Black Oak

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Common Name(s): Black Oak, Eastern Black Oak

Scientific Name: Quercus velutina

Distribution: Eastern North America

Tree Size: 65-80 ft (20-25 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 46 lbs/ft³ (740 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .56

Hardness: 1,210 lb_f (5,380 N)

Rupture Strength: 13,900 lb_f/in² (95,900 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,640,000 lb_f/in² (11,300 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 6,520 lb_f/in² (45.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.4%, Tangential: 11.1%, Volumetric: 15.1%, T/R Ratio: 2.5

Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.

Grain/Pore: Has medium-to-large pores and a fairly coarse grain.

Endgrain: Ring-porous; 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary earlywood pores, numerous small latewood pores in radial arrangement; tyloses absent; growth rings distinct; rays large and visible without lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (short lines between rays).

Durability: Falls somewhere between slightly durable to non-durable. Red oaks such as Black Oak do not have the level of decay and rot resistance that White Oaks possess.

Workability: Easy to glue, and takes stain and finishes very well.

Scent: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Slightly less expensive than White Oak, Red Oak is in good/sustainable supply and is moderately priced. Thicker 8/4 planks, or quartersawn boards are slightly more expensive per board foot.

Comments: Not to be confused with Bog Oak (which is actually black in color), Black Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Red Oak, along with its brother White Oak, are commonly used domestic lumber species. Hard, strong, and moderately priced, Red Oak presents an exceptional value to woodworkers—which explains why it is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.

Related Species:

Bog Oak

Brown Oak

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)

Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)

Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)

English Oak (Quercus robur)

Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)

Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia)

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)

Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)

Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)

Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)

Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)

Water Oak (Quercus nigra)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)