Red Oak Boxes

They all look good tome Carl. I think you found out what red oak is all about already ,it just might be the grain filler your using or stain if you want different results than you already have. But they look good from here.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

They look great, good job man

-- "There are 4 ways to make a piece of lumber into a wood object, the right way, the wrong way, the woodworking way and my way." Johnny W Morlan

They look good, I hear ya in the oak bit for me it burns so easy no matter what I do new blade , slow feed rate , fast feed rate , M/S the wood then trim a sliver off.

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Won’t use red oak when I get to box building. :-)

-- Cau Haus Designs, Thomas J. Tieffenbacher

Very nice boxes!!!
On red oak, I leave the grain open!
...................Jim

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

Very nice looking boxes.

I use quite a lot of red oak, but I never fill the grain. I guess it is just personal preference, but I like the texture. When I want a glass smooth surface, I use maple, pecan, or another tight grained wood.

-- Patrick, Mobile, AL

Again, like Gunney, I have use a lot of red oak. I prep by sanding down to finer grades of sand paper. When I want a smooth satin finish, I apply two or three coats of Poly, then begin sanding between coats. The grain can be buried with enough coats. I never use filler. I also like to leave many projects showing texture. It’s wood, it’s beautiful.

-- DJ Peck, Lincoln Nebraska. I don't have a Shop. I think of it as a Tool Chase. Where the hell did I put that?

Red Oak is a rare item on my build list. It’s a very porous wood, and as DeLayne related the best method to hide “most” of the grain is by NOT using wood filler. I tend to gravitate to Maple, Walnut, and the Exotic Woods; Coco-Bolo, Ebony, Zebrawood, etc.

Great looking boxes, Carl. I hope to finish up my garage so I can get back to the manufacture of quality sawdust!
As always, all the best,
Mel

Carl,

Looks great!

I’ve used red oak a lot and I personally like the open grain.

Usually use a “Pre-stain Conditioner” from Minwax before staining and sealing with a topcoat.

Carl, first let me say that I really like your boxes. The variety and designs are great. Looks like you chose Venetian blinds for dividers. I especially like the rounded sides with the walnut feet. Congrads on a well-earned, and deserved “Top Three.”

This is what you don’t want to hear. Don’t use the filler. It is oak…let it speak and look like oak. Boxes that are so slick that they look like plastic don’t have much appeal to me.

I sand down to 800, apply a first coat of Minwax Tung Oil, lightly rub with steel wool, and then add two coats of Wipe-On Poly very lightly sanding each coat with 800 and going over rounded surfaces with 0000 steel wool. Last coat…Johnson’s paste wax applied with a steel wool pad and buffed with a soft cloth. I have pretty good luck with this method. Take a look. Keep boxing and keep posting.

-- Big Al in IN

Thanks for all of the great comments about my red oak boxes. I guess I was feeling frustrated because of the heavy grain and open pores. Special note to “Big Al”, I will be using your suggested finishing method on my next red oak project. I really like the look you achieve with your projects.

There is a nearby Lumber Yard that sells rough sawn 2×8x8 red oak planks for $3 each.. I guess I’ll go get a few more and play with your ideas and suggestions. Hmmmmm, SWMBO wants a blanket chest. I wonder what it would look like in red oak..

-- Carl W Richardson, Tennessee Woodworker