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what can i do with red oak

by Berta Hoeger Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How do you revive a red oak tree?

  • Prune and discard any diseased branches.
  • Spray diseased areas with fungicide.
  • Inject fungicide into your oak tree.
  • Fertilize your tree.
  • Mulch near the base of your tree.
  • Ensure your tree is not overwatered. Dig drainage ditches if the tree is in boggy ground.

Red oak is used for furniture, doors, architectural joinery, mouldings, veneers, and cabinets. This wood is also used for industrial purposes and can be found in agricultural implements, posts, and railway ties.Dec 10, 2020

Full Answer

What is red oak wood used for?

Red oak is largely cut into lumber, railroad ties, mine timbers, fenceposts, veneer, pulpwood and fuelwood. It is remanufactured into flooring, furniture, general millwork, boxes, pallets and crates, caskets, wooden ware and handles.

Can You color over red oak?

Any advice would be appreciated. Red Oak is a very opened grain wood, so if you put a color on it, the grain darkens while the "new wood" takes the intended color. It actually finishes pretty evenly and there really is no fear of color blotches.

How do you care for a red oak tree?

If you plan to plant a red oak, it won't require much care once it becomes established other than some light preventative maintenance and keeping an eye out for the rare insect or disease. All told, it is a carefree tree as long as it stays healthy and is given a good start.

Is Red Oak suitable for tight cooperage?

Red oak is not suitable for tight cooperage or exterior work. Oak is full of tannic acid and in fact the tannic acid in the bark was used for tanning animal hides for centuries.

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What can I make with red oak?

Red oak is also a popular flooring material because it is heavy, hard and stiff and has high shock resistance. Other popular uses for red oak include; interior joinery, plywood, decorative veneers, wall paneling, millwork, boxes, crates, caskets and coffins, agricultural implements, and woodenware.

Is red oak good for woodworking?

Handsome, strong, and moderately priced, Red Oak presents an exceptional value to woodworkers—which explains why it is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.

Are red oak logs worth anything?

The most recent report shows red oak at a median price of $300 per 1,000 board feet, twice the value of the next most valuable species, other oaks, at $150 per 1,000 board feet.

Is red oak good for making furniture?

Red oak is well suited for furniture, flooring, cabinets, cabinet doors and paneling, and is available at most home centers. Red oak is porous and has open grains. It's more prone to shrink than white oak. Compared to birch or maple, red oak finishes and stains easily and doesn't have blotching problems.

Can you use red oak for a cutting board?

It's always recommended to avoid open-pored woods like red oak when making cutting boards. Red oak is also unsuitable because it has toxic tannins that will transfer onto the food. Even though red oak has a high rating in terms of hardness, it's only usable once it's completely sealed.

Is red oak good for smoking?

Red Oak is the king of hardwoods and oaks, especially when it comes to smoking meats. Oak is strong, but it does not tend to overpower the taste and texture of the meat. If you are cooking or smoking beef or lamb, this is the best hardwood to use.

How much is red oak tree worth?

A fourteen inch Red Oak with a grade 3 rating would be worth $12.00 for an average price per thousand board feet of $265.00. If the twenty inch tree in this example is Black Cherry the value would be $349.00, which is an average of $1,551.00 per thousand board feet.

What does a red oak cost?

Shipping AdditionalBoard-Feet< 10100 - 499Red Oak4/4 Red Oak (Sel & Btr, 15/16)$4.40$3.308/4 Red Oak (Sel & Btr, Rough)$6.00$4.50156 more rows

What tree is worth the most money?

An African Black Ebony tree from Gabon could be worth a million dollars, if you can find one. Due to its high value many species of Black Ebony are now extinct or on the verge of extinction. The Paulownia may currently be the world's most valuable sustainably harvested hardwood tree.

What's wrong with red oak?

"Our main threats to red oaks in North Central Texas are oak wilt, drought related secondary insects (borers) and diseases (hypoxylon), and urbanization (bulldozer blight). Bacterial leaf scorch can cause chlorosis and dieback and is usually accompanied by a large amount of marginal burn and defoliation.

Is red oak desirable?

Red oak is desired for its color, workability, and durability. It is a ring-porous hardwood and has a specific gravity of 0.63. Although it's dense, it's not too dense to cause problems while machining and gluing. Its density provides enough resistance to wear and tear to be used as durable flooring or a countertop.

Is red oak hard to work with?

As most woodworkers will attest, red oak works wonderfully, but it does require power tools. Even then, the wood sometimes takes special handling.

Is red oak hard to work with?

As most woodworkers will attest, red oak works wonderfully, but it does require power tools. Even then, the wood sometimes takes special handling.

What's wrong with red oak?

"Our main threats to red oaks in North Central Texas are oak wilt, drought related secondary insects (borers) and diseases (hypoxylon), and urbanization (bulldozer blight). Bacterial leaf scorch can cause chlorosis and dieback and is usually accompanied by a large amount of marginal burn and defoliation.

Why is red oak cheap?

Red oak is generally cheaper, and since it takes stains and dyes so easily, you can make it any color. So if you're okay with how it looks, it'll be a good, bold, and economical wood to use.

Is red oak cheap?

Both hardwood types are affordable, but red oak tends to be less expensive than white oak. Prices, however, do fluctuate, and red oak might become more expensive than white oak depending on lumber availability. Prices vary, and brands, retailers, wood grade, and even plank dimensions can influence pricing.

What is red oak?

Red oak is a medium Janka hardwood, which means that while it won’t scratch easily, it can dent more easily than harder varieties. If you’re looking for a durable wood that can stand up to heavy use, you should consider a harder option, like white oak or hickory.

What is red oak flooring?

Red oak is used for furniture, doors, architectural joinery, mouldings, veneers, and cabinets. This wood is also used for industrial purposes and can be found in agricultural implements, posts, and railway ties.

Is red oak a good stain?

In fact, red oak has become an industry benchmark due to the many advantages it offers: Stains well: red oak is easy to finish and stain without blotching. Easy to sand: red oak is easy to sand as long as you use a pad or block. Distinctive look: the wide grain pattern is unique and natural.

Is red oak hardwood good for flooring?

Pros of Red Oak. Red oak hardwood is one of the most popular options for flooring ;and other domestic projects. Don’t let the sophisticated look fool you – this hardwood choice is one of the most stable options on the market. In fact, red oak has become an industry benchmark due to the many advantages it offers:

Andrew Pritchard

Tomorrow (or Friday maybe) I'm going to pick up some rough sawn reclaimed red oak. Below are pictures from the ad from the online auction site I'm getting them from. According to the ad the stack consists of:

Andrew Pritchard

Having now picked up the wood, I have a feeling I'll end up building a proper workbench. After I've built my coffee table, and my moxon vice, and and and

Andrew Pritchard

I managed to kick the tires a little with my new stack of red oak. I'd run out of things to do, finish was drying upstairs, I'd run out of clamps and I didn't have much else to do (besides hoover). I decided to mill up a few slabs and see what I've actually got.

Andrew Pritchard

That's what I'd figured. But it's 12/4 stock, and I might be able to get something out of the back half of it.

Andrew Pritchard

I really like the way natural wood looks, enhanced by shellac or similar sealer. I've got some amber and clear shellac, so I'm going to see which I like best. I was in the hardware store earlier today and saw some red oak stain, which I might try out too. I'll probably get some blotch control too.

dwacker

I've heard (and seen thanks to Marc's demo) really good things about Charles Neil's blotch control, but it doesn't appear to be available in Canada (yet - anyone care to comment?). But there are other blotch control formulas out there too, one by Minwax I saw recently.

wdwerker

Any stain base works that way, I use M L Campbell's WoodSong stains and use the stain base as a blotch control or to thin out a color that is too intense. Before I found better products I used Minwax Natural stain the same way.

What is red oak?

Red Oak. Red oak is largely cut into lumber, railroad ties, mine timbers, fenceposts, veneer, pulpwood and fuelwood. It is remanufactured into flooring, furniture, general millwork, boxes, pallets and crates, caskets, wooden ware and handles. Red oak is not suitable for tight cooperage or exterior work. Oak is full of tannic acid and in fact the ...

Why is my red oak tannic acid black?

Oak is full of tannic acid and in fact the tannic acid in the bark was used for tanning animal hides for centuries. When the tannic acid mixes with the iron in our water it creates a chemical blue dye. This is why red oak stains black when water is allowed to penetrate the surface.....and why you must be careful not to get water on your red oak ...

How big do red oak trees get?

The trees can grow to 150' and 4'+ in diameter. There are many other varieties of red oak, Shumard, black, scarlet, water, willow, pin and nuttal oak, that grow in more select areas, but generally red oaks are broadly distributed across the United States and southeastern Canada.

Which is better, Southern or Northern oak?

Northern Oak is preferred in all turning and flooring applications. Southern oak is easier to mill, due to its softer texture, but does have more tendency to splinter and tearout. The wood is most often straight grained, and open pored. It can be steam bent with caution.

Do burn marks sand off oak?

The burn marks do sand off. Always feed oak through the jointer, aware of correct grain direction. It is a good idea to predrill holes for nails or screws. Using proper drill bits, designed for wood, will help to reduce the amount of walk occurring in any drilling operation.

Is red oak hard to cut?

All oaks have a relatively normal dulling effect on cutting edges. It is not quite as easy as cherry or wal nut to cut, but certainly not as hard as maple. Red oak sands easily. The wood does have a strong grain, so you do have to be careful in routing across the grain.

Is red oak a stable wood?

After drying properly it is one of the most dimensionally stable domestic woods, even in wider widths. It is broadly available in a good selection of widths and thicknesses. Lower grades show significant variation in colour and of coarse knots. Red Oak finishes and stains easily.

What is the worst oak tree?

Red oak is the worst in the oak family when it comes to moisture. Take a piece of it and put one end in a bucket of water, then blow on the other end. You'd see bubbles because the veins or whatever they call then in a tree are so course.

How often should I recoat rubbing oils?

I don't know how well rubbing oils fare outside You could use a spar poly/varnish although most anything you use will have a shorter life due to the exposure to the elements, so expect to recoat as needed, maybe every year.

Replies

Red Oak is a very opened grain wood, so if you put a color on it, the grain darkens while the "new wood" takes the intended color. It actually finishes pretty evenly and there really is no fear of color blotches.

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Warning

Red oaks can grow aggressively toward the sun and will lean over if needed to reach the rays. When planting in the Northern hemisphere, avoid planting the tree near the north side of a structure, as it will grow south over the structure to get more sun.

Light

You will want to place your red oak in a place that will receive plenty of sunlight. Oaks need full sun to part sun to thrive, and giving anything less will cause some issues. Even if you plant near another tree, it will like some room to allow its canopy to get some sunlight.

Soil

Though not incredibly picky about its soil, if you want your oak at its happiest, you will want to give it sandy, well-draining soil that is somewhat rich and on the acidic side. Testing your soil's pH might be a good idea before planting if you need to adjust the pH a bit.

Water

While your oak establishes its roots and matures for the first few years, you should water it weekly. It will take a good amount of water, especially during dry periods; 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter is a good standard to follow.

Temperature and Humidity

Red oaks are very frost-resistant and handle the cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic. As the climate changes and warms, their zones are shifting northward. They are presently listed as USDA Zone 4-8 .

Fertilizer

Your oak should not need any supplemental fertilizer. In the rare case that your oak seems to be lagging, you should test the soil and see to check test for soil deficiencies.

What Is Stratification?

Stratification involves simulating natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur such as a period of cold or warm weather.

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1.What to do with red oak? - General Woodworking Talk

Url:https://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/29300-what-to-do-with-red-oak/

5 hours ago What can you do with red oak? Red oak is also a popular flooring material because it is heavy, hard and stiff and has high shock resistance. Other popular uses for red oak include; interior joinery, plywood, decorative veneers, wall paneling, millwork, boxes, crates, caskets and coffins, agricultural implements, and woodenware.

2.Red Oak Hardwood: Pros, Cons, And Uses - Forest Plywood

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3.What to do with this red oak? - The Wood - Wood Talk …

Url:https://www.woodtalkonline.com/topic/11791-what-to-do-with-this-red-oak/

8 hours ago  · Red oak is the worst in the oak family when it comes to moisture. Take a piece of it and put one end in a bucket of water, then blow on the other end. You'd see bubbles because the veins or whatever they call then in a tree are so course. Ever once seen outside furniture, a boat trimmed in oak, outside house trim in red oak? There's a reason for that.

4.Videos of What Can I Do With Red Oak

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25 hours ago  · I work with a fair amount of red oak. Here's what I do. If I'm gonna stain it, I sand to around 220, then apply dye or stain. With stain I let this cure out a few days as I'm usually using oil based stain, or if I'm in a hurry, slap on a washcoat of Zin. Sealcoat shellac. Then, I get that transparent grain filler and fill the grain.

5.Red Oak Wood: Why it is a great wood to use for.

Url:http://thewoodbox.com/data/wood/redoakinfo.htm

36 hours ago  · Red Oak Care Light. You will want to place your red oak in a place that will receive plenty of sunlight. Oaks need full sun to part... Soil. Though not incredibly picky about its soil, if you want your oak at its happiest, you will want to give it sandy,... Water. While your oak establishes its ...

6.Treating Red Oak for outside use - DoItYourself.com

Url:https://www.doityourself.com/forum/exterior-paneling-all-exterior-sidings/532761-treating-red-oak-outside-use.html

1 hours ago Can You Lighten Red Oak Furniture? Yes. No matter what your red oak wood is used to build, bleaching it with a hydrogen peroxide and lye solution will strip the color. It doesn’t matter if the wood is used for furniture, beams, shelves or floors. If it’s made from red oak then it can be lightened with a bleach solution.

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Url:https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/advice-on-finishing-red-oak

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