What to create with porous wood (red/black oak)?

[Rip Littig]

For those experienced turning porous wood, what do you create? I'm working with black oak at the moment which doesn't hold water. Should I create platters vs bowls or is there a way to waterproof finished bowls with a natural, food safe finish? Not every bowl needs to be water tight but I'd like to make salad bowls if possible. I have two 24" x 26" x 7" slabs that would be great for several platter blanks but I'm wondering if fruit or decorative bowls could work too. Do customers want bowls that aren't water tight? Do you label them as such? Natural edge bowls would be a great application but my already slabbed log won't allow that. Any thoughts or experiences are greatly appreciated!

 

[Hugh]

Lawrence,
Not sure if your Black Oak is the same as the Black Oak 3,000 miles away?
But, I use the Black Oak in California.......whenever I can get it. I love it.
I make bowls, rolling pins, boxes, duck calls out of it.......you name it.....tool handles........great stuff.
My finish of choice is basically a Danish Oil. Takes a couple of coats. But, let it dry and it is food safe and pretty much water proof as far as I am concerned. I believe the oil fills the pores of the wood and then dries.
I have and use 6 days a week.......a Black Oak cereal bowl (The Perfect Cereal Bowl). Holds milk and oats. Sunday is waffle day.
The duck calls, I soak in Boiled Linseed Oil until the wood quits putting out bubbles. Then let it dry.
Makes a great rolling pin........nice and heavy. Sands smooth.
Never had a chance at Red Oak........but the Black Oak is in the Red Oak family.

Make a cereal bowl and try it.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

The white oak family has closed cells and that is what is used to make barrels for aging whisky. The red oak family has open cells and does not work for barrels but it can be used for flavoring booze by adding perforated blocks.

I thought I had come up with a neat way to make coasters from small trees ( in this case it was northern red oak) or limb wood but this summer I put a glass of ice water on one and forgot it. The condensation soaked thru, the wood expanded and cracked in the sap wood area but the crack closed up when it dried.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Prefer to use tight grain wood for anything that would use liquids/food. A smooth surface cleans easier. For holding “solids” most any wood will do.

 

[Richard Coers]

Besides tops and Christmas ornaments, I never turn utilitarian work. And I've been turning for 37 years.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Here is an example of a mostly decorative natural edge crotch bowl in northern red oak.

 

[hockenbery]

those experienced turning porous wood, what do you create?

You can turn most anything from oak


This is probably laurel oak
Laurel oak is in the red oak family but has smaller sized pores
One on the left northern red oak with spalted sapwood

These are a mix of unfinished oak bowls largest is 15” on the long axis