Determining Red Oak vs. White Oak

[Jim Foster]

Hello,

Been a while since I last posted. I am planing several hundred feet of 5/4 Riftsawn White Oak. Some of it looks just like I'd expect and some of it looks reddish, like Riftsawn Red Oak. Is their an easy way to tell?

Thanks

[John Thompson]

Never seen any white oak that looked reddish pink like red oak. When I buy QSWO the center cuts near the heart are darker but not reddish.. more of a medium brown. You might post a picture side by side. Did you ask if some red oak got mixed in the batch?

[travis howe]

2nd what has been said... Also, the white oak I've worked with has been a LOT tougher on my machines than red oak.

[Jim Foster]

I added a picture of two boards, one White, one thatlooks Red. From the camera the difference is not as noticable. Thanks for any opinion.

[Brian Hinther]

Going by grain structure, those both look like white oak to me.

[Steve Jenkins]

slice off a thin piece of endgrain, maybe 1/16-1/8 thick. If you can see through it like a pack of soda straws it may be red oak. I built a 48" diameter table top out of red oak and used watco on it. After applying the watco I put an air hose to one end of the center board and was able to make the oil come out of the face all the way to the center of the table.

[Bruce Page]

Going by grain structure, those both look like white oak to me.

They both look like white oak to me too.

[Ted Calver]

This thread has some photos.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=125435&highlight=Differentiating+White+Oak+Lumber

[David Kreuzberg]

Smell it.

If it reminds you of Scotch whisky, it's white oak.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

The difference in red oak vs white oak is in the posrosity of the wood, as Steve says. White oaks form what are known as tyloses, which are cellular structures that 'plug' the pores in the wood.

[Ben West]

Like the one thread shows, tyloses are the key. See:

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Distinguishing_White_Oak_from_Red.html

[george wilson]

Cut off a piece. Put one end into water,and try to blow through the end grain. IF it's RED oak,air will bubble the water. Even with a piece a foot long. White oak is more durable because it has CLOSED cells that don't let water get into it when used for shingles.

[Scott T Smith]

From the pix, those both appear to be white oak. A close up of the end and face grains would help.

[michael case]

Steve is right. Another way is to rip a 1/2 x 1/2 x3" and try blowing through it into a glass of water. If its red oak air will pass through it like a straw and bubbles will come out the end in the water glass. It also a nice parlor trick.

[Rick Lizek]

A 10% solution of sodium nitrite in water will turn black when applied to white oak and do nothing with red oak. Foolproof and 100% accurate.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Distinguishing_White_Oak_from_Red.html
Do not confuse it with sodium nitrate. Available at chemical supply sources and ask for lab grade, cheapest.
I get it from Pfaltz and Bauer in Ct. You will get frustrated trying to rely on other methods to seperate red and white oak and there is no guarantee like the sodium nitrite solution.

[John Thompson]

Both of those are white oak. The board on top came from closer to the heart than the board on the bottom and the reason it is a shade lighter. I have worked exclusively with white and some red for the last 4 years and keep around 200 bd. feet of QSWO and around 100 bd of red on hand. I buy more than I need so I can closer match the darker and lighter hues from various portions of the tree together.

Enjoy...

[george wilson]

Blowing through the oak is also 100% positive test,and no buying of chemicals needed.:)

[Andrew Long]

I'm going to try this technique tonight. I have plenty of Sodium Nitrite in the Lab where I work.

I've heard every so-called "trick" from woodworkers on distinguishing the two woods and would love a real scientific approach for once. I've found the appearance and grain structure of woods vary considerably from regions and especially growing conditions, so I can't rely on looks.

[Chip Lindley]

Differences of white and red oak are pretty well covered here! Enough to definately distinguish between the two.

Coloration can be vastly different in both species. The soil the tree grew in, and whether the board is cut from near the pith or near the sapwood, makes a big difference.

Aside from the closed pores of WO which are easily seen on a freshly planed board, the scent of the two woods is a dead give away! When sawn or planed, WO has a pleasing scent not unlike something baking in the oven. On the other hand, RO has a sour, acrid scent which can be overpowering.

[george wilson]

Open grain structure in red oak isn't scientific?

[Barry Rhoads]

White oak can be as pink as red oak, especially if you have a white oak post oak cross, which is very common. The way to tell the difference is to look at the end grain. White oak has tyloses in what are called the parenchyma cells. Red oak does not have this material. This is the reason that white oak makes good barrels. With red oak the liquid will flow right through. The tyloses looks like wax paper crumpled up in the parenchyma cell. You may have to have a magnifying glass depending on how good your eyes are.