Telling your oak apart?

[Ironballs]

Like it says, how can you tell your American White Oak from English Oak or Euro Oak? Other than looking at what it says on the shelf at the timber yard :wink:

And don't say that English is knottier either!

I've been using quite a bit lately and I have quite a variety in terms of grain, figure, colour, character, knots etc. No idea if it's all AWO or summat else

 

[OPJ]

If it's all square-edged then, you probably haven't got a hope in hell!!

Otherwise, a lot of English and European boards are sold with at least one waney-edge. You're less likely to find that on North American timber, as they like to pack as much as they can in to the containers.

On my imported wood, the ends would be painted - most commonly blue or red. You don't always see this on native wood...

I think the grain on American oak tends to be much straighter and more uniform than on some of the native woods. That's not to suggest that trees grow perfectly straight over there! I assume they do it because they fear anything 'wild' or with too much character might not sell...? They might also come in much longer lengths than English oak though, the boards probably won't be as wide as some of the "trees" you can get over here.

Hopefully someone will have a much clearer explanation... :? A decent moisture meter would also help (well, at least you'd know what's been imported).

 

[woodbloke]

Bit of Wiki for you. Compare Quercus alba to Q. robur and the differences should be self-evident. Simples :lol: - Rob

 

[Mike H]

Apart from the obvious colour difference, particularly when freshly planed, White oak very rarely has the character of English oak. Not the stuff which is generally imported in the UK.

It surprises more with tearout and medullary rays on the quarter face of white oak is much less pronounced, with much less broad contrasty flecking. The flecks are also much shorter on White Oak.

Mike


8)

 

[Harbo]

I have been using AWO recently and the boards came with red and green painted ends!

Also it is a paler colour than the English Oak I have. I suppose the "white" must mean something?

Rod

 

[Steve Maskery]

There is the world of difference between the three!

ARO is, well, red. Coarse. Often has fissures.
AWO - more uniform. Fewer fissures. Doesn't look red! Generally finer.
English Oak. The real McCoy. Good colour. Full of character. High tannin content.

Put the three side by side and tell me you can't tell the difference. I can do so without my contact lenses in, in the dark, from the other side of the country.

S

 

[devonwoody]

These offcuts of oak I purchased yesterday for the grain effect.

Which oak do you think it is?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/ ... ppingw.jpg

 

[Steve Maskery]

I can't tell. I haven't got my contact lenses in yet and I'm at the other end of the country.
S

 

[jeffinfrance]

hi guys,

it also depends on where the tree has grown. if on the flat it will grow quicker (straighter, open grain), where as on a slope or in poor soil will grow slower with a closer grain and more figure.

you could cut down two trees of the same species 100 yards apart and the planks would still look different.

hope this helps!

jeff

 

[OPJ]

ARO is, well, red. Coarse. Often has fissures.
AWO - more uniform. Fewer fissures. Doesn't look red! Generally finer.
English Oak. The real McCoy. Good colour. Full of character. High tannin content.

What about European - how would you distinguish that from English?

Ironballs didn't mention anything about red oak... :wink:

 

[Ironballs]

Well I buy all my oak from the same yard and I've got immense variety in grain and colour. Still don't know what type is, I'm guessing euro of some sort as most of mine is waney edged. It is however of a different colour and grain from some frog oak I got from British Hardwoods (sic)

 

[Oryxdesign]

I can't tell. I haven't got my contact lenses in yet and I'm at the other end of the country.
S

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[wills-mill]

These offcuts of oak I purchased yesterday for the grain effect.

Which oak do you think it is?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/ ... ppingw.jpg

Just to throw a spanner in the works I think that the board to the left of the sawblade is Olive English Ash :?