Search for

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 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 Luster Mortising Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Quercus stellata Trade Name Post oak Family Name Fagaceae Common Names Cucharillo, Encino, Encino negro, Mamecillo, Oak, Post oak, Roble, Roble amarillo, Roble colorado, Roble encino, Roblecito, White oak Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Cooperages, Core Stock, Crossties, Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Flooring, Foundation posts, Fuelwood, Mine timbers, Parquet flooring, Pile-driver cushions, Piling, Plain veneer, Poles, Posts, Railroad ties, Stakes, Sub-flooring, Utility poles, Veneer Environmental Profile Rank of relative endangerment based on number of occurences globally. May be rare in some parts of its range, especially at the periphery Demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure globally Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Data source is Nature Conservancy Q. stellata var boytoni is a variety of Post Oak, rare within its natural habitat in the state of Texas Distribution Overview This species occurs in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec, all in Canada. In the United States, it grows in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, 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, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The species usually forms pure stands and prefers moist, loamy, sandy, rocky, and clay soils. Northern red oak is a popular shade and street tree because of its dense foliage and good form. It is one of the most fast-growing oaks, regenerate easily, can tolerate the climate in cities, and can endure cold weather. Red oak is also planted as an ornamental tree in Great Britain. Heartwood Color Red Brown Yellow Purple Orange Pinkish tinge Varies from light tan or pale yellow brown to pale or dark brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Width varies Whitish to light brown Grain Even Typically straight Texture Fine Medium Medium to coarse Luster Medium Low Natural Durability Moderately durable Durable Resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Very durable Non-durable Perishable Resistant to termites Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to marine borers Heartwood has very high natural resistance to decay Can be used outdoors without chemical protection. Logs are highly vulnerable to attack by the ambrosia beetle, and standing trees and logs are also readily attacked by the forest longhorn or Buprestid beetle Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules US=Upland T4-C2/T3-C1 US=Lowland T2-C1 Drying Defects Checking Splitting Distortion Surface checks Ring failure Honeycombing possible Gray sapwood stain End checks Defects include:uneven moisture, chemical stains, iron stains, and are attributable to wetwood (usually in old growth) Collapse Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Difficult Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 0-10 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 10-20 m Trees growing in the lower Mississippi Valley are larger, and are known as 'Delta Post Oak' Product Sources Various species in the white oak group are mixed and marketed together. Supplies are abundant, especially in the form of veneers, at moderate prices. Blunting Effect Moderate dulling effect on cutting edges Boring Fairly easy to very easy Usually very good results Relatively easy Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Cutting resistance is generally medium but is variable. Cross-cutting and narrow-bandsawing are satisfactory Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Responds readily to mortising Difficult but yields smooth surfaces Movement in Service Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium Nailing Pre-boring recommended Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Good planing properties A cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended Machining characteristics of white oak timbers are reported to vary with species and rate of growth. Softer timbers from slow-growth trees are generally easier to work Resistance to Abrasion Highly resistant to wear Good for flooring Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is impossible to treat with preservatives, and the sapwood is difficult to treat, but the wood is naturally durable. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Softer wood produced by slow-growth white oak trees is generally easier to work with hand tools Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Yields clean surfaces Responds well Screwing Good screwing properties Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Yields clean surfaces Responds readily to preservative treatment by either open tank or pressure methods Veneering Qualities Selected white oak logs are converted into veneers. Quartering is reported to produce a flaked figured, while the very popular straight line figure is primarily produced by rift cutting Steam Bending Highly regarded for steam bending properties 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 Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Liquid from some finishing products, especially those with high water content such as bleach and water-based stains, react with tannins in white oak to turn the wood green or brown. Strength Properties Low stiffness Crushing strength = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Working properties are dictated by the rate of growth of the trees: slow grown trees are generally easier to work with hand and machine tools. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7938 12936 psi Crushing Strength 843 1401 psi Hardness 1333 lbs Impact Strength 43 45 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3410 6468 psi Shearing Strength 1803 psi Stiffness 1068 1480 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 11 13 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.64 Weight 60 43 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 16 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 558 909 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 59 98 kg/cm2 Hardness 604 kg Impact Strength 109 114 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 239 454 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 126 kg/cm2 Stiffness 75 104 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.77 0.91 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.64 Weight 961 689 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % 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. Kaiser, J. 1994. Wood of the Month: Oaks Loom in Designs, Folklore and Symbolism. Wood and Wood Products, November 1994. Page 52. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. 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, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.