How
the Great American White measures up.
Whether the species under consideration is Quercus Petraea or Q Robur ( English or European Oak) on the one hand or
Quercus Alba ( American White Oak), there is nothing quirky, gimmicky or temporary about this timber. Oak sets the
standard against which many other species are measured in strength, variety of applications and durability.
History of Oak in service.
From the period when basic house framing principles were first established, Oak came to prominence. Archaeologists
tell us that it was commonly used for this purpose during the Bronze age.
Oak frames were the undercarriage of the earliest known European sailing ships. Evidence of the use and durability of
Oak in vessels has emerged with the discovery of ancient ships constructed of cleft oak planking still fastened
together despite centuries of exposure on the ocean floor.
Oak was the primary choice for spokes in carriage wheels, water wheels, windmill bodies, drive shafts and gears.
Wine and sherries can only develop their unique flavours if left to mature in casks constructed from knot - free casks
of either European or American Oak.
In
and durability of Oak. These include multi - storey townhouses and the steeply pitched roofs of Westphalian
farmhouses.
There are no Oaks comparable to British Oak to British Oak. It is said that the British nation owes the foundation of
its greatness to the "wooden walls" of Oak which in centuries past compassed the waters of the globe, giving Britian
the title "Mistress of the Seas".
A visit to many
of
Oak.
American Oak.
Americans of the " Georgian" period developed standards of building design and execution in the use of timber which
have largely revolved around the use of Oak. Oak logs were cut radially to produce wedge shaped boards and these in
turn were put into service as shingles or horizontal weatherboards with interlocking edges. The resulting architecture
was
comparable to anything on display in
This period of timber use and the consequent tradition is put forward as one major reason why in 1995, most .
Americans were still believed to live in wooden houses.
One author
termed American Oak as the "sovereign wood of
more than 50% is produced in the southern states. It is the best all purpose and most used of all American woods.
It is outstanding for steam bending and this, coupled with its strength and "waterproofness" make it ideal for barrels.
White Oak is considered one of the most rugged woods known to man. It is no surprise to learn that it is used for
propellers for aircraft, floors, railroad ties, mining props and even fence posts. At the same time, selected boards are
used widely in cabinet work and joinery or for fine furniture.
A comparison of Oaks.
Some texts do not distinguish greatly between European and American Oak because of the similarity of their uses.
The best Oak trees are said to be those which develop in a forest with a long straight bole up to one metre in diameter.
Parkland Oak may have a wider bole but knots will be more prevalent due to the presence of lower branches.
The timber itself is moderately heavy, pale yellow brown, typically with straight grain and coarse texture, which is
apparently attributable to its ring porous structure. It has a characteristic silver grain figure when quarter cut.
A comparison of Physical Characteristics.
Major authors suggest the following physical properties:
(1)
Weight ( Average)
American - 760 kg / m3 or 47 lb / ft3
European - 720 kg / m3 or 45 lb / ft3
(2)
Strength : Bending
& Crushing
American - Medium - ( excellent steam bending )
European - Good - ( blue stains in contact with iron compounds)
(3)
Seasoning
American - Slow, tends to split, medium movement in service.
European - Identical to American Oak.
(4)
Working Properties
American - Variable. Slower grown Oaks are milder. Pre-boring advisable.
European - Moderate to severe blunting effect on cutters.
Quartered stock requires 20 degree planning angle.
American - Heartwood durable and very resistant to preservative treatment. Sapwood moderately resistant
European - Similar assessment to American Oak except that the Sapwood is permeable to preservative
treatment. Contact with metals causes corrosion due to acidic nature.
I have referred earlier in this article to the uses of Oak. American White Oak is considered generally milder and
easier to work than European Oak. Its uses include furniture, cabinet making, joinery, heavy construction, parquet
and strip flooring, pews, pulpits, boat building, ladder rungs, agricultural implements, wagon bottoms, tight cooperage
and coffins. These uses accord almost precisely with those to which European Oak is put. It is also common for
European Oak to be used for purpose involving exposure to contact with the ground. Rotary cut plywood featuring both
"raindrop" and "silver grain" figured Oak veneers for panels are extremely popular application for the species.
Availability
As a firm of timber merchants faced with demand for consistency in supply and quality at a reasonable price, American
Oak is a specie which appears to be in plentiful supply at a reasonably attractive average specification.
By comparison, European Oak is becoming increasingly costly and is now much more difficult to source. Doubtless the
ongoing disruption in the Slavonian countries has and will continue to stultify trade from those regions. Yugoslavian
Oak is less dense ( 42 lb /ft3 ) milder than English Oak and keenly sought after by joiners and cabinet makers.
Because it is so durable, aesthetically attractive and generally versatile, Oak holds a place in the fields of furniture
design and construction, boat - building and architectural construction which is and should remain, unchallenged.
Some other
"Oaks"
"Bog" Oak.
This term
applies to Oak buried in peat bogs in
highly sought after for furniture and fancy articles.
Japanese
Oak ( Quercus Mongolica)
Slow growing timber which grows with remarkable regularity and freedom fault. It is paler and much milder than
European or American White Oak due to its slow even growth. Its uses are however similar. The slow growth
sometimes produces a tight "spider web" type pattern in sawn boards.
Japanese Oak is considered to be slightly weaker than European Oak. This specie is both difficult to purchase and
expensive.
Tulip
Oak ( Argyrodendron Actinophyllum. A. Peralatum)
These large hard
wood trees grow between northern NSW and
to red /brown depending upon the species. Attractive figure on the tangential face and large ray fleck on radial face.
The grain is sometimes wavy and irregular producing some beautifully figured wood. This specie is non - durable in
contact with the ground and is used for flooring, panelling, furniture and boat building.
Northern
Silky Oak ( Cardwellia
Sublimis)
This timber is
also called Bull Oak or just Silky Oak and grows between Townsville and
Bloomfield in
no longer readily available as the main areas of occurrence coincide with World Heritage Listings.
Silky Oak is pale pink to brown its texture is coarse and variable. Quarter sawn timber shows the decorative Oak to
best effect. This timber has often been used as a substitute for Oak - it possesses large rays which produce silver
grained figure on quartered surfaces. Its durability is regarded as moderate but it is not recommended for in ground
use.
Tasmanian Oak.( Eucalyptus Delegatensis)
Like Tulip Oak and Silky Oak, this is not a true Oak but an Australian Eucalypt. It is also known as Mountain or
Victorian Ash ( E. Regnans), Alpine Ash ( E. Delegatensis) or Messmate, Stringybark or Brown Top Stringybark
( E. Obliqua).
These Victorian and Tasmanian species are large trees attaining heights of 90 metres and can have a diameter of
up to 2.4 meters at the butt.
The timber is pale to light brown with a pinkish tinge. The grain is very straight and open with interlocked or wavy
grain. Gum veins are present. Gum pockets and collapse in seasoning are commonplace features of this timber.
This specie is use for furniture, panelling, weatherboards, flooring and cooperage. Occasionally fiddle back can be
feature in this specie. The aspect of this timber that most resembles Oak is the versatility of its uses.
Asian
"Oak" ( Kembang Semangkok)
This is an Asian timber which has a distinctive Oak appearance in the grain structure. It is yellow brown in colour
and although moderately soft, is quite strong. This moderately durable species has a variety of joinery and furniture
uses which put its attractive figure to good use. It does not however enjoy a particularly good reputation with
Australian craftsmen due to the presence of silica in the timber.
These trees are closely related to the Northern hemisphere Quercus species and grow mostly in the New Guinea
Highlands. The timber is pink brown to brown. Seasoning is a problem with this timber and it often suffers with
splitting and checking in the drying process. Its uses closely resemble the traditional Oak uses and I suspect that
this is a very under developed resource.
To recap - Oak has won and maintained a reputation for strength and durability and beauty. It is a comment on its
position in the timber market that other species possessing one or the other of these qualities might seek
classification as an "Oak".
Source:
A Glossary of Wood - Thomas Corkhill ( Nema Press)
Timber Of The World - Alexander L Howard ( Macmillan)
World Woods In Colour - William A Lincoln ( Macmillan)
World Timbers
Vol 1 & 2
- B.J Rendle
(
Timber Species Notes - DPI Queensland
Characteristics, Properties - Keating & Bolza
& Uses of Timber ( Vol 1)
Dictionary of