Beech vs White Oak

[RB61]

I recently flattened my Beech workbench and I am now trying to flatten some White Oak. According to the hardness chart I read, they are almost equal. 1300 vs 1360. I have found that the oak is much more difficult to work-almost ready to give up.  

What has been your experience?
Any comments?
Tips, recommendations?

Thanks

Ray

[Alan S]

There can be a significant variation from tree to tree, and even with moisture content. Tables give averages of some sort. Fast grown oak can be very hard.

Try sharpening carefully and taking a finer cut.

[MichaelMouse]

Beech is short-grained, lacks significant difference between early and late wood.  Great machineability in contrast to white oak, a long-grained, ring porous wood with significant large rays.

Work down grain and thin, should do.

[wmickley]

I don't know where you live, Ray, but here in Pennsylvania we have about 14 species of oak that make it into our lumber piles. These species are divided into two groups for the trade; white oak and red oak. Your board is not likely black oak or pin oak, but it could be swamp white oak, chestnut oak, burr oak, or even white oak (Quercus alba). And as Alan suggests, trees that have been in a good situation and grown fast are denser and harder.

Trust your instincts; your particular board could easily be closer to jarrah than to beech. I think that with care you can work it.

[RB61]

Could age of the wood be factor for the toughness of the Oak? I am repurposing a project that I made almost 50 years ago when in college for the first time.

Now that I proof this, I guess my age could also be a  factor.

[KyleD]

I know from experience old oak can get very hard with age.

Many moons ago, I slid a 6” by 12” beam through the eves of my 24’ wide garage and lagged the center joists in the ceiling to it in order to eliminate a post from floor to ceiling that was previously in the center of my garage doing the job. The replacement beam was some type of oak and was originally used in the floor of an old RR car. I used ply gussets from the center joist to the installed oak beam. The oak beam was impossibly hard. It was impossible to drive nails into that oak and screws would get so tight they would twist off. the only way was to pre-drill the nail holes. I could not imagine trying to hand plane the beam.