The Forestry Forum

A few days ago, I removed an intruding branch from a Northern Red Oak tree in my yard. I milled a few boards with my chainsaw mill .  The color on the inside of the wood was a beautiful deep red (image attached).  Within a few days, the color faded and became a muted pink.

After the wood dries, I will get the boards planed and sanded.  I would like to preserve the deep red color that existed when I first cut the boards.  Is this possible?  If so, how do you do it?

Thanks!

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A good quality tung oil after it's dried and planed and made into something will get you back pretty close to that color. You can see that color in the meantime if you just through some water on it.

Oxygen and sunlight affect the color of any wood over time. One of the great things about sawing a log is the color you see when it comes off the saw. Then it dries out, starts to oxidize, and the uv starts to affect it. It never looks the same as fresh-sawn again.  But with the right finish later on you can get some really nice color. After that, sunlight is your biggest problem.

Oxidation of the chemicals that color the wood is what causes color change, and such a reaction cannot be prevented.

Stickered piles of black walnut facing the sun for a couple of years turn white. [only on the exposed surface]. Also finished walnut turns red in direct sun lite. Eastern red cedar turns salmon color. and so on.