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09-23-2009, 10:24 AM
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#1
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Still have all my fingers
Trade:
Cabinet Maker
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maple Lake MN
Posts: 261
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Help with wood species ID
I am working on a job where I need to match some existing cabinets. I can't decide if it is red or white quarter sawn oak. I think it is a little too light to be red. What do you guys think?
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09-23-2009, 10:38 AM
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#2
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Pro
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trim carpenter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SE MN
Posts: 1,304
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Quercus alba. 
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09-23-2009, 10:54 AM
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#3
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Still have all my fingers
Trade:
Cabinet Maker
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maple Lake MN
Posts: 261
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How can you tell it from the red headed step child Quercus rubra  ?
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09-23-2009, 10:56 AM
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#4
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Pro
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Woodworker, Cabinet Maker and Finish Carpenter
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Location: Norwalk Ca
Posts: 172
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Thats a tough one, I see a touch of color but your right, It doesn't seem to be colored enough to be out right RQSO.
Have you thought of experimenting with some scraps of both red and white to try and match the finish?
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09-23-2009, 11:13 AM
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#5
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Pro
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trim carpenter
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Location: SE MN
Posts: 1,304
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergstrom
How can you tell it from the red headed step child Quercus rubra ? |
According to Hoadley, (Identifying Wood, pages 103-104) this is best determined by looking at the rays on the outside of the board. White oak rays are abundant and many of them are over 1 1/4 to 2 inches long. Red oak rays are less than 1" and few and far between.
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09-23-2009, 11:26 AM
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#6
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Still have all my fingers
Trade:
Cabinet Maker
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maple Lake MN
Posts: 261
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09-23-2009, 11:33 AM
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#7
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Curmudgeon
Trade:
carpentry/remodeling/"Yes M'am we do"
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Location: Beech Grove, Indiana, Birthplace of the "King of Cool"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergstrom
How can you tell it from the red headed step child Quercus rubra ? |
Fun Fact!
If you cut a short piece of red oak,
put one end in water and blow,
you get bubbles!
More useless trivia.
__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)
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09-23-2009, 11:43 AM
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#8
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Still have all my fingers
Trade:
Cabinet Maker
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Maple Lake MN
Posts: 261
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I'll have to give that a try 
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09-23-2009, 12:13 PM
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#9
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BLDG Inspector, G.C
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neolitic
Fun Fact!
If you cut a short piece of red oak,
put one end in water and blow,
you get bubbles!
More useless trivia. |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergstrom
I'll have to give that a try |
Let us know if that works 
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09-23-2009, 01:24 PM
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#10
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Pro
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Woodworker, Cabinet Maker and Finish Carpenter
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Location: Norwalk Ca
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Sweet, I learned something new today.
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09-23-2009, 06:02 PM
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#11
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Maker of fine kindling
Trade:
cabinet maker
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Location: Santa Rosa CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neolitic
Fun Fact!
If you cut a short piece of red oak,
put one end in water and blow,
you get bubbles!
More useless trivia.
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How short is that stick that I have to blow, Neo?
__________________
Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos
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09-23-2009, 06:05 PM
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#12
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Pro
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Builder/Remodeler
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Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 2,441
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gus Dering
How short is that stick that I have to blow, Neo?
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Wow... is that a loaded question...
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09-23-2009, 06:08 PM
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#13
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Curmudgeon
Trade:
carpentry/remodeling/"Yes M'am we do"
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Beech Grove, Indiana, Birthplace of the "King of Cool"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gus Dering
How short is that stick that I have to blow, Neo?
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Assuming that we are still talking
about lumber....
When Grampa did it it was usually
just about 2˝ or 3".
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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)
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09-23-2009, 06:31 PM
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#14
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Chief hand holder
Trade:
Residential Remodeling
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Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 639
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neolitic
Assuming that we are still talking
about lumber....
When Grampa did it it was usually
just about 2˝ or 3". |
Isn't it all wood?
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09-23-2009, 07:13 PM
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#15
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Maker of fine kindling
Trade:
cabinet maker
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Santa Rosa CA
Posts: 2,878
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[quote=neolitic;773209
When Grampa did it it was usually
just about 2˝ or 3". [/quote]
That is the answer I was after. That is a good tip.
I hear that infliction skips a generation.
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Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos
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09-23-2009, 09:43 PM
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#16
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Dapper Crapper
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You old men and your wood!!
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gus Dering
It may be just a gateway tool to the hard stuff. Be careful |
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09-24-2009, 08:06 AM
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#17
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Maker of fine kindling
Trade:
cabinet maker
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Santa Rosa CA
Posts: 2,878
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WarnerConstInc.
You old men and your wood!!
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Thats Hard wood too, Sunny. A cat couldn't scratch it.
None of that finger jointed soft wood. 
__________________
Every parent who has walked barefoot into their child's room late at night hates Legos
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09-24-2009, 12:21 PM
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#18
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Pro
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Ret.
Join Date: May 2007
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This is what I was going to report, but I was lazy and just snipped it from a discussion similar to this at Woodweb.
"The way to tell for sure is to look at the large pores in the end grain. If they are open (you might have to use a razor blade and make a clean slice across the end grain surface), it is a red oak. If they are totally plugged up with a white crystalline substance (tyloses), then it is white oak. "
Which is why you will want a grain filler if doing fine stain work on red oak, while for white oak, it is not needed.
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09-29-2009, 05:19 PM
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#19
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Registered User
Trade:
Mission Oak Furniture Builder
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 18
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I agree with upnorth and build most of my furniture in QSWO.
White has a much tighter or more dense end grain. You can't really tell squat from the face of the board or the Medulary Rays with QS wood because it all depends upon the axis of the blade in each particular slab.
Red will have a more open pore while white will be very tight and heavier.
From what I see in your pics I would cast my vote for QS Red Oak.
Also keep in mind that in every tree being cut to lumber there is always a few pieces that have to end up as Quarter Sawn and also a few that end up as Rift Sawn. Growth rings circle the log while Medulary rays go from center outward. There is a few boards in every milling that have to end up as QS.
Make a + sign at the end of the log and the boards on either side of the lines of a full log will always be QS and highly prised. As the blade goes away from center we get Rift sawn lumber.
Gary
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Gratias ago vos.The White oak is the top picture you can see the rays are longer
