Black Locust

wdtorque

Well-Known Member
I've got a couple of trees down that I'm told is black locust. It is yellowish with tight growth rings, 15-20 feet long and 6-12" in diameter. The trees have been down awhile, no branches on them and are HEAVY & DENSE. My neighbor's son was going to cut them up for firewood but gave up, too hard to cut, was wearing out his chain.
Do they have any value or use?
If so, how do you cut it?
Thanks, Dozier
 
Back when i was a kid in Pennsylvania they were the choice wood for fence posts and for any use that required a very strong and rot resistant wood such as structural support (columns for basements etc.). They are exceptionally durable and in that part of the country are weeds.
 
Locust is a cheap wood around here, about $1.85 a board foot. Not much pattern in the grain, it works a lot like oak, but I think locust is a really pretty wood with the yellow color. It's also fairly oily. I plan on making a longbow out of some sometime. It's pretty easy to polish it up too.
 
tuff stuff

locust is the tradishional wood for the chrokee bows.

Gary, I guess they cut young trees and shaped them, or green wood anyway, I can't beleive how tough it is when aged. Makes oak feel like fiberboard when trying to cut it. Thanks guys. Dozier
 
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