Flexible wood that stains like oak

[BrianSiano]

I'm prepping a baseboard trim project, and I have a small problem. I'd planned on making the baseboard "cap," the profiled strip that installs at the top of the baseboard, out of oak; the baseboard's oak ply, so it'd match.

Thing is, the walls in my old house are never completely straight, and it's difficult to get oak to flex even the slight amount it'd require to fit close to the wall.

So I'd like to know what kind of wood is soft enough to flex a little-- say, as much as pine does-- but whose grain pattern looks similar to oak's. I know this isn't a likely combination, but I thought I'd ask before I try another strategy.

[john]

In article <fccea3a7-d1f5-4ca2...@googlegroups.com>,
brian...@gmail.com says...

>
> I'm prepping a baseboard trim project, and I have a small problem. I'd planned on making the baseboard "cap," the profiled strip that installs at the top of the baseboard, out of oak; the baseboard's oak ply, so it'd match.
>
> Thing is, the walls in my old house are never completely straight, and it's difficult to get oak to flex even the slight amount it'd require to fit close to the wall.
>
> So I'd like to know what kind of wood is soft enough to flex a little-- say, as much as pine does-- but whose grain pattern looks similar to oak's. I know this isn't a likely combination, but I thought I'd ask before I try another strategy.

steam the oak..
it will bend..

[dadiOH]

How thick and wide is the cap strip? Oak bends easily and well if the
size is reasonable. If not, caulk the gap...that is SOP.