According to the American Hardwood Information Center, red oak is by far the most commonly used North American hardwood. Four out of every ten North American hardwood boards sold are red oak. It’s the state tree of my former home state, New Jersey, where it grows just about everywhere you look. It’s one of the most common woods used in kitchen cabinet construction. It’s an extremely common flooring material. Entire bedroom suites are made out of the stuff…
And, sometimes, all that familiarity breeds contempt. I’ve spoken with woodworkers who have flat out said, “Boy, that would have been a great project, except for the fact that they built it out of oak…”
So, in this week’s poll, I wanna know exactly what you think about red oak and its place in your shop.
[poll id=”55″]
Tom, I rarely use red oak, And if a project calls for the use of oak I will use white oak.
I have looked at projects and thought the piece could have been stunning if built with a finer wood.
If you are building a project and putting in all your time,skills and effort, then why not spend a bit more a board foot and build an outstanding piece.
I have built furniture and it always seems that the pieces that I made with a finer wood are the ones that get noticed.
Personally I think that the wood spieces can sometimes dictate “fine” woodworking.
Do you know what really peeves me? When someone wants to stain red oak, with cherry or mahogany stain! For goodness sakes just say no!!!
Sorry, I don’t mean to be a wood snob, but red oak is not my flavor 😉 of the month.
Hey, Dana, this is the place to let your feeling be known! Glad you weighed in…
I just did my living room floor in traditional 2 1/4 x 3/4 red oak T&G flooring, with a natural finish. The rich color and grain variations are absolutely stunning.