A 'not so strange' occurance?

It's unquestionably oak. Some difference of opinion on ABPW as to whether it's red or white.

[snip]

BINGO! Positive identification as red oak, not white.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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Thanks Doug. And one more question. I have a hedge clipper with a broken handle. Oak would be good for the replacement?

Thanks,

-Kevin

Tool handles of nearly all sorts [1] are traditionally made from ash. Oak would work, but ash is a better choice for several reasons. It has a much better strength-to-weight ratio than oak, or indeed most other domestic woods. It's easier to turn. And it's cheaper, too. (Except when compared to free red oak, of course.)

Unfortunately for the recipient of said free wood, red oak is particularly ill-suited for use in any outdoor application. I believe you've already learned about its porosity. :-) It will soak up water even more readily than it soaks up oil; this makes it much more likely than ash to warp, split, rot, or all three.

[1] The principal exceptions are hammer, axe, and hatchet handles, which are nearly always made from hickory due to its extremely high shock resistance.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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It's oak and because of the description of the porous nature it would be red oak. Red oak is made up of a cell structure that is like soda straws. You can blow through it. You can't with white oak.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

And you've learned why they never make whiskey barrels from Red Oak...................they leak.

Barry

resistance. ====================== Doug, Baseball bats are usually made from ash, but my dad turned me one from hickory when I was in grade school. Great bat! Had a lot more weight out at the end. After learning to use it, it was the favorite of several of the neighbors kids.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

That's only half of the story. Even if red oak didn't leak like a sieve, the disagreeable flavor it imparts would still make it completely unsuitable for storage of any beverage.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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"Had a lot more weight out at the end." Yeah, I bet it did!! That's the main reason hickory isn't used much for ball bats. Mechanically, it's better suited than ash for that purpose, but it's awful heavy.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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Y' think? Apparently tannin isn't just tannin to an oenophile. Check this out.

Most of it's snobbery -- but be aware that the discussion over what types of oak are "best" for wine barrels relates to different species and subspecies of

*white* oak. Under NO circumstances is red oak EVER used for beverage barrels, nor would it be even if it were watertight, because it smells like cat piss when it gets wet, and would of course impart a similar flavor.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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Mmmmm... my sympathies.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

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