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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 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 Luster 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 Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Quercus velutina Trade Name Black oak Family Name Fagaceae Common Names Black Oak, Cucharillo, Encino, Encino negro, Mamecillo, Oak, Quercitron, Quercitron oak, Red oak, Roble, Roble amarillo, Roble colorado, Roble encino, Roblecito, Smooth bark oak, Yellow bark oak, Yellow oak Regions of Distribution Mediterranean Sea Region, North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Baskets, Bent Parts, Boat building, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Cooperages, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Food containers, Framing, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Millwork, Pallets, Paneling , Tables , Veneer, Woodenware Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Rare 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 Nature Conservancy Distribution Overview The geographical range of Post oak in North America is the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The tree is sometimes found in pure stands and prefers sandy, gravelly, and rocky ridges. It also grows in moist loamy soils of flood plains near streams. Post oak and Blackjack oak (Q. marilandica) are reported to constitute the Cross Timbers in Texas and Oklahoma, small trees on forest borders and in transition zones to prairie grassland. Heartwood Color Red Brown Purple Pink Yellow Black Orange Pinkish to light reddish brown May show a pronounced cast of flesh color Light brown Sapwood Color Yellow White Pink Whitish to grayish brown Pink to pale reddish brown Grain Even Figure Straight Straight Open Plainsawn red oak boards usually have a plumed or flared grain pattern, while riftsawn timber usually exhibits a tighter grain pattern and is low figured. Surfaces of quartered material often exhibit a flaked pattern but the figure is less distinct than in the white oaks. There is significant variation in color and grain depending upon the origin of the wood and prevailing growing conditions. Upland red oak tends to have a more uniform grain pattern than lowland species beacuse they grow more slowly Texture Fine Medium Texture is largely dependent upon rate of tree growth. Timber from slow-grown red oak trees in the north are generally less coarse in texture than the faster-grown red oak from the southern states Luster Low Natural Durability Durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to marine borers Moderately durable Very durable Non-resistant to termites Resistant to powder post beetles Resistant to termites Resistant to marine borers Heartwood has low natural resistance to decay and wood destroying organisms Inferior to that of white oak Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules US=Upland T4-D2/T3-D1 Drying Defects Distortion Checking Splitting Ring failure Honeycombing possible Defects include:uneven moisture, chemical stains, iron stains, and are attributable to wetwood (usually in old growth) Defects found in both upland and lowland red oak Upland red oak is also prone to collapse during drying. Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Fairly Easy Slowly Difficult Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Bark width is 25-30 mm Bole length is 0-10 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Product Sources Although Northern red oak (Q. rubra) and Southern red oak (Q. falcata) are considered as the primary sources of commercial American red oak, the various species in the red oak class, including Black oak, 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, is 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. Black oak trees are also the source of various non-timber products. The characteristic yellow inner bark was used for medicinal purposes and was also a source of yellow dye for clothes. The tree produces tannin, and the dry, peeled bark has been pounded to powder and sifted for its dye. Blunting Effect Moderate dulling effect on cutting edges Boring Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Very good results Bored surfaces usually clean Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Moderate to saw Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult The material works readily with ordinary machine tools to produce clean, mortised surfaces Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Wood is heavy and hard Pre-boring recommended Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planed surfaces are usually clean and smooth Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Resistance to preservative treatment ranges from moderate to easy. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Works well with hand tools Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Yields clean surfaces Responds well Screwing Good screwing properties Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Responds readily to preservative treatment by either open tank or pressure methods Good results Steam Bending Commonly used Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Large, open pores are reported to allow the use of different types of stains. A darker stain preceded by a light filler is reported to produce the popular 'lime' appearance. The wood can also be treated with ammonia to produce an almost black 'Jacobean' finish because of the high tannin content. Ray pattern on quarter-sawn boards can also yield a truly unique look. Tip: To avoid conspicuous differences in stained, edge-glued members, separate quarter-sawn and flat-sawn boards and use one consistently for a given project Strength Properties Weight = high Crushing strength = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Red oaks include American red oak or Northern red oak (Q. rubra ); Southern red oak, Spanish oak, Swamp oak, or Cherrybark oak (Q. falcata); Shumard oak or Pin oak (Q. palustris ); Nuttal oak (Q. nuttallii ); Scarlet oak (Q. coccinea ); Canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis ); and sometimes Black oak (Q. velutina ). Red oaks usually have a plainer figure than white oaks because of their smaller rays, and they are more porous, which makes them less water-tight. The two oak groups are reported to compare favorably in strength, and they are both used in steam bending applications. Red oaks are generally less resistant in decay than white oaks. Also, acorns from red oaks are more bitter in taste than white oak acorns. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8624 13132 psi Crushing Strength 730 1073 psi Impact Strength 52 51 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3753 6385 psi Shearing Strength 1872 psi Static Bending 4410 7448 psi Stiffness 1367 1602 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 14 15 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.52 0.63 Weight 60 43 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 13 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 606 923 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 51 75 kg/cm2 Impact Strength 131 129 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 263 448 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 131 kg/cm2 Static Bending 310 523 kg/cm2 Stiffness 96 112 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.98 1.05 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.52 0.63 Weight 961 689 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % 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. Wood of the Month: Red Oak - A Plentiful Species. Wood & Wood Products, December, 1992. Page 50. Kaiser, J. 1990. Wood of the Month - Red Oak:From Bitter Acorns Red Oaks Grow. Wood of the Month Annual, Supplement to Wood and Wood Products, September, 1990. Page 26A. Little, E.L. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. NWFA. 1994. Wood Species Used in 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, 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.