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Oak lumber identification advice / confirmation sought

Started by scsmith42, September 27, 2015, 10:12:28 PM

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scsmith42

I recently received a request from an old US University for some lumber to be used on a remodeling project.  The university wants to match up to some old quartersawn oak lumber that was apparently installed close to 100 years ago - or longer.  They told me that it was quartersawn red oak but I was not positive about their identification so I requested a sample board.

It is one of the more unusual samples that I have seen.  It is obviously an open-pored quartersawn oak board from an old-growth tree.  Identification is not typical though, for several reasons.

In general, most red oaks are open pored, and most white oaks are close pored (tyloses filling the cells).  So, on the one hand the open pores would lead one to think that the lumber is red oak.

However, there are several species of white oak that are open pored; the most common of which is chestnut white oak.  So the open versus close pored comparison is not 100%.

From a color perspective, to me the flooring resembles white oak - not red.

Next, the brand of the flooring is Wood-Mosaic, which was a well regarded flooring manufacturer that specialized in premium flooring products dating back to the late 1800's.  They were known as producing some high grade quartersawn white oak flooring.

I applied a 10% sodium Nitrite solution to the lumber, which typically provides a 100% indication of red versus white oak.  My initial read of the test results are that the board is white oak.

However, typically sodium nitrite tests on white oak are such that the test area expands very little in size during the test, but on red oak the test area opens up significantly.  Although the color indicates that the lumber is white oak, the spread leans more towards red oak.  Plus, the test did not darken as completely on the sample as it did on the white oak control boards.

Finally, I trimmed a 2-1/4" long piece from the end of the board and then split it in two in order to inspect the wood rays from a flat sawn perspective.  Typically red oak wood rays are very short - 3/8" - 1/2" or so.  White oak rays typically run 3/4" long or longer.  The wood rays from the sample are well over 1", which would also substantiate the fact that the lumber is white oak and not red oak.

My assessment is that the sample is from an open pored white oak species, but I must confess that I am not 100% sure due to the conflicting indicators.

Below are some photo's, including the comparison between several red and white oak control boards and the old flooring sample.  I also took a close up of the end grain (with some sodium nitrite solution on it). 

I am making this post in the hopes that our most learned species identification members will be able to review the photo's and share their insight.

Thanks much in advance for the insight!

Scott

This first sample shows the flooring board and several red and white oak sample boards. All boards had a 10% sodium nitrite drop placed on them about 15 minutes before this photo was taken.  Note that on the known white oak boards the solution has turned dark brown to black and the sample drop did not spread out much, and on the known red oak boards it is a faded light brown with the drop spreading out.  The university flooring board is in-between in terms of color and the drop spread more than any of the other samples.



 

Close up of the end grain (with the sodium nitrite test area on the left side of the photo.  I blew the dust out of the pores before taking the photo.



 



 

Below is the sample showing the flat sawn grain.  The sample is around 2-1/4" long.  Due to the length of the wood rays I'm thinking that this is definitely white oak.



 
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Sodium nitrite is indeed 100% accurate.  The long rays are also close to 100%.  The open and closed pores are not 100%, but perhaps 80% to 90%, with your comments about chestnut oak being the commercial open-pored white oak being correct indeed.  The color is perhaps 50% or maybe even less as we go further north.  Finally, it is my impression that quarter white oak was very commonly used for flooring many years ago, which makes sense because we did not have a controlled climate under the floor, so natural decay resistance was a plus.  However, certainly by the 1940s, red oak was popular.

So, it is my opinion that this is white oak.  If further confirmation is needed, microscopic examination could be used, but I do not believe that is necessary.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

scsmith42

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

WDH

I have been around the block a time or two, but I am no expert.  However, it screams white oak to me too. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

scsmith42

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

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