Another what is this

[Simplicity]

I’m in the process of repairing these doors for a client.
We think the timber is America Oak possibly White America Oak.
One on the T stops is splitting an we would like to be able to replace it.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190819/0950ab3283d4c81d6644cea165653546.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190819/6c7285bf7201eb411a1ea06bb0100ae9.jpg

Is this America Oak???
Thanks in advance

Cheers Matt,

[elanjacobs]

Yep, US White Oak.

[Chief Tiff]

If it’s an oak it was milled backsawn which doesn’t show any of the beautiful medular rays associated with true oaks, and I can’t think why this would be done deliberately. Some of the beading appears to show it but they are too thin to truly representative.

My first thoughts were that it may be Tassie Oak/Victorian Oak/Victorian Ash, they don’t show medular rays but do have fairly pronounced grain patterns similar to true oaks which is why they were named that way. I’m dubious though because that would be common wood around your area so I would have thought you’d already eliminated it from your enquiries.

Is it veneered? The central panels appear to have the same grain pattern on both sides of the beading strips but also look to be rebated, that effect could only come from veneering after the carcase has been constructed. If the panels are solid then the beading must have been stuck on afterwards and I’m seeing rebates where there are only shadow lines.

[elanjacobs]

US Oak is almost always sold backsawn here, my old work went through packs of the stuff and there was always a big deal made if we found a single quartersawn board in a pack. Veneered board is also always backsawn, unless you specifically ordered quartersawn, they used quartersawn veneers for the downgrade back :doh:.

100% they're veneered panels in rebates in the frame with the beading tacked on top or stuck in shallow grooves in the face.

[Simplicity]

Thanks everyone
I’m pretty sure the beading was just tacked on.

The doors unfortunately are in pretty bad shape, https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190819/f96b37b77d1aaf4e69ae4354b915a6d4.jpg


Cheers Matt.

[Chief Tiff]

Ok, I’ve just never seen it like that. Here in Bundy the biggest use for white oak is for making rum vats and it’s always quarter sawn. I bought a pile of boards recently that was actually thrown in a “assorted mixed rubbish” pile; all quartersawn and all beautifull!

[qwertyu]

Am I the only person who prefers back sawn white oak vs quarter sawn? :)

[Chief Tiff]

Am I the only person who prefers back sawn white oak vs quarter sawn? :)

Absolutely.

In a more enlightened age this would have been considered a deviant mental illness, similar to being left-handed. The treatment for either malady was harsh; but considered necessary for the poor wretch to truly understand that he was wrong.

[elanjacobs]

Am I the only person who prefers back sawn white oak vs quarter sawn? :)
Lol yep.

IMO, backsawn oak just looks like generic open-grained wood, the real character is when it's quartersawn because it looks like nothing else.

Side note: for people who want the quartersawn look but can't find the US stuff, European Oak has the same grain patterns (just with a bit more green) and is regularly cut that way. We went through packs of that stuff too for one particular client and easily 30% of a pack would be quartersawn. Unfortunately, it's also much more expensive than US Oak.

[qwertyu]

Absolutely.

In a more enlightened age this would have been considered a deviant mental illness, similar to being left-handed. The treatment for either malady was harsh; but considered necessary for the poor wretch to truly understand that he was wrong.


Lol yep.

IMO, backsawn oak just looks like generic open-grained wood, the real character is when it's quartersawn because it looks like nothing else.

Side note: for people who want the quartersawn look but can't find the US stuff, European Oak has the same grain patterns (just with a bit more green) and is regularly cut that way. We went through packs of that stuff too for one particular client and easily 30% of a pack would be quartersawn. Unfortunately, it's also much more expensive than US Oak.

haha I remember the first time my father showed me how to dress rough sawn lumber he used large bit of white oak (to me at the time it looked like some trash bit of timber) which had been sitting in the shed for about 20 years. I was amazed and thought it was the coolest thing seeing that rough bit of wood being planed to reveal what was underneath (I'm sure many people go through this the first time they see it) but I actually asked him why the edges were so ugly! He said thats just how it looks but never explained it. I never understood how the edge could look so different until I read about back, quarter, rift sawing. I like the 'plainness' of back sawn white oak I suppose.

I see on the Britton website they have quarter sawn white oak listed and I reckon whelan the warehouse also stocks it too.

Elan - when you say European oak is a bit more green - do you mean the colour? Is euro oak more sought after (why it costs more?)

[elanjacobs]

Yes, green in colour. No idea why it's more expensive, maybe a more limited supply for export? :shrug: