Trade Names
Red Oak
Latin Names
Quercus rubra
Similar to
Scarlet Oak, Southern Red Oak, Pin Oak, Cherrybark Oak
Origin
North America
Range
Eastern and northern areas of the USA, Southern Canada and native in Central and Southern Europe for more than 200 years. Most frequent species of Oak in North America.
Uses
Veneer. Only very good logs are used for slicing, others are peeled. Red Oak is also used for facing in the furniture and door industries and as construction wood. Unlike in White Oak, Red Oak wood is not suitable for staves due to its open pores.
Properties
The color is light reddish to dark red. Compared with White Oak it is considerably larger in diameter and cleaner. Knife stain can very easily occur when slicing since the wood contains more tannic acid than found in White Oak and the water flow is facilitated by the open pores.
Machining
Red Oak can be quickly and cleanly worked with all the usual tools. No machining problems are given with this species of wood.
Seasoning
The wood must be dried slowly and carefully because of the great tendency to check and warp.
Finishing
Surface treatments present no problems. Red Oak is very well suited for rustic stains (i.e. dark ones).
Jointing
Red Oak can be glued without problems. Screw and nail joints hold firmly but the holes should be pre-drilled to prevent splitting.