Color variation in red oak

[Matthew Curtis]

I picked some red oak up Friday that once a lsned was much darker than I am use to. Is color variation common with red oak? Is there any good way of knowing the color, short of using a hand plane at the lumber yard?

[Jim Becker]

Pretty much any wood species is going to have variations between trees and in some cases, even between different ends of the tree. All kinds of things affect that as the trees grow. If you're selecting rough lumber, a small plane is a common way to evaluate material while picking it out at the supplier.

[Walter Plummer]

I came in my old boss's office one day and heard the last of a loud phone "discussion" where he told the client "Red oak is a species not a color" and hung up. I always thought that would make a good sign for a shop.

[Ken Grant]

Red oak has been particularly bad about color variation for me (or good i guess if you like the look) I get deliveries in with a few extremely red boards and then some that are just brown, almost the color of white oak.

[Lee Schierer]

As others have stated color variations in red oak are very common. Generally if you stain it, the color differences aren't as noticeable. Where I purchase lumber, I can select the boards I want for appearance and color to some degree with little if any hassle.

[Darcy Warner]

Red oak makes great firewood.

[Martin Wasner]

I came in my old boss's office one day and heard the last of a loud phone "discussion" where he told the client "Red oak is a species not a color" and hung up. I always thought that would make a good sign for a shop.

Golden oak isn't a tree?

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Red oak makes great firewood.

Bad boy.... :-)

[David Kumm]

I'm just a hobby guy but I generally only buy in at least 100 bd ft lots. Then I can pick or at least get most of the boards from a similar tree. I'm not a red oak fan but have bought riftsawn in 100-200 bd ft increments and can get pretty consistent stuff that way. Dave

[Stan Calow]

I have some quarter-sawn red oak that is just as flecked as QSWO. Cant tell it apart without looking at the end grain.

[Darcy Warner]

Bad boy.... :-)

Golden oak ruined RO for me.

[Brian Holcombe]

Quarter sawn Red oak, with a hand planed finish is pretty nice stuff.