how to tell oak from beech?

[ChrisKingston]

I'm working with a solid wood worktop which was sold to me as dark oak but I think it might be stained beech. Is there an easy well to tell the woods apart from the grain or anything?

I think this will change what oil I should use to protect it - I was going to use Danish oil - will that work?

I would also like to round off some edges, but will need to stain them back to match the rest of the wood. I've been told to put a bit of dye in each coat of oil until it matches, which sounds good.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[joe-90]

Oak has 'rays'. You can't mistake them. Post a picture.

 

[Deluks]

It might be white oak that's been stained.

 

[noseall]

Scratch and sniff....

 

[wotan]

Beech is very straight grained, and has what appears to be flecks running along the grain.
Oak has whats known as medullary rays, and is quite distinctive.

Wotan

 

[Norcon]

Beech....

OAk....

 

[Dave54]

It's often difficult to tell what a timber is even from a photograph. I'd have agreed with wotan that beech is straight grained with flecks. It's also quite close grained, and often quite bland looking with little figure. Of course there is European beech, American beech, and Japanese beech just to complicate matters. They like to steam it on the continent, which gives it a darker colour.
Oak comes in American white and red, European, and Japanese varieties. It generally has a coarser, more open grain. It can be heavily figured or quite straight grained. The silver "flash" from the medullary rays is only generally seen in quarter sawn oak.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I'm working with a solid wood worktop which was sold to me as dark oak but I think it might be stained beech. Is there an easy well to tell the woods apart from the grain or anything?

I think this will change what oil I should use to protect it - I was going to use Danish oil - will that work?

I would also like to round off some edges, but will need to stain them back to match the rest of the wood. I've been told to put a bit of dye in each coat of oil until it matches, which sounds good.

Thanks,
Chris

send some pic's, theres a lot of wood butchers out here gagging to identify your wood