately it takes on a grey tint from oxidation (Kinda like an apple turning brown). But what I have been getting is really pretty. It is creamy white with a caramel colored grain. The grain pattern is very attractive too.

For the record, my favorite wood right now, I think is cherry. But that is a moving target for me, I am also awefully partial to walnut.

Thanks again for paying attention to my silliness,

Ed

[Mick Walker]

Ed, I have read where others have a problem with bleed back when staining red oak. I have never had that problem. I used to use Formby's stain until they quit making it. Formby's stain was thick like a jell stain. Now I use nothing but Minwax stain. I apply it with a pad of cheese cloth or a brush. Let it set for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe it off. Have never had it bleed back when using red oak.
Interesting thread, everyone has their own way so we can all learn from each other.

[reads2kids]

What is bleed back? I haven't heard that term before.
Patty

[wood-n-things]

I may have found a new favorite for me instead of western red cedar..I made a cross for my wife out of chestnut...what a dream to cut and the fragrance was great....took finish like nobodys business.

[Wood Dog]

My favorite is cherry, padauk, and oak in that order, but free wood is just about the ultimate.

[dankc908]

I've discovered that red cedar makes a terrible sandwich. The flavor is a little too strong and it is tough to chew. Lots of mustard and stainless steel dentures help, though!

[Pastor-Ed]

Patty,
I am not an expert in this stuff but here is what I have experianced and read on the subject...

The normal process for staining is to apply a liberal coat of stain and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe off the excess. With some woods like red oak, after you have wiped the excess off, stain will "bleed back" out of the pores until it has cured. The grain structure of some woods like red oak form long hollow tubes, just like a straw (you can actually suck water through a peice of red oak). The stain gets in these, and then - especially with a change in temperature - it will come back out.

It isn't at terible problem, just something to remember might happen. It is this "ring porous" property of red oak that also makes it a poor choice for exterior uses, because it just soaks up water like a sponge.

Hope this answers the question...

Ed

Oh, and I prefer to use my red oak as a seasoning rather than as a sandwich, liberally applied in the form a smoke to a brisket or some ribs it is darn tasty.

[scrollpup]

Thanks for the reply Ed. I found some hackberry for sale on the net,but they were out of it.And I've used it for fire wood before, so know exactley what ya mean about the oxidation.

This has been a neat thread, getting to see what everyones favorites are.Guess thats why all these wood stores can carry so many varieties of wood (hehehe).

Jerry

[reads2kids]

Ed - Thanks for the explanation about stain bleed, makes perfect sense now.
Patty

[wiwoodsguy]

I do like red oak although I feel that like all woods it has it has to be the right piece for the project on hand. The other thing that one has to take into account is where the oak was grown. If the oak was grown in southern state where the growing season is long the rings are farther apart than trees that grow in the far north. I had a job in a millwork a couple few years back and they brought in oak from southern states and it looked so bla and without caracter. This is nothing like the oak that grows up north with tite grain and great looking wood. And even this northern wood does not compare with old growth oak. Some of the stuff the are pulling out of lake Superior from old growth that was logged and taken down river to the lake where they put together log rafts a couple miles long to tug to a mill. with that many logs some are bound to sink and they are recovering these logs for the beautiful wood. (very expensive wood.) I guess my point is that there are more looks to oak than what you are going to find in your lumber yard. When wood runs thru a lumber yard they grade it and the caracter is throw out and you will never see it. most oak lumber these days is like without caracter and of course that is what most of us want in our lumber. Old growth oak is very hard to come by. I like hardwoods and I stay away from softwoods mainly because it is too soft and because of pitch build up on my tools. Just my thoughts, Mike