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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 Certified Source 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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Quercus kelloggii Trade Name California black oak Family Name Fagaceae Common Names Black oak, California black oak, Kellogg oak Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Pallets, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The geographical range of the species includes southwest Oregon south in Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada to southern California. It grows at elevations of 1000 to 8000 feet (305 to 2438 m), and is often found in nearly pure stands or in mixed coniferous forests. The tree prefers sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils of foothills and mountains. Heartwood Color Brown Red Pink Purple Pink to pale reddish brown Light brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Red Brown Pink Grey Pale yellowish white to brownish white Grain Even Straight Tight Straight Distinctive burls are sometimes present Texture Coarse Medium California red oak has a very low percentage of summer wood compared to other oaks which makes it a fairly fine-grained wood Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Heartwood has low natural resistance to decay and wood destroying organisms It is inferior to white oak with respect to this property Odor Has an odor No characteristic odor or taste when dry Silica Content Siliceous Kiln Schedules US=T3-B1 Drying Defects Distortion Internal Honeycombing Possible Collapse Discoloration Ring Shakes Checking Wetwood may contribute to drying degrades such as, honeycomb, collapse, and ring shake. Uncontrolled drying rates may cause end and surface checking and poor air circulation may promote gray stains in sapwood. Drying may also be complicated by bacteria that is reported to invade the wood. Quality of the dried lumber is unaffected by the bacteria Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Fairly Easy Medium to High Shrinkage End-Coating Slowly The timber requires carefully controlled drying conditions in order to prevent degrade, especially for lumber that is going to be used for interior applications such as flooring, furniture, and millwork. Air-seasoning to reduce moisture content to 20 percent before kiln drying has been suggested for upper grade material Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm A common oak in the valleys of southwestern Oregon and in the Sierra Nevada.The tree is slow-growing and long-living, and is very suitable as fuelwood and shade tree. Woodpeckers are reported to drill holes in the bark to hide acorns from squirrels Product Sources For commercial purposes, California red oak is classified as a red oak. Although the primary sources of commercial American red oak are northern red oak (Q. rubra) and southern red oak (Q. falcata), various species in the red oak class are mixed and marketed together without distinction. Supplies of red oak are plentiful, and the species is one of the most commonly available domestic hardwoods. Oak in general, and particularly red oak, dominates as the most popular timber for furniture, followed by cherry, pine, mahogany, ash, pecan, hard maple, and walnut. Red oak is also a popular export to other countries, and is one of the most popular American oaks used in Europe. Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Moderate Boring Very good to excellent results Fairly easy to very easy Very good results Cutting Resistance The timber saws with little difficulty, and can be fed through machines at a faster rate than most other oaks. Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Gluing characteristics are good under moderate gluing conditions. Glue joints should be carefully cured to prevent glue lines in post-bonding machining operations Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Very good mortising qualities Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Responds very well to moulding Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Nailing hold is generally excellent Good resistance to splitting while nailing Planing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very good planing characteristics Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Response to preservative treatment is reported to range from moderate to easy. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Yields quality surfaces Responds well Screwing Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Holds screws very well Good screwing properties Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Excellent Veneering Qualities Veneers moderately easy Difficult to veneer Veneers easily Suitable for peeling Steam Bending Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Surface preparation in the form of grain filling may be required to achieve the best results, Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Color variation in heartwood and sapwood may present some difficulties if uniformity in color is desired. Dyes and transparent stains have been recommended over heavily pigmented stains. The latter can still be used if care is taken to remove any excess pigment. The wood has good bending properties if it is steamed properly and bent with bending forms Strength Properties Heavy Hardness = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Air-Dried condition about 12% moisture content California black oak is lower in strength than most of the other eastern Red oaks because of its lower specific gravity and lower percentage of summer wood Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8526 psi Crushing Strength 1411 psi Hardness 1078 lbs Impact Strength 16 inches Shearing Strength 1441 psi Stiffness 970 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.5 0.56 Weight 63 38 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 599 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 99 kg/cm2 Hardness 488 kg Impact Strength 40 cm Shearing Strength 101 kg/cm2 Stiffness 68 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.5 0.56 Weight 1009 608 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % 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. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Niemiec, S.S., G.A. Ahrens, S. Willits, and D.E. Hibbs. March, 1995. Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University, College of Forestry, Research Contribution 8, Forest Research Laboratory, Department of Forest Products, Corvallis, Oregon. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operator's Manual - Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Western Wood Products Association. 19__. Woods of the Western USA. Published and Distributed by the Western Wood Products Association, Yeon Building, 522 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland Oregon.