Why oak-it is very heavy,doesn't glue well with epoxy and ,if it is red oak(most likely),is porous,and will discolor if wet.
> General wood question...

> I was looking for some scrap wood to make the decks for my canoe and came
> across an old oak panel in my basement (the panel is made of edge glued
> oak boards about 3" wide (each)) the individual boards in the panel
> were glued with the grain alternating to avoid warping, but years in my
> moist basement have created an even, circular warp of about 3/4" over
> the full 18" width.

> I was just about to pitch it in the trash when the thought struck me -
> what an easy way to make a nice cambered deck! The camber is already built
> into the material.

> My concern is that the oak, already having begun to warp, is now unstable
> and will either continue to warp (or choose to straighten out) after I
> install it, thus deforming my hull. Should I use it, or should I follow
> through with my first instinct and throw it away?

> Interesting off topic aside - my concern is due to the fact that wood is
> very powerful when affected by moisture. One ancient quarrying technique
> was to drive oak wedges into cracks in the rock, pour water on the wedges,
> then step aside and let the expanding wood split away big slabs of stone.