Red And White Oak Differences?

[jerrbitt]

I have carved with both red and white oak. I'm not sure but it appears that the red oak holds up better with less chip out. Before I buy more, I'd like to hear about those with more experience as to which one is preferred for carving purposes if there are differences.

[hotpop]

jerrbitt

Red oak is closed grain. White oak is open grain.

Red oak, white oak and ash pretty much machine and finish the same.

Depending where you live one or the other may be a more available.

Try this: Cut a piece of white oak about 2 ft. long. Stick one end on a bucket of water and blow into the other end. You will see air bubbles in the water just like a soda straw.

[Old Salt]

Sorry to tell you but you have it just a little wrong red oak is the open grain wood. just got them mixed the rest is right. 1/4 sawn White oak is one I have had good luck with. White oak is normaly lower in cost

[hotpop]

Opps! It's been many years since I did the blow thing I guess I got them mixed up.

[Router-Jim]

I have carved with both red and white oak. I'm not sure but it appears that the red oak holds up better with less chip out. Before I buy more, I'd like to hear about those with more experience as to which one is preferred for carving purposes if there are differences.

They both carve well and each have their pros and cons.

White oak has a closed grain. This makes it heavier, better for painting or staining a carve because the colors won't bleed or wick as much.

The closed grain also helps keep out moisture making it a better choice for outside projects. Some consider white oak to be less attractive and too heavy for most furniture so the price is often considerably less than red oak.

[swhitney]

blowing through the wood....hmmmm. begs the question, "slow night in the woodshop??"

[Kenm810]

Quote;----Try this: Cut a piece of oak about 2 ft. long. Stick one end on a bucket of water and blow into the other end.
You will see air bubbles in the water just like a soda straw.

Wow, -- now try it with a piece of Hickory, I've heard it makes your ears ring and your eye bug out. http://www.carvewright.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[luckettg]

I use white oak a lot for boat building and have carved a couple of signs and some faces in it too. It seems to carve well, but then I have limited experience. I have carved the same projects in sassafras, white pine, and red oak, just to compare.

Something that might help white oak would be to bleach it, which turns it very dark. This is a Craftsman furniture techique. It works good on mahogany too. I have not tried doing this for the carvings but expect to this summer sometime. I have some mahogany that will become a mast on a small sloop that I am building in the shop now, and it will look good darkened.

[John]

Something that might help white oak would be to bleach it, which turns it very dark. This is a Craftsman furniture techique.

Not Bleach, Ammonia

http://www.djmarks.com/stories/djm/Fuming_Wood_47692.asp

[luckettg]

Not Bleach, Ammonia

http://www.djmarks.com/stories/djm/Fuming_Wood_47692.asp

Ammonia is a form of wood bleaching; at least that is what I have read in the Arts & Crafts style books. In white oak's case it is not a whitener, but brings out the flecking/sparkles in quarter sawn white oak. I have also seen it referred to as fuming. The ammonia used is plain old ammonia hydroxide....laundry bleach, but stronger, if you can get it. When I lived on the Gulf Coast my neighbor would get some for me...this was about 40 years ago, and the last time I used it on wood. When my order for quarter sawn white oak is ready I expect to bleach some of it too. Now to find the strong stuff or boil down the weaker and take longer...guessing now.