APPEARANCE

Color: Heartwood is yellow after cutting and turns deep pinking tan to warm reddish brown within weeks due to high resin content.  Sapwood remains yellow, with occasional blue-black sap stain.
Grain: Dense, with high figuring.  Plainsawn is swirled; rift - or quartersawn is primarily pinstriped.  Curly or burl grain is rare.
Species & Grade Variations: Moderate color variation.

PROPERTIES

Hardness (Janka): 1225; 5% softer than Northern Red Oak.
Dimensional Stability: Above average (change coefficient .00263; 29% more stable than Red Oak).
Durability: Natural resistance to insect infestation in heartwood; dense.

WORKABILITY

Sawing / Machining: Good machining and hand-tooling qualities.
Sanding: Tendency to clog paper due to high resin content; begin with coarse grade.
Nailing: Good holding ability.
Finishing: Accepts both surface and penetrating finishes.  Some stains may blotch; raising grain first may help.  To reduce the wood's tendency to repel finish coats, surface resins may be removed with a solvent that is compatible with the finish to be used.

COST

(Relative to plainsawn select Red Oak)
Multiplier: 2.00

AVAILABILITY

Limited.