Red Oak

Red Oak, like most of the North American Oaks, is very hearty and grows quite large, it is a very dense hardwood with a medium, open-pored texture. It has a prominent grain stripe that is straight and can be coarser than White Oak when surfaced. Red Oak is a strong species that bends rather well due to its open grain structure, but it can dull cutting edges rapidly, so sharp tools are a necessity to prevent splintering.
It should be noted that due to its high level of tannins, Red Oak will corrode steel fasteners; this can then cause staining of the wood over time. Because of open pores and grain, Red Oak will finish well, but a uniform surface can sometimes be hard to obtain without a pore filler.