Wood identification 101 episode 4, Oak & Ash

Howdy KZbinrs!
today we're taking a closer look at two deciduous species that are sometimes lumped in together because of the color variations of the Ash.
Oak has some very distinct identifying features that we'll be high lighting here today that set it apart from the Ash which doesn't have it, and so it will be easier to tell the difference at a glance
#WoodIdentification #Oak #Ash #Woodworking

[@ermerins]

Quarter sawn white oak does have "rays", but not as pronounced as red oak.

[@HolzMichel]

thanks for supplementing that info to the monologue :)

[@draftinganddesignwithcivil6931]

Very helpful showing the differences. Thank you.

[@HolzMichel]

yes, sometimes they can be a bit tricky even for trained eyes.

[@darkJohnSmith]

They also smell very different. Especially when you cut them.

[@HolzMichel]

yes, they do indeed. the ash often has a somewhat sour smell to it, especially if it has a case of wet core to it.

[@Strong_UP_Calvins_zombie]

The smell is my easiest way to ID firewood

[@ginaalwaysavip1177]

Thanks Michele once again for sharing your knowledge with us all.

[@patrickmassa4275]

Great vlogs very helpful for a 1st year sawyer.

[@earllorange7418]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge .

[@chrisstephens6673]

A word to the wise, white sweatshirts are not really advisable for the likes of you or me.😉 Smell can also help in telling the difference.

[@HolzMichel]

all i can say is "oink oink" ....lol.. it's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it ;) ash contains a lot of tannins and the smell can often be real similar to oak... this was dried stuff so there wasn't really any way to tell on hand of the smell of the wood :-/

[@karlstanford9390]

Nice video...but pronunciation correction. "Parenchyma" is pronounced with a hard ch sound. ..paren-kee-muh

[@HolzMichel]

thanks, i learned differently.. lots of different ways to get to the same goal

[@migo-migo9503]

Great informational video. Thank you!

[@liliu7223]

Thank you for the great information! Is European Ash or European White Oak more durable when put into engineered hardwood floor?

[@HolzMichel]

they are from a structural standpoint fairly similar and hold up to wear about equally well. it's the type of finish that the flooring receives that will determine the longevity of the flooring. it also greatly depends on the amount of traffic the floor is subjected to and the type of shoes that pass over it. hard soled shoes will cause it wear much faster than if slippers or house shoes are worn.

[@lanea5397]

Is oak or ash better for a hardwood table being used frequently? Thank you :)

[@HolzMichel]

if you are making the table yourself, either one is really good from a service life and stability standpoint. the aesthetics of the furniture piece is probably the more important issue, as the color of the wood should blend and match with the decor of its surroundings. if you are buying the table, bear in mind that most furniture on the market today is made from either veneered plywood in higher end pieces and from MDF in cheaper varieties. solid hardwood furniture is almost impossible to get in box stores and places like ikea. ash is a very tough wood and in europe is quite frequently used for handles in percussive tools such as hammers etc as well as shovels, rakes and so on. oak on the other hand has been used for furniture since the roman occupation of europe and probably before. so the real answer here is that is basically personal preference since the woods in an application such as a table are very similar in their characteristics except for color

[@lanea5397]

@@HolzMichel Thank you for the information!! I am having the table made for me and they use ash and I definitely like the look of it, just with researching heard that oak is better for more frequent use. I have little ones so messes are inevitable - I just want to make sure it won't get damaged day one with forks and water marks. I know all wood needs to be treated with care and a good to coat will help either wood type. Just trying to make the best decision with any knowledge I can get. Does oak cost more than ash? Thanks again :)

[@HolzMichel]

@@lanea5397 where i'm at in the world there's not a huge price difference. there is of course some fluctuation up and down but hardwood prices are relatively stable the world over. the finish you end up putting on the wood is going to be end all, tell all for the longevity of the piece. again it comes down to personal preference. i would recommend either a hand rubbed shellac or boiled linseed oil. there are drawbacks to them both but the end result will more than offset that.

[@darkJohnSmith]

Can anybody tell me the difference between Sapele and African Mohagany? Smell and color are very close, and some peices look the same to me.

[@HolzMichel]

ok, hang on to your shorts.. this is gonna get technical quick. as you have correctly observed the lumber looks, smells and feels virtually identical. in the cut form the two species are impossible to differentiate without laboratory tests such as DNA and others. the only sure fire way to separate the two is at the source: in the woods or at the mill. Sapele falls into the genus Entandrophragma whereas African Mahogany (aka Khaya) into the genus Khaya. Sapele has a long cylindrical bole and Khaya is rather short and stubby. if you're working with Khaya you may encounter limb or fork grain, although going into export those defects are mostly cut out. now keep in mind neither of these two species are related, not even closely. we have a similar situation with redwoods in the US in that coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) and giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) are also not closely related but the cut lumber is also very similar in every way. nor are Sepele and Khaya even true mahogany... while the lumber of both species will darken with age, the Sapele will maintain a slightly more homogeneous color whereas Khaya will have larger color variations. it is also very common that Sipo (also in the genus of Entandrophragma) aka Utile is also mixed in as it is related to Sapele and its color and grain is often impossible to tell apart from Sapele.

[@rwind656]

Ty for the education.

[@MsNovemberDaisy]

Thanks for pointing out the parenchyma. I was guessing the oak correctly, but wasn't seeing the parenchyma right away.

[@HolzMichel]

the camera really showed the differences, however the naked eye in the ambient light had a really hard time. i was playing around with the camera settings and it was impossible to get the color to come out the way it appeared in normal daylight. two pieces of the ash were so hard to differentiate from the oak it gave the inspiration for this video. if you ever are confronted with the task of trying to tell the difference, the parenchyma is the sure fire way of keeping them apart thanks for watching, commenting and subbing ! !

[@lonewolf1461]

Thank you very much!

[@thegrymlife6483]

Very informative.

[@eqlzr2]

That is one filthy outfit you got on there, bro.

[@HolzMichel]

yup, it is. that's what happens when a guy has to work on machinery that's covered in old, caked on grease and oil. of course wearing a white sweater when working on greasy machinery is a sure fire recipe to look like a dirty pig...lol