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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Quercus alba Trade Name White oak Family Name Fagaceae Common Names Arizona oak, Arizona white oak, Cucharillo, Encino, Encino negro, Mamecillo, Oak, Roble, Roble amarillo, Roble colorado, Roble encino, Roblecito, Stave oak, White oak Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Even Interlocked Straight Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Ceiling, Crossties, Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Flooring, Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Interior construction, Interior trim, Light construction, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Railroad ties, Shakes, Sheathing, Shingles, Siding, Stair rails, Stairworks Veneer Environmental Profile Widespread Rank of relative endangerment based on number of occurences globally. May be rare in some parts of its range, especially at the periphery Globally secure Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview The geographical distribution of the White oaks, which include White oak (Q. alba), Chestnut oak (Q. prinus), Chingkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), Swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), Swamp white oak (Q. bicolor), Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), Post oak (Q. stellata), California white oak (Q. lobata), and Oregon white oak (Q. garryana), in North America includes Ontario, Quebec, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. It is usually found in pure stands and prefers moist, well-drained upland and lowland areas. The so-called classic White oak (Q. alba), grow from Maine to Texas in the United States. Heartwood Color Black Brown Yellow Pink Variable in color Pinkish tinge Light tan or pale yellow brown to pale or dark brown. Variations in color and grain are considerable, but not as pronounced as in red oak Sapwood Color White Brown Red Width varies Whitish to light brown Grain Even Figure Open Rays are longer than in red oak. There are occasional crotches, swirls and burls, and plainswan boards have plumed or flare-grained appearance. The grain pattern is tighter, and figuring is usually lower in riftsawn lumber. Quartersawn material often have a flake pattern which are sometimes referred to as tiger rays or butterflies Texture Coarse Medium Medium to coarse Natural Durability Very durable Heartwood has high resistance to decay Logs are susceptible to severe attack by ambrosia beetles, and standing trees and logs are also readily attacked by forest longhorn or Butrespid beetles Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules US=Upland T4-C2/T3-C1 US=Lowland T2-C1 Drying Defects Checking Internal Honeycombing Possible Collapse Ring Shakes Discoloration Surface checks Ring failure Honeycombing possible Gray sapwood stain End splitting Defects include:uneven moisture, chemical stains, iron stains, and are attributable to wetwood (usually in old growth) Collapse Ease of Drying Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Requires careful drying Dries slowly Difficult Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources Although commercial white oak consists of several species in the white oak group, Q. alba is the primary and most important source of timber in the group. White oak veneers are plentiful, and supplies of lumber are also abundant. Price of lumber is moderate, compared to other hardwoods. Substitutes For similar or superior strength properties: Wacapou (Vouacapoua americana), Courbaril (Hymanaea courbaril), Aramatta (Diplotropis purpurea), Tatajuba (Bagassa guianensis) in the green condition, Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), Greenheart (Ocotea rodiaei), Determa (Ocotea rubra), Pau amarello (Euxylophora paraensis), Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum), Pear (Pyrus communis), Peroba rosa (Aspidosperma peroba), Yellow sanders (Buchenavia capitata), Nyolon (Pouteria izabalensis) These species are also good substitutes for Oak: Movingui (Distemonanthus benthamianus), African pterygota (Pterygota bequaertii and P. macrocarpa) and Berlinia (Berlinia acuminata and B. grandiflora) Blunting Effect Moderate Moderate dulling effect on cutting edges Boring Very good to excellent results Responds well to peeling after proper softening Bored surfaces usually clean Number of borings with good to excellent results out of one hundred = 95 Carving Fair to Good Results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Generally medium but is variable Cross-Cutting and narrow-bandsawing are satisfactory Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Very good mortising qualities Percent of morised pieces yielding fair to excellent results = 99 Moulding Difficult moulding qualities Number of moulded pieces yielding good top excellent results out of one hundred = 35 Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results Wood is hard Pre-boring recommended Number of nailed pieces free from complete splits out of one hundred = 69 Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good planing properties A cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended Average number of pieces out of one hundred producing perfect planing results = 87 Machining characteristics of white oak timbers are reported to vary with species and rate of growth. Softer timber from slow-growth trees are generally easier to work. Resistance to Abrasion High Highly resistant to wear Good for flooring Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Sapwood is moderately resistant Heartwood responds poorly to preservative treatment High natural resistance to decay allows the heartwood to be used outdoors without chemical protection. Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Timber from slow-growth white oak trees are softer and are easier to work with hand tools Routing & Recessing Very Good to Excellent Results Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Responds well Number of pieces out of one hundred producing good to excellent sanded surfaces = 83 Screwing Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good screwing properties Percent of screwed pieces free from complete splits = 74 Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Very good Percent of fair to excellent turned pieces = 85 Veneering Qualities Quartered veneers are often flake figured, while the very popular straight-line figure is a prominent feature in rift-cut veneer Steam Bending Very Good to Excellent Results Exceptional resistance to harmful effects of weather Defect free material bends to very small radius of curvature Proper precautions should be taken to prevent chemical staining of steamed wood in contact with iron or steel. (Number of unbroken pieces out of one hundred = 91) Staining Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Reaction between tannins and liquid from some products, especially those with high water content such as bleach and water-based finishes, may turn the wood green or brown. Strength Properties Wear resistance is outstanding Low stiffness Crushing strength = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Working properties are reported to differ with the rate of growth of the tree: slow grown trees are easier to work with hand and machine tools. Faster growing southern trees are reported to produce harder timber than the slower growing Appalachian trees. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8134 14455 psi Crushing Strength 657 1049 psi Hardness 1333 lbs Impact Strength 41 36 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3489 7291 psi Shearing Strength 1960 psi Static Bending 3626 4704 psi Stiffness 1225 1744 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 11 15 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.67 Weight 60 45 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 10 % Volumetric Shrinkage 16 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 571 1016 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 46 73 kg/cm2 Hardness 604 kg Impact Strength 104 91 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 245 512 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 137 kg/cm2 Static Bending 254 330 kg/cm2 Stiffness 86 122 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.77 1.05 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.67 Weight 961 721 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 10 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. California Department of Forestry. Comparative Physical & Mechanical Properties of Western & Eastern Hardwoods. Prepared by Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. n/d. HMSO, 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio. Kaiser, J. 1989. Wood of the Month: White Oak - Our Biggest Export is Popular Here Too. Wood & Wood Products, July, 1989. Page 76. Kaiser, J. 1994. Wood of the Month: Oaks Loom in designs, Folklore and Symbolism. Wood and Wood Products, November, 1994. Page 52. Kline, M. 1981. Quercus alba - White oak. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 302-303. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. NWFA. 1994..Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring. Technical Publication No. A200. National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.