Create an Heirloom with Unfinished Oak Furniture

The beauty and durability of this wood make unfinished oak furniture a popular choice. Oak is a very hard, open-grain wood. Red oak, which has a slightly pinkish cast before finishing, is slightly more popular than white oak. Both varieties accept stain well. Oak was the favorite wood of early English craftsmen, and it was a prized building and furniture-making material for American colonists. The wood most commonly used for ready-to-finish furniture is oak.

Oaks are the most abundant hardwood trees in North America, with 86 oak species native to the continent. White oak is prevalent through the eastern half of the United States, from Main to Texas. White oak lumber comes primarily from the South and Central states. Red oak grows only in North America. It is a large, slow-growing tree that can be found further north than any other oak species. It takes 20 years to grow to maturity and lives about 300 years.

The strength of the wood accounts for some of the popularity of unfinished oak furniture. Oak is very strong and durable, even under exposed conditions. It holds nails and screws extremely well. It withstands hard use without showing signs of wear. Oak furniture often survives for generations.

Unfinished oak furniture is also very beautiful. Oak is an open-grain wood. Beautiful patterns are created when the logs are sawn into timber, and different methods of sawing produce highly desirable and distinctive patterns. The ‘tiger stripe’ oak so loved by the Arts and Crafts movement is produced by quarter-sawing. Raw oak displays a range of color, depending on both the species of oak and the age of the tree. White oak ranges from nearly white sapwood to brown heartwood, while red oak ranges from pale cream to a beautiful brown tinted with red. The open grain of the wood accepts stains easily, so the color of unfinished oak furniture can be enhanced with a stain before a topcoat is applied.

Most unfinished pieces need additional fine sanding before finishing. This eliminates any surface fuzz or roughness that will show when the stain is applied, as well as removing any oils that may have clung when the furniture was touched by human hands. Use very fine sandpaper, and always sand in the direction of the grain. Then rub surface with a tack rag to remove any dust.

Stains can be water-based or oil-based, liquid or gel, designed to be the first step in a multi-step procedure or incorporated into a one-step finishing project. Each manufacturer issues directions and safety warnings with its products. Be sure to follow all safety precautions and to follow directions carefully when working with unfinished oak furniture.

Whether your piece is made of red oak or white, heartwood or sapwood, quartersawn or flatsawn, you will create an heirloom piece when you work with unfinished oak furniture.