White Oak Wood
Quercus Alba
White Oak is an outstanding domestic hardwood that is widely available and therefore quite affordable. It is a rather strong wood that displays a very straight and consistent grain. This feature makes White Oak quite versatile and easy to match when making wider panels, and as such, it is widely used in building furniture and cabinets.
The characteristic that has made White Oak wood famous is the presence of striking medullary rays that appear when the wood is quartersawn. Quartersawn White Oak is highly stable. In the early 1900s, White Oak was the standard species for the arts and crafts movement in furniture building.
Today, White Oak lumber retains its popularity as a furniture wood, but its use has expanded to include many more applications. Its unique cellular structure makes the wood highly water resistant, and as a result it is used in great quantities for exterior applications ranging from trim and general construction to furniture and garden structures. White Oak is also commonly used as a timber frame species in Japanese style architecture.
Essentially, White Oak is the perfect species for many applications, and the only drawback is the wood’s relatively unremarkable appearance. However, it finishes beautifully and can take stain well, so this drawback is easily overcome.
White Oak Lumber Specifications
| Character | Green | Dry | Units |
| Bending Strength | 8300 | 15200 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 670 | 1070 | psi |
| Max Crushing Strength | 3560 | 7440 | psi |
| Static Bending | 3700 | 4800 | psi |
| Impact Strength | 42 | 37 | inches |
| Stiffness | 1250 | 1780 | 1000 psi |
| Work to Maximum Load | 12 | 15 | in-lbs/in3 |
| Hardness (Janka) | – | 1360 | lbs |
| Shearing Strength | – | 2000 | psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.60 | 0.68 | – |
| Weight | 63 | 47 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | – | 6 | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | – | 11 | % |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | – | 16 | % |
