# Should I feel bad that I hate oak?



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I love wood, all wood, of course. But oak is the least of my favorites. I understand its important place in history, love the ammonia, the lore. But I just don't like the appearance with a few exceptions. And I'm feeling guilty about it. Any discussion appreciated. I'm also feeling guilty about my sentence structure, in case any teachers are watching


----------



## Crushgroovin (May 24, 2010)

Everyone has their own tastes, it would be a pretty boring world if we didn't.

I don't like Victorian furniture I would never have a piece in my house. I wouldn't let Red Oak into my shop if I was paid to make something out of it. I think it is cheap and gaudy. I absolutely love craftsman stuff which used a ton of White Oak but that is my taste.

I love your profile pic! A Boston Pup, yes? I have had Boston's all my life. They are such great fun dogs, great personalities. Although now French Bulls are more popular so I see them all the time.


----------



## FaTToaD (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm the same way, I like working with oak and making small things with it, but for furniture and cabinets, I'm not a fan.


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

never liked red oak
way to many splinters and it tears out with the router

and all the crap cheap furniture
(knock-down cabs/stereo-tv stands)
all look the same to me

just not my wood i guess


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Just the opposite here. I really like the open grain and the variations in grain patterns of red oak.

Me, I don't care for cherry, but as Crushgroovin said- everyone has their own tastes.

Lew


----------



## DaveP (May 6, 2008)

Having nearly completed a project in red oak, I've decided I'm not a fan. Besides the splintery, finicky grain, this plain sawn material is tough on my hand tool blades. I've heard others joke about it being an overgrown weed. Perhaps quartersawn is better, but until I have a real need to find out, I'll stick with the other hardwoods. Haven't tried white oak yet, so not much help there.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

I'll chime in here, since I like red oak (in moderation) and use it more for trim work (molding, etc). I have a ton of QSRO and the rays can be overwhelming, but if you subdue them when finishing and blend them in a little bit, they start to look less like skin cancer scars and something more on the order of a *********************************** curly maple.


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Al, Don't feel bad. I think there are many people who feel the same way. I have noticed that kitchen cabinets, hardwood flooring and a lot of fine furniture are now made with Cherry, Maple and Walnut. Oak is in my opinion the look of the past when it comes to new construction use. I think it was just so common at one time that people got bored with it and wanted something that looked different and fresh. In other words its just "Not in style" anymore for those things.

I find myself using oak more due to the price being cheaper then the other domestic hardwoods. I also think it machines a lot better then Cherry, Maple or Walnut.

The only complaint I have with oak is that I am allergic to it! If make to much hand contact with it my finger tips will all turn black and if I am not careful I will get sick as a dog for a few days after using it. I have that same problem with Walnut to.


----------



## jayman7 (Oct 20, 2008)

I agree!! The only used red oak in the past because it was cheap and I stained it dark to make it look like another wood.


----------



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I agree with you in a sense. Oak is ok, but, not my favorite at all. Oak has its place/s in projects. (my opinion)


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

I just read the replies about Red Oak and it being prone to chip out and hard on blades… I don't know if I am alone here but I think Red Oak is a lot less prone to these problems then Cherry. I find Cherry to chip out, tear out and wear by blades a lot more then Red Oak. I love Cherry and will continue to use it but IMO its a pain in the behind to work with.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

It's interesting how people have different takes on wood. I just finished finishing off the inside of a new house for a young couple. They chose a knotty pine cathedral ceiling and flat farm board pine woodwork. I mentioned that a natural finished oak on the woodwork would really look nice. They said it was old fashioned. I guess it is. When people moved off the farms to the city for work at the turn of the century they encountered a lot of oak in the buildings. But before that the farmhouses had the pine 'barnboard' woodwork I was putting up for them. So, in effect they are going pre-oak in time. I remember the old pine and here in Maine I consider it a soft wood that is good for framing cabinet carcasses and would be good for burning if it wasn't so soft. And for some people the more ugly knots the better.

They also had me install new bathroom cabinetry that looked like the 1930's bureaus we had in the house when I was growing up. Antiques now I guess but old crappy stuff from our standpoint. Couldn't wait to get rid of them years ago and move up to some modern stuff.

To me, oak, finished off naturally is a wood with a beautiful natural grain. It depends on what you're used to, your age, and what you experienced in your life I guess. Go figure.


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

I have it on good authority that … oak doesn't care much for you, either LOL !!!

I'll never be able to walk into my (QSWO) kitchen, again


----------



## DaveP (May 6, 2008)

Dan,

Funny thing, I found cherry to be just the opposite. Must be the differences in local woods? I've heard that heartwood in cherry can be problematic, but I dunno. I remembered after I wrote my first reply that I actually have a few peices of red oak that planed out really well, at least compared to the rest of the stuff I have. I noticed the grain in these peices was nice and straight, so that's probably the difference.

In addition, I've been replacing all the cheap trim and doors in our house with red oak baseboard and 6 panel doors, and I do like how it stains up. In this case, it's all pre-made, so other than some sanding, I haven't had to do much other than install it. We're keeping close to our kitchen's look which is all oak cabinetry.

If I get a chance to get some quartersawn materials, maybe that'll make the difference.


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

It's all about personal taste. Heck, I still like brass faucets, and they went out years ago.


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Dave,

Your guess is as good as mine 

I have no hard feelings on any type of wood. No two pieces of wood are the same so in a sense they will all handle a little different. I use any and every wood that I can and just work around the little problems that I may have with the wood.


----------



## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

Look at this please:









http://newyork-furnitures.com/category/ergonomic-furniture/









http://www.homedosh.com/superstructure-oak-chair-by-bjorn-dahlstrom/









http://www.housevira.com/27/03/office-furniture-home-office-desk-with-innovative-paper-storage-by-japanese-born-shin-azumi/

Do you still hate Oak?

I think Oak needs to be used right, but then it can be beautiful.

Best thoughts,
Mads


----------



## VinnieP (Apr 22, 2009)

Just like everyone else has sad everyone has their different tastes. This world would be a boring place if we were all the same.

I hate red oak. I hate working with it since it splinters too easily. I don't like the grain or the color.

However, I love white oak. I like the subtleness of the grain, and the way it looks when the light hits it just right.


----------



## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

Not a huge fan of red oak, it reminds me of the cheap bathroom cabinets I had in the house. I do use it though, because it is cheap and I have a decent supply of free oak. I do like it in some things.

P.S. - I'm a teacher


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Depending on what your making and the budget involved Red oak is mid price ranged wood,it's plentiful through out most the world ,It's strong , it has fairly good bending properties and can be finished to look very nice. Do I like it ? Yes and know
I like it because of all the things I listed ,I don't like the smell also to me it is to common place . I think many consider it a high end wood but I don't. I consider it necessary to meet some budget and structural requirements. I like the look of many other woods better compared to oak.


----------



## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

All you guys who don't like oak just shot yourselves in the foot. Every year I host a house party for Lumberjocks.
You guys will never be invited to my house for booze, beers, free tools, and loose women.
Yea Oak is old and you don't like it, and I'm old too and no one likes me either!
I spent $50,000 on kitchen cabinets and now because of this forum, I'm either going to shoot myself or replace the cabinets with Asbestos units with Linoleum inlays. (The latest fad)
That'll show ya.


----------



## pvwoodcrafts (Aug 31, 2007)

HMMMM, Red oak is one of my favorites. Works exceptionally well , holds up great. If my computer hadn't gotten fried by lightning last week I'd show you pics of some beautiful figured red oak. mike


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

I hear ya Al. Its way down on my list and even then it would have to be English Oak of course. I can't afford exotic woods like American White and Red Oak .

I think the designs that Mads posted would look good whatever wood they were made out of. I don't think they look good because they are oak. If they were made out of Ash or Cherry, they would look equally nice, although personally I wouldn't trust the chair that looks like a deformed harp. I wouldn't know whether to sit in it or start knitting. 

The designs do illustrate the versatility of oak though. It bends well and is structurally strong. It just doesn't get my pulse racing in the same way that many other woods do.


----------



## GuyK (Mar 26, 2007)

Cherry, Maple, Ash, Pine,-------------------------Oak


----------



## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

Don't care for red oak. Smells like bad cheese when you cut it. BUT, white oak, especially quarter sawn, is numero uno on my list. You don't like oak? I think the furniture nazis should come confiscate your tools.


----------



## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

But, but, but, that's all I get to play with…. (can afford).... (severe pouting).


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Well when you put it like that Nailbanger2, its wonderful stuff and I won't hear a bad word said about it. Any wood is better than no wood and on that I'm sure we'd all agree.


----------



## nailbanger2 (Oct 17, 2009)

Thanks, Brit, for feeling my pain.. (reduced sniffles).


----------



## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

Jonathan
Your invitation is on the way.


----------



## bigike (May 25, 2009)

I like the look of red oak when finished also qs white oak but as for me doin the work I hate cuz it always burns even if it's a little or it splinters easy other than that it's ok.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

@GuyK - where is walnut on that list? WHERE IS THE WALNUT?

@Tim - maybe that's why oak doesn't like you either!?  Also, congratulations on fulfilling Godwin's Law

I think nailbanger2 needs a woodworker's care package!


----------



## SyscoKid (Aug 28, 2010)

Bertha,
I agree with you and have felt guilty as well. I don't appreciate the big open pores in some of the oa I've used and it seems SO commonplace that it has lost it's "pizazz" if you will. I do like the cool crazy uses of oak posted above, HOWEVER, I think I like those deigns more than the oak itself. I'm liking working with maple and mahogany most recently.

Thanks for the candid topic and telling us how you really feel!
Tommy


----------



## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

All personal taste, as has been previously mentioned. I am currently building a tool chest (think Gerstner, with vastly less quality workmanship) out of FREE red oak. Yes, it stinks, yes, I've had swollen eyes and sinuses for two weeks, and yes, I'm going to get some serious dust control after this. I personally think it's because the guy who gave it to me had it in his side yard for years, with cats spraying on it, that caused the smell…ew. I'll post it, eventually, with my typical fuzzy camera pix.


----------



## beckerswoodworks (Dec 26, 2009)

You should never feel guilty about your own opinion. It's yours after all.

And I hate oak. Especially red oak. And I really really hate it when it's stained dark in an attempt to make it look like Walnut.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

mmmm I love the smell of red oak… assuming that it has been free of mammalian urination!


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

What's funny is that down south in my neck of the woods, red oak is considered a premium wood, and we pay through the nose for it. Something like walnut or cherry is considered downright exotic. Now if you want sap-filled southern yellow pine, we got plenty of that!


----------



## mattg (May 6, 2008)

I don't hate oak, but I think it is too coarse for show wood. I sometimes use oak as secondary wood because of it's strength. I hate green poplar, and will choose Aspen instead when green poplar is in the lumber racks.


----------



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I'm not a huge fan of oak either; I use a lot of it, mostly because of the hardwoods, it is the cheapest and most available where I live. I'm not a fan of how it looks (with the exception of quartersawn oak); how it smells when cut, and I find it rather splintery and not fun to work with.


----------



## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

Boat builder's view: 
In a marine environment,
White Oak will last almost forever, very rot resistant.
Red Oak, known to some of us as **ss Oak (think urine), will rot as soon as you turn your back on it.

As a matter of personal taste, I'm not a great fan of the appearance of either kind but I really don't like red.
To each his own.


----------



## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

Y'all know we like what ever the paying customer wants to spend their money on. If it's for the house you know it's what ever moma wants or what you can convince her she wants. I get spliters from all of it.
Suck it up, be glad y'all got something to cut. From what I've seen on this site you all have it looking pretty good when y'all get done no matter what speices is used. 
No Bertha don't feel bad about hating oak just be thankful if that's the least of your troubles. And I hope none of my old teachers or looking ether. LOL. Like Boatbuilder says thank God we don't have fiberglass trees. now that stuff stinks.


----------



## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

who knows if wallnut or cherry were cheap then people would be saying the same about them.
prestige plays a role here.
in europe oak is the king of the forest, no other tree is as much respected and used as a symbol throughout history.
european oak is of better quality then american oak, and it's quite expensive. few people can afford solid oak furniture here.
for that only i respect that wood and it's unique smell that gives lung cancer!
that said, it's about style. furniture style doesn't seem to have changed alot in the states. thats maybe why it looks "passé" so they change the wood instead of the style! over here we changed the style, whats hip now is rustic simple farm funriture in oak.


----------



## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

I love red oak for picture frames as it stains well and gives good grain. It stinks to work with… And I would choose pine over red oak for larger projects if those were my only two options. White oak… Love it.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Another vote here for red oak! I like the way it machines, the way it looks, and don't forget it presents the fewest problems for finishing! AND…that nutmeggy aroma of just-cut oak that filled my shop/studio always put women in a buying mood, doncha know? Superstretch: The 'Godwin's Law' reference has me on the floor laughing!


----------



## TheWoodsman (Jun 21, 2010)

The only dislike that I have for oak is that it is so common. The worst part is that poorly presented red oak is the most common … think cheap kitchen cabinets with rotary veneers panels. YUCK !

A nice plain-sliced red oak, or quartersawn, looks fine especially when properly finshed with something other than a watered down stain like Minwax.


----------



## LeviStarkey (Mar 26, 2011)

Oak has its place, its strong fairly cheap and it is for the most part universally liked. I don't care for red oak, I like white oak (quarter sawn). Try hickory it is harder heavier cheaper and looks twice as good in my opinion.


----------



## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

My wife likes light colored woods, I tend to favor darker woods, but my wife is not a fan of red oak. We settle with ash on a number of projects, the rest are painted poplar.

Oak has been heavily used in "country" furniture, probably because of its availability and lower cost. Since I don't stain my projects, the pieces have to be chosen carefully or it looks like big box store junk.


----------



## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

White Oak ready to be milled, QS of course









30"dia X 12' lg









20" dia x 16' lg, will be cut in to 8'ers before milled.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

@Barry - Lot of toes hurting around LJ right now from you stepping on them! I'll be honest, I love the color of "Early American" stain on red oak. I've been trying to get away from using stain at all, but its quick and cheap. I *am* a country boy and grew up with it being used for a lot of projects. My dad uses it, and my grandpa used red oak while he was still alive.. He varied woods for different projects, but most of his lighthouses and furniture/cabinet pieces were in RO-the only difference is that he would rarely (if ever) alter the color of wood.

So for some people, RO is more than just "I don't like the smell, how it splinters, or that it looks tacky".. for some of us, its a heritage.. something that is familiar and has a bond that transcends generations. Honestly, isn't that what wood working is about? Or do we really want to stick our noses up in the air and dismiss red oak because it has been "done"?


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Bertha, I don't think there's anything at all wrong with it - to each his own. However, if I were you I wouldn't venture deep into an oak forest by yourself - they might not like you either.  Just kidding, of course. I'm not one of those who believe that trees have an awareness. BTW, no disrespect meant to those who do believe that - as I say "to each his own".


----------



## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Walnut and maple are my favorites, but red oak is cheap, works well, finishes well, and can lend itself to some real beauty if chosen right for well-designed projects.

I think it gets a bad rap because it's relatively cheap and it's guilty by association with cheaply made cabinetry…

In my kitchen renovation, I'm refacing and retrimming my existing RO cabinets. The red oak face frames aren't the problem…it's the cheap particle board boxes and plastic veneer that are the problem. A shame really, because the face frames are quite nice when stripped back down, trimmed out, and then refinished.

I'd venture to say that if people used the same cabinet construction methods with walnut face-frames, then we'd be saying almost the same thing about it.


----------



## Verna (Oct 22, 2010)

Well, I'll stick my neck out, too. I love the warmth of red oak, easy to work with, easy access to it here in Indiana. and relatively inexpensive. When I was making my scrollsaw baskets, red oak were the first ones to be sold.

I do admit though, my personal favorite is cherry. I really like walnut, but I seem to have a slight allergy to it. I love the look of purpleheart, but I have yet to make a successful project from it. The purpleheart wasn't wasted because my brother used it to make cutting boards. As the others have said "to each their own".

Oh yeah, I love the smell of white pine-it sure brings back memories of the days when I didn't know there was any other kind of wood.


----------



## Brian024 (Feb 2, 2009)

Oak has it's place just like any other wood I guess. I work with it a lot since around it here its one the cheapest, next to poplar and ash.


----------



## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

Different parts of our country have different taste. When I lived in Alberta Oak was still favorable, Pine was laughed at. Now when I live in Ontario it is reversed !
People said the same thing about Mahogany 25 years ago. Everyone wanted mahogany cabinets and trim, Now we pay dearly for it when we can find it !
Its a fad. 
Can't wait to build my own home with melamine (sawdust) and MDF trim (finer sawdust) and on the floor 7mm hardwood click flooring(even harder sawdust)* NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN MY WORLD !*
I'll be using OAK .


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

@Cessna - Eww.. you're right. Coke is gross.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Ok, ok, you've found my limit. Super-red oak paneling is ew. The grain is mind-numbing. Reminds me of


----------



## larryw (Feb 10, 2011)

I agree with A1-jim and Dan, oak, red oak in particular was the mainstay for flooring, cabinetry, and mill work for so many years, that people are kinda turned off by it, and flat-sawn cathedral grain can be a little overwhelming visually sometimes, but I still love oak, as jim said, it's bending properties are excellent,it's tough, strong, and beautiful if used correctly.


----------



## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

Its great that we can all have choices on what we like to work with. I don't hate oak, however I'm not a big fan of it only because I grew up with so much of it. I just prefer not to use it or have around. It can be diplayed and look great as others through-out this site have shown.

I recently discovered Blue Oak that I prurchased form former LJ Socalwood aka Tule Peak Timber, its has some amazing color and grain. Here is the first 2 projects of the blue oak,

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/42829
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/45194


----------



## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

I think you have to be careful with the flat-sawn, popped-grain look when dealing with red oak. I think many people just don't pay proper attention to how visually contrasty or "busy" you can make a piece. For this reason, I like to hide the grain a bit…making the look more subtle. Toning it, as opposed to staining it, is a good start.

I'm not saying to completely hide the grain. Even so, this isn't like curly maple where you are trying to "pop" it.

On the contrary, quartersawn can just be downright gorgeous…no reason to hide anything.


----------



## Verna (Oct 22, 2010)

Red oak baskets, scrollsawn from one piece of wood, except for the vertical wooden slats and pegs for the handles. No, not the collapsible kind of baskets. Just a different view of the red oak wood.


----------



## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Well done, nice baskets.


----------



## daltxguy (Sep 7, 2007)

You should be so lucky to have oak to work with. I don't. Oak has some amazing properties and there is no substitute for it.


----------



## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

Oak I can take or leave, no real feelings either way. I wont use Pine for anything anymore other than building framing. I prefer Walnut with Birdseye Maple accents to any other wood.


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I like how oak takes stain - very evenly. But I only like straight-grained quartersawn oak. Every wood has its issues ie cherry can look blotchy.


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Two words:


----------



## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

NBeener - Are we supposed to guess what the two words are? If so, how about:

Pore Filler  as in you should have used it. LOL

If its not that then it must be 'Red Oak'


----------



## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

"sand paper" as in between coats.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Spray Pattern.


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

I had just laid down …. about coat #3. I was wet-sanding between coats.

I didn't really have two words. Still don't ;-)


----------



## Dogboy (Apr 1, 2011)

My wife loves oak, I love wood working…So I love working with oak.


----------



## Jack_T (Feb 6, 2010)

Two words? Two words.


----------



## DocK16 (Mar 18, 2007)

I'm not a big fan of red oak either the large pore filling is a pain. If you have any QSWO I will gladly take it off your hands.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^LOL with all above. QSWO is an entirely different matter, but it's still not my favorite. Nod to walnut & Neil's missing two words


----------



## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

There are many variations of oak, 2000+ species of wood, every one of them have their place. All are beautiful if done right - then there is firewood if not.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I have entertained all discussions above and have determined that I now like oak much more than when I started this thread. Thank you for that.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Troll! Kidding


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^  I guess I never really figured out what a troll actually was but I'm guessing someone who lurks around then starts posts with controversial topics. I was once called a "white knight' for telling someone to lay off a newbie on another forum. White Knights and trolls…sounds like Dungeons and Dragons (terms that I am NOT at all familiar with and certainly NEVER spent hours of my youth fondling little pewter figurines over).


----------



## Enyalius (Mar 26, 2011)

In my apartment are these 1980s era particle board cabinets with a layer of material (I can't call it veneer, maybe some sort of plastic tape?) that is meant to look like oak.

I have seen tons of cheap oak furniture with that golden stain. At one time it was both ubiquitous and cheap.

I ended up developing a similar dislike for oak, but what changed my mind was this kid at the local high school that did this coffee table and chair in red oak with dark walnut stain. The kid put a lot of work into it, originally I didn't think it was hard wood but rather some sort of plastic or veneer because he had sanded it so smooth. Needless to say the project was beautiful and it made me see red oak (in this case) in a new light. I'm now using it for a project to make a bed, also with a dark walnut stain which I will post here when completed.

Anyhow, walnut is still my favorite wood.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm with you, Enyalius. If oak is pore-filled and darkly stained, it's absolutely gorgeous. I'd just rather someone else make it for me!


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I can completely understand where you're coming from Cessna. I tend to prefer a glasslike finish (like laminate, I guess you could say!). Can't say why. I built a small red oak nightstand and used a thin, snug satin finish. It's a nice piece but I just don't care for the look, which is odd because I tend to like coarser "appearing" surfaces. To each his own, that's for sure. But I absolutely understand the look that you describe and admire. I'm an absolute lover of black wax. I made a small figured eucalyptus box that I rustic'd up with dings & chips in the dovetails, just playing around. I hit it with some black wax and all the pores and defects lit up. It's now one of my favorite little boxes.


----------



## Millo (Jan 19, 2010)

In terms of its looks… not one of my favorites either, but it all depends in the context.

Call me crazy, but I don't like oak on Arts & Crafts pieces, which is a style in which it's supposed to look awesome. On that style I really like mahogany and similar woods (like sapele, khaya, etc), cherry, and some stained-maple examples I've seen. I like oak on the pieces posted above by mafe, very nice.

I seem to dislike glossy finishes on oak if it is unfilled and/or unstained.

I *hate* all that late 70's, 80's, early 90's thick-and-rounded edges oak commercial furniture.

I think oak can look AWESOME w/ some clear grain filler, and the large pores I think might offer some incredible opportunities for finishing/staining options. I like it "ebonized" satin or gloss, with or w/o filled-out grain, thin or thick layers. I'm strictly speaking from what I have SEEN, b/c I have little experience w/ any wood, LOL!

Some people have done some amazing finishing jobs w/ white oak.

In frame-and-panel construction I seem to like oak w/ pretty figure in PANELS, but not frames, unless those frames are "ebonized" or have that heavy japanized reddish black glossy lacquerish finish (whatever its called).

I have seen amazing designs in oak that I can't help but think: "this would look much better in maple, cherry or mahogany".

I've seen medieval, renaissance oak pieces with carvings that were astonishing, gorgeous.

So, Bertha, I understand and can somewhat relate to your point of view.


----------



## Millo (Jan 19, 2010)

I like it here:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/4279


----------



## Millo (Jan 19, 2010)

There is another project around, similarly finished which looks amazing. Gotta go will find it later…


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Millo, now that's an absolutely spectacular piece above. I'm going to head on over to see how that was finished. I tend to agree with you on most accounts. The office furniture slabs make me cringe, but you've got to admit, they're nearly indestructible. I shudder at the thought of carving oak but I'm familiar with the pieces you describe. Jawdropping.


----------



## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

My biggest beef with red oak is that it is brittle. I have knocked pieces off of the workbench, and they crack . Maybe there is something else going on here, but it has only happened to me with red oak.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^I just had to go over and apologize to a piece (link above) for saying I hate oak. I've looked back over my posts & have found myself changing my opinion within a single thread! I guess that's the beauty of having an opinion, you're always right, even when you're wrong.


----------



## TechRedneck (Jul 30, 2010)

Holy Crap! this is a long post, took me 20 minutes to read through it, so since I did I have to throw my 2 cents worth in.

I like oak, we have oak floors, oak trim and oak cabinets, all custom built (not by me) from locally grown and milled oak. Stairs, railings, treads, all oak. Now that I have my shop, I want to make some pieces for the house and am having trouble matching the built-ins and not be forced to use oak.

I hate paint over wood more than anything.

Was just talking with the wife about what type of wood to use in the den (man cave). I somehow have to get some cherry which is my favorite worked into this mix and still blend in with the rest of the house. I love a hand rubbed (not glossy) dark cherry look for a study, sort of old school.

I have access to a storage building 1/2 full of reclaimed wormy chestnut and was able to get a board from the owner to mill down and finish to see how it looks. Now I have three types to blend in. Being an amateur weekend wookworker I can't wrap my head around using all them. I really don't want more oak but it is all over the place! The oak trees outside are watching!


----------



## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

I just bought a bunch of white oak off a guy who said he was just gonna burn it. He said oak has its uses where he came from… they make cow fences out of it.. Personally, living in southern California in a city with ALOT of Craftsman and Bungalow tradition, I love oak, of course QSWO, but even things not made in the Quarter Sawn variety.

It definitely depends on style and preference, oak can be very rustic, modern, or country, crafts, traditional, or what have you all based on its milling and finishing (not to mention the furniture it makes)


----------



## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

Yes bertha , you should feel very bad about disliking oak . Your sentence structures seem ok though


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^my apologies and my thank yous, respectively, Moment. Since I poste this, I'm starting to come around to oak; although still not red oak. Although I still dont' like it as a primary wood, I'm contemplating using it as a secondary wood in lieu of poplar, etc. Thanks for the bump; I haven't thought of this in a while


----------



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Don't feel bad Bertha.
I like the look of oak, but I HATE working with it. 
I do use it though. My current project is almost entirely oak, for strength. If I wanted it to look real beautiful though, I'd pick something besides oak.
Part of it though is because I live in the south (Mississippi). Oak is at a premium here. People just love it. I think maybe they love it too much, because I've walked in some homes and it's like oak overload. Oak floors. Oak furniture. Oak paneling on the walls. Oak cabinets. 
I feel like screaming, MY GOD people. Don't you know there are other woods besides $%^$ OAK!


----------



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

If it hadn't been bumped, I would probably never have seen this thread.
It was on top of the forum topics and I clicked it.
Until you mentioned it, I didn't notice that until six minutes ago it was almost a year old thread.


----------



## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

Back in the early-eighties, I cut my teeth in the cabinet business building Red Oak kitchen cabinets. At that time, Red Oak was sought after as an upgraded cabinet from the standards of the time. White wash, or, 'pickled' Oak was just getting popular.

I cannot even count how many thousands of oak kitchens I have worked on-about 1,000 a year in the early days to 4,300 per year at the peak. This is pretty good volume. Only about 300 per year of these were what could be called custom cabinets. Probably 98% of these kitchens were Red Oak.

Now, Red Oak is very passe'. Alder has had its moment to shine for the last decade and a half now. (At least in Phoenix) Alder has a lot of potential for finishing that other woods don't. (Distressing, Antiquing, etc.) The last 14 years or so, I've focused more on the very high end of the market. About 25 to 40 homes per year, and much higher margins.

Any more, I am reluctant to build anything in Oak. The last major project I worked on in Red Oak was a custom home back in 2000. They insisted on Red Oak cabinets, so I put enough architectural elements in it to draw attention away from the wood. I was sure to avoid 'dated' finishes and to keep the motif fresh and engaging. It was a challenging build, but it could show on the cover of any major publication-even though it was Red Oak.

For a time, in customer interviews, the first words out of the mouth of many were, "Anything but Oak".


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

I think people are in love with oak because, when they look through furniture catalogs or go into a furniture store, oak is touted as being the premium option.. When you go into Lowes/HD and see the different moldings and such they have there, you can pick the economy pine or the expensive, superior oak.

I'd say that the bulk of the appeal of oak is just marketing. On the other hand, I'll have to get and show you guys some pictures of the oak furniture and wainscoting my grandpa made several years ago. He was a legend with that stuff.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

DS, I don't blame you, brother. I haven't used it enough to have any authority on the matter but it certainly dates a home pretty quickly. That being said, I've got some oak in my house…and I chose it. I live in a log home, so the risk of wood overload has long since past. I gave up on trying to match woods and just used a "more the merrier" philosophy. I went with solid hickory for the cabinets, which is my favorite of my choices. I almost went hickory for the floors but went with "cabin grade" maple that I had resurfaced to a higher grade. They filled most of the voids and avoided some of the big knots on install. As a result, I've got birdseye here, tiger there, spalt, there, etc. I'm happy I went that route. I went with oak stair treads b/c I had a bead on some really thick ones. In retrospect, I wish I'd done some sort of live-edge thing but oh well. The oak bothers me, true, but it gets lost in the jumble of wood in my home. I was thinking strength at the time.


----------



## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

Al, log homes play by different rules than say a tract house.
The most impressive log home cabinets I ever saw were done in natural Maple. Mineral streaks and huge closed knots everywhere. The contasting colors were amazing and the wood selection was very artistic.
Makes me feel warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Yeah, DS, I've got little favorite spots around my house. They usually show up as a backdrop for a photo of a plane or chisel here It's wood, man. We like wood.


----------



## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

I'm kinda over it since I sell flooring and its pretty much everywhere for me all day. So many more interesting choices for products. Other uses maybe not so bad idk never really thought about it too much.


----------



## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

I like oak.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I really like oak. It works well, it looks good and ….well, it is just good wood to have and it is readily available for a decent price. In regards to the original question….yes you should feel bad…really bad….LOL


----------



## WinterSun (Apr 3, 2011)

Oak and I don't see eye to eye. I'll go out of my way to avoid using it.


----------



## BobM001 (Jan 8, 2012)

I don't have much to say about cutting/machining oak. My beef is finishing it. Made the mistake of trying to use Watco on it. BAD move! It leeched out of the pores for DAYS. Natural finish with sanding sealer then satin urethane I love it. Dittos on the quarter sawn for red or white. AMAZING grain.


----------



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Oak is splintery with big, ugly pores. In my family, oak was a sign of wealth, as in "oooo look at those oak cupboards" or "wow, that guy has a solid oak coffee table". When I started ww I felt the same way, like oak was the ultimate fancy pants wood. Then I discovered that there are more types of wood than just oak and pine…Quartersawn oak is not bad, but pretty difficult to come by up here.


----------



## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

*I don't like Oak much either*. Sorta like Rob says, I've seen too much of it in trying-to-be-fancy kitchen cabinets. I seem to get a lot of it for free though so I'm trying to figure out what to make out of it. But *I DO like Free wood*.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Rob, my first two projects were of oak. Bought it at Lowe's or the like. Then, I went to a small boutique lumber yard with my friend and laid my eyes on a big plank of cocobolo. In Louisiana, it was pine, oak, and cypress. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Although I have many books on the subject, I'm still pretty ignorant about wood. I tend to try it out and see how I like it. Before I finish a new (for me) wood, I'll usually poke around here, find out how to finish it, then brag about how I finished it


----------



## MarcusM (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh, Oh…I see a "Finish of your dreams" post coming on.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^not by me, Tillbilly If it became popular for some reason, I'd really be in trouble


----------



## MarcusM (Mar 29, 2010)

^yeah, but Al, you're so buff you have the shoulders to bear it. 

Regards, Mark


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

lol, my shoulders have been sagging a bit of late


----------



## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

I am with you, don't like it much. Now Walnut, cherry and Maple….mmmmmmmm


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

I don't know what I said 300+ days ago, if I said anything at all 300+ days ago, but Yes, you should feel bad about hating oak.

Next question?


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

You nailed my top three, JGM. Walnut is by far my favorite wood of all time. I struggle to find even one critique of it. Well, it's expensive, I guess. I'm a Shaker guy (in woodworking, not religion, lol), so cherry's got to be up high. What's a guy to say about maple; gorgeous figure and hardness. If I had access to exotics and price was no object, you'd see some massive cocobolo pieces in my home. I had my purpleheart phase, but as a handtool guy, it's a bit tough to work with. I'm in love with bloodwood, like a creepy genuine love. Bocote is wonderful but I'm allergic to it. Mahogany's a blast to work with. I guess I like most all of it.


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I love Red and White Oak. Its one of my favor woods!


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Al, no chestnut in your top three?


----------



## premieretreeservices (Feb 9, 2012)

Mahogany and Walnut are definitely some of my favorites too Bertha. If they weren't so expensive, everything I owned would be made from them. I'm not the biggest fan of Maple. Maybe because it's not quite as deeply colored as some of my favorites, but something about it just doesn't suit my fancy. I don't mind oak though. It's kind of that happy medium. A good, tough, deep wood that isn't overly expensive.


----------



## KevinH (Dec 23, 2007)

I'm using red oak because of opportunity. I have a stack of rough sawn red oak from a large tree that was damaged in a storm. I'm using it to learn woodworking and I'm having a lot of fun. It looks nicer than anything I've used before, but my experience is limited.

I have a white oak tree that is slowly dying because the crown was buried when my house was built. It's still the most distinctive tree in the yard, so I won't take it to the mill for a while.

I like the look of cherry for furniture, but my cherry tree is doing fine, so far. I'll have to buy cherry if I want to use it. I'll need better woodworking skill before I'll feel comfortable spending the money.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Oh Tikander! Zing! 
Kevin, my cherry tree is about an inch in diameter; same as it was a year and 1/2 ago


----------



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I don't necessarily hate oak, but rift sawn at least, I don't view as much more than utility lumber…

Now QS with some ray flecking going on is a different story all together…

All in all though, I would much rather work with Walnut, Pecan, Cherry, Mesquite, and / or Maple…


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Let's see IF I can find a few "favourites" of mine









Saw handle cut from a piece that USED to be over 13" wide.









about half my milled up "stash" of Oak, Ash, and even a few pieces of Pine. One more:









Three Oak beams, waiting to be resawn. A fourth one is outside drying. Most of these boards are from a "garage" that fell down. One of the joists was Black Cherry. That wood tray I photograph my planes on is that wood:









Name that plane….


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Looks like a #110, with the 'bottle cap' adjuster. Am I close?


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Wow, black cherry, baby. Magnificent. Those beams are quite tasty.


----------



## HawkDriver (Mar 11, 2011)

For me, Oak is everywhere so it has become boring. I don't hate oak, Im just tired of seeing it. Houses would be boring if they were all painted the same color right? So why have houses that all have the same cabinets?


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I am an oak person but I will tell you that some of the prettiest cabinets I have seen were maple with a light tint on them. WOW!


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Smitty: Yep, that is indeed a Stanley 110. Even the iron says so!

Bertha; all that barn wood I picked up was FREE for the taking. Owner wanted the "termite bait" cleared away. Just gas money to haul away was the cost.


----------



## lanwater (May 14, 2010)

This thread is still alive…

I am in the oak hater camp. Every splinter I got was from oak. 
Upon starting woodworking, I bought a litle over 120 bf of white oak.
that was the dummest thing I ever done.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Oak used to be my splinter master but recently wormy chestnut has surpassed it. I've been jointing/milling 200bf and I've kept busy fishing out splinters.


----------



## Maveric777 (Dec 23, 2009)

Didn't read all the comments, but I say we "Like what we like"... Like someone else mentioned I am not a fan of red oak. To me it flat out smells like Alpo Farts when you cut it and just not very attractive looking. So I don't even bother with it and stay away…

While I am on the subject I will also add I have developed an undying hate for aromatic cedar… To me it just flat out stinks. I was doing a favor for a friend cutting some up in the shop and my bride came out first and said "Hmm it smells nice".... a couple hours later she was in full agreement with my opinion of the stuff….

So long story short I say like what you like and not sweat if you are in with the cool crowd as far as wood choices go…lol


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

*Alpo Farts*
I'll pit my dog (pictured) against any dog on the globe in this respect.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Wouldn't know about alpo, but I feed mine Taste of the Wild .. Based on the packaging, I thought it was super cheesy, but after seeing that it has probiotics, no grain, and is super high in fat and protein.. I tried it out. My rottie has the shiniest coat you've ever seen.. he's lean, mean, and is crazy strong. (Didn't mean that to sound like an ad, but its good stuff)

But can you imagine how any animal or human will smell on what is essentially an all-meat diet?

Yeah.. he makes the houseplants wilt. And they're plastic.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^I actually feed Steak Blue Buffalo. He was initially on Innova but it was a pain in the arse to get it from the only local vet that carried it. I can get the Blue Buffalo from the Feed & Seed store here. I did a lot of research on the subject and Taste of the Wild was consistently in the top three recommendations from reputable sources. There's another organic wet food that I mix in with his dry kibble but the brand is escaping me. 
.
Edit: I had a boston (meathead) before steak who was on Science Diet Puppy for 12 years. Steak's coat is noticeably silkier on the expensive stuff. Much less dental cleaning too. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure he could kick your Rotties' butt, Stretch.


----------



## lunn (Jan 30, 2012)

Walnut my favorite !! oaks etc. no problem Try some hickory! it will smoke your tools turn them blue !!!! Dulled both my planers on 3 boards


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^Hickory is indeed an animal. Boy, it's worth it, though


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Ahah.. idk about that. Bump runs like a grayhound, pulls like an ox. He'll tug-o-war me around the living room if I'm sitting on the area rug.

(edit: Didn't like my embed.. => https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N-CED2e-WD1zGEzrq2YK_ynt3gEUqGK6qXyeWSPa5LE?feat=directlink )


----------



## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

I think one of the problems with red ioak is from the box stores. This stuff is kiln dried to a point that it is brittle. I got some from a local mill that was air dried and finished it down to about 4%. The air dried wood doesn't splinter much and looks a lot better.

As for likes and dislikes - like them all - zebra wood smells bad.


----------



## WayneA (Feb 2, 2012)

I am with you on disliking oak! The last thing I made was a dinning room table for my son when they purchased their home. Now we use lots of oak here, but only to heat the house. I do love the way it splits and put out a whole bunch of heat…


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

We use it for heat also. Oak is just a versatile wood. I burn several ricks a year. For those that don't know what makes a rick it is a stack 4 ft tall and 8 ft long. It can be any width you want like 24" or 20" or 36". It is an undetermined amount of wood when you talk about volume. It is basically half a cord. In the central plains we burn ricks of oak. We work oak and make furniture and we have oak cabinets. We just generally like oak. 
Pound for pound oak is stronger than steel. just a side note.


----------



## WayneA (Feb 2, 2012)

Around this neck of the woods we all use a full cord for measurements that is 4' wide x 4' high x 8' long (128 cubic feet). I am not totally sure of this, but believe in New Hampshire you have to sell would by the cord or a portion of a cord and explain the number of cubic feet you are selling. So we do not sell face cords or ricks around here.

I cut my own trees and so the only cost I have is the cutting, dragging out of the woods, cutting to stove length, splitting, stacking, aging, hauling into the house, and finally hauling the ashes out. Yep that cord of wood warms me several times. We go through between 6 to 8 cords a year and burn oak, maple, ash, and some white birtch (not good fire wood, but it does burn and put off some heat.


----------



## Maverick44spec (Aug 7, 2011)

Personally, I love oak (thats a good thing, because it is pretty much the ONLY hardwood you can get around here without having your own mill . ) Depending on what you do with it, it can have either a higher class look, or a rustic look (I perfer the rustic, dark stained look). I hate that it splinters so badly, but other then that I love it.


----------



## KenBee (Mar 9, 2011)

I use a lot of both Red and QS White Oak, but probably my favorite is Figured Maple and Walnut. As for Cherry and Hickory they are both down on the bottom of my domestic lumber list. Recently I have been buying a lot of Figured Maple such as Ambrosia and Tiger Striped for boxes and QS White Oak to build clocks with. I have plenty of Walnut and honestly love the contrast with Walnut and Red Oak or Walnut and Maple when used together like I do with some of my boxes. Those combinations finished with BLO, Shellac and wipe on Polyurethane in that order really makes the colors jump out.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^I'm definitely a walnut freak, Ken. I've never used walnut and oak together. That's a good thought


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

First, I wasn't sure how I missed this, then I realized i wasn't born yet. Well, at least hadn't found Ljs. Don't feel guilty, all the more for me. Stick with that wormy chestnut!


----------



## davteeuk (Feb 19, 2012)

Well, a reasonable subject to make a firest post here - I feel I should stand up for the UK's most loved timber, here in England oak is the most popular timber and if you've got a stash of English oak you're going to be pretty happy! I must admit that bog standard oak is quite dull but get some quarter sawn with some interesting figure and it can be beautiful.

So, I use it, I like it but like everyone else, I love walnut and maple. I'd love to use more wenge but it doesn't come cheap. Maple isn't as cheap here as it is the US, our 'stanrdard' timber is probably beech or ash - it's not so easy to get excited about them! Cherry doesn't really do much for me.


----------



## buffalosean (Feb 15, 2009)

Al,
I do not like oak either. I would never build anything out oak for myself. I try to talk others out of oak pieces as well. So far, I have talked everyone that I've made anything for out of it. As far as domestics are concerned, I really like walnut, cherry, and quarter sawn sycamore. Some people do not like the uneven characteristics of cherry. I really do. I like the look of ash or maple with walnut, they complement one either in a contrasting manor.

Nothing wrong with disliking oak. Its a matter of personal preference.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I like that bit in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' where they're trying to batter down a portcullis and Morgan Freeman (The Painted Man) is shaking his head and shouting "DAMNED ENGLISH OAK".
Maybe he got a splinter.
I don't mind oak. For many people it's an affordable entry level hardwood.
I don't like the way that "Solid Oak Furniture" that is mass produced in China and shipped over in the World's most massive container vessels is made from pencil sized pieces of offcuts, finger jointed together and marketed as something special. You know the ones I mean - Ingredients, Oak (50%), Glue (50%).
If you get nice oak, in nice size pieces, it can work well.
Of course, like any rough timber, you don't what you're going to be looking at until it's been thru the planer.
Of all the oaks, American white oak is probably more forgiving in terms of movement and uniformity - it has a lower tannin content too.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I LOVE OAK!! I use mostly red oak and like working with it. Walnut is okay but pricey. Maple is more difficult to work with and hard to find in my part of the world. I like oak and it grows all around here. YEAH for OAK!!

Feel bad now Al….?? LOL


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I'm not crazy about maple.


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I've got three planes that need new handles made. I also have access to some 8/4 Black Walnut. Hmmmmm?

Knobs and totes in black walnut, sitting on restored Stanley/Bailey ( #8c) , Stanley Defiance #3, and a Great Neck #1? Doable, maybe?


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Al: you ever stop to consider that … maybe … just maybe … you're not oak's favorite, either ?

LOL !

Man. What would we do if we didn't have something to hate ??


----------



## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

It would indeedd be a strange world if we all liked the same things. We wouldn't have to have all these primaries messing up our media.

I use a lot of native Iowa red oak because it was free! I pulled it out of the farm house were my wife grew up. The house was to be burned down for fire department practise and I found out just a day or two before this was going to be done. So I took all of the first floor red oak base, window trim, and whatever else I could take in one day. This oak is at least 100 years old. I did not calculate the number of board feet but when I moved from Illinois to California the mover told me it was about 950lbs worth of wood.

The second floor had the same appearance as the first but that was all native pine and I still regret that I did not get any of that. Much of oak and pine were locally milled by a yard that went out of business about 80 years ago and the narrowest pieces were 5" wide with a lot of 10" wide boards and a lot of moldings (good for picture frames).

I have built a number of projects out of the oak and i can tell the diffrence between the old material and the newer. The older oak is a lot harder and doesn't tear out as easily. As i said,wish I also had the pine!


----------



## BritBoxmaker (Feb 1, 2010)

No


----------



## JGHunter (Feb 29, 2012)

Personally I feel oak is good for three things: beams, floorboards and doors. Even then, pine makes equally good floorboards. It is such a grand wood I wouldn't want too much, in my mind it would end up looking a bit tacky, like gold-leafed furniture or something. All things in moderation!

Don't feel guilty about not liking oak. We all have our dislikes. Oak is often just popular because it's expensive (certainly in the UK, don't know about US). There are plenty of dark woods that make me feel sick. For example, I believe walnut belongs with pot pourri, a bowl of Tiger Eye stones, throw cushions and animal print.


----------



## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

When I moved from Miami/Ft.Laud, where I had a custom furniture business for 15 years, to a rural area NE of Tampa, I was amazed at how many people wanted Oak. All those years of working with exotics and suddenly I couldn't sell anything except Oak. I was distressed. I don't have anything agaisnt Oak, it's a fine wood, but there are so many choices out there it's just fun to use something different. Over the last 15 years or so things have gradually changed, where I live isn't quite so rural anymore and peoples knowledge of wood has grown. It ain't Ft. Lauderdale, but things are getting better.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

This thread just won't die, lol. I've got to be honest, after posting this many moons ago, I'm starting to come around to oak. I can't get English Oak but white oak is really growing on me. Red oak not so much.
.
And Neil, I asked oak about what you said. He said that I was "meh". I still don't know what that means


----------



## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

LOL !


----------



## yank (Feb 1, 2007)

I love red oak, love the smell, the grain, I have it thru-out my house in some form or another. My master bath vanity top is RED OAK along with my RED OAK med. cabinet. 
My dining suite is red oak and I installed a red oak shelf under my dual window in the dining room. Finished it with golden oak stain and poly. 
I find no problem with splintering, it planes well and looks lovely. 
DID I MENTION I LOVE RED OAK.

I find that the cherry I use splinters and chips and burns too easy, way more then the oak.

Anyway, just my $0.02.

my


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

There you go AL, *@ninalove* has your number. "nuff said…


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Tried working with Black Walnut tonight.. P U !!! That stuff STINKS! I was making handles for a few planes I have. Every time a drill or saw hit the Walnut, it smelled like old Bessy walking by with a case of the "Walkinphartes". Muddled through four hours of smelling the aroma, then went home. A look at what little i got done:









Knobs:









And totes. After this project is done, I'm going back to barn wood Oak….


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Yes! Yank! Red oak with golden oak stain and poly. My favorite things to work with. My computer desk is red oak with golden oak stain. My bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinets TV cabinet…..man isn't his stuff great to work with?


----------



## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Wow, lots of opinions as I would have guessed with all the backgrounds we have here.
Personally, I love red oak for casegoods and furniture for it's look and strength. I don't use is for turnings or cutting boards because of the open grain that can trap food particles.
Isn't it nice that we have so many different species of wood to choose from. They all have a special use for the right project!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Yes and if some folks gravitate to the "OTHER" species then it leaves more oak for those of us that can really appreciate it. I woke up this morning and imagine that…..red oak bedroom suite! WOW! what a way to begin the day….LOL


----------

