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Article: The wood doctor's Rx: Oak staining, moisture meters
- Article from:
- FDM
- Article date:
- January 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Cahners Magazine Division of Reed Publishing USA Jan 1998. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Q: Our oak is staining a dark black. We dry the lumber, steam it, and then bend it. After bending and drying again, it is off-color. Can you help with this problem and tell us what might be happening?
A: Oak is full of tannic acid. In fact, tannic acid in the bark was used for tanning animal hides for centuries - oak bark was more valuable than the wood! Tannic acid also gives the red oak acorn its bitter taste.
But did you know that white oak acorns are much sweeter? You can even dry white oak acorns, grind them into flour, and make a very nutty tasting bread. Plus, because most white oak acorns have a little worm in them, you get your meat at the same time...but I digress! When tannic ...