Red Oak or White Oak, that is the question

What Kind of Oak is my cart made of, Red or White Oak?

"well after ripping off the first layer of 100 year old dirt it starts to reveal itself. but as of yet i don't know how to read the lines. Made this will help me learn the difference from red or white oak."

2. Look at the Rays

When looking at the face of the board, especially in the flat-sawn areas, you may notice little dark brown streaks running with the grain, sometimes referred to as rays.

Look closely at the picture above, (click on it to enlarge it if you have to), and note the length of the rays in both types of wood. Red oak will almost always have very short rays, usually between 1/8″ to 3/8″ long, rarely ever more than 1/2″ in length. (Pictured above on the right.)

White oak, on the other hand, will have much longer rays, reaching about 3/4″ long or longer. (Pictured above on the left.)