# Blackjack Oak?



## Gardener (Apr 23, 2017)

Newbie here. I have a question: I recently cut and split a bit of Blackjack Oak for firewood. Seeing the dark center core made me wonder if this wood would work for basic furniture, such as bookcases. I thought the dark streak would look good… What say ye?


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

Blackjack, black oak, jack oak, pin oak … sure … I used California black oak for this Prie Dieu.


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

In the Eastern United States, what is called blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica, is definitely not the same as pin oak, Quercus palustris, although they are related. As far as appearance goes, I don't like it for the very same reason you do like it. It is a matter of taste.


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

> In the Eastern United States, what is called blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica, is definitely not the same as pin oak, Quercus palustris, although they are related. As far as appearance goes, I don t like it for the very same reason you do like it. It is a matter of taste.
> 
> - ArtMann


... and with that said … one could make furniture with exterior grade plywood if they'd like … the OP was could it used for furniture. Thanks!

From http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/

"There are numerous oaks that have "black" or "blackjack" or "jack" as all or part of one or more of their common names, but many of those oaks are more commonly called by other names. It is my intent that this page include only those that are very commonly or fairly commonly called black oak or blackjack oak or Jack oak. These are all in the red oak group and they include at least the following:
Quercus ellipsoidalis = black oak, Jack oak, pin oak, yellow oak, etc
Quercus kelloggii (syn Quercus californica) = California black oak, mountain black oak, Kellog oak, and others
Quercus marilandica = black oak, blackjack oak, Jack oak, iron oak, scrub oak, etc
Quercus ************************* (the "primary" black oak-- the name means, literally, "black oak" but other common names include blackjack, American red oak, pin oak, water oak, and others
Quercus nigrescens = black oak)
Quercus velutina = blackjack, black oak, blackjack oak, jack oak, and others, including American red oak)"

Semantics ….


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

Just about any species can be used for furniture if you are desperate enough. Blackjack oak has a coarse texture and can be gnarly. It also shows a hickory like color pattern in some logs. It is suitable for furniture if you can put up with those qualities. I wouldn't use it for furniture but that is a subjective opinion. I specified a particular species because that is what is common on the East Coast and Southeastern USA. That is also why I specified the species of pin oak. I don't know of anywhere that blackjack oak it is referred to as pin oak. I have cut an milled a lot of pin oak and it is a lot like red oak. The blackjack oak with which I am familiar is not.


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## Gardener (Apr 23, 2017)

Wow!

Thanks very much! I was just wondering if anyone had done it. We have a few on the place, and I was wanting to cut some logs and get the neighbor to saw them on his bandsaw mill. The idea, ultimately, would be to have them made into small book cases for the grandkiddos. I want to leave them something useful and unique. As far as woodworking, I am a framer, not a finish man…


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## Gardener (Apr 23, 2017)

We have available: persimmon, post oak, pin oak, soft maple, swamp white oak, and hickory. There is a post oak that blocks a lot of sun off the SW corner of the garden. I would like to take that tree down anyway. It has a nice log in it, looks like. The neighbor said that would be the one to cut for the project…

As I said, I was kind of interested in doing something out of the ordinary. Unique. Persimmon has a streaked wood too, right?


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

We have one in the NW that the sawyers refer to as skunk oak. When you mill it the smell is unbearable. It was once described as smelling like "lightning hit the outhouse."

It's a type of black oak I believe, but avoid that one if you can.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Many local or common names that people use are wrong and misleading.


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

That dark center core may look good, but that's the part of the log we try to avoid using. That being said, there is something special about making something from a tree in your yard. I had a cottonwood come down and while it is mostly a useless wood, I made small boxes from my grandkids. They really got a kick out of them being from a tree in grandpa's yard.


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## Lonell (Jul 30, 2017)

Had access to good size black jack and friend ran through mill. So far stacked with spacers up in barn loft for about six months. My boyfriend made large box with insulated a/c duct panels and 2×4s and hooked up a heater blower using propane tank. Baked 175 degrees for about five hours. Brought in stacking on spacers and acclimated for a couple months. We cut and plained, I sanded using 80grit, 120, 220. Tried a test piece with leftover osmo antique oak hard wax stain and was too dark. Took another test piece using osmo clear hard wax and rag. Rubbed in nicely. Very awesome. Beautiful. Using for baseboards - already have installed red oak floors and hand stained and hard waxed ourselves - and also using for interior bedroom door jams and trim and our kitchen cabinet facings and cabinet doors. Being weekend project, this will take quite some time before able to get some pics of finished project but will post updates. I also saved the edges that were cut from the planks and will later use for large frames for pictures/paintings. This wood is beautiful!!!! Lots of character, colors, worm holes, etc. I also have planned to make a small end of hallway table as well.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

I have used blackjack oak for one small project. I have more to use for something. Blackjack has black streaks throughout and not just in the center. My friend Andy used to saw a lot of it. I highly recommend it,


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Not sure but this is what I thought was blackjack oak. What I know for use is it's an oak from California


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Blackjack doesn't grow west of Oklahoma and Texas. There's not a lot of oaks in CA. Could be tan oak which does grow in CA or there's a few different white oaks there.


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