Is Black Locust Really Worth The Hype?
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- čas přidán 4. 09. 2024
- Let's Talk about Black Locust!
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I have personally burned black locust in my kettle fire pit. It burns so hot and long and leaves red hot coals . It has a btu value equal to anthracite Coal. It’s amazing!
Yes it is!
The old timers around here used to say "If you can't find locust, use stone"
Haha I believe it
they also said , "it last ten years longer than stone"
I grew up on a farm that had an abundance of locust. forget using a handsaw to cut the damn things down We ended up using two bladed axes and when one dulled the guy using it would take a breather while sharpening them and our buddy would start his turn. We ould usually take down a 6-8" diameter tree in 40 minutes with two different axes used a total of 3 times. We would bark them and dry them in a barn for 3-6 months. The wood was so dense it would not take stain or preservatives unless you damn well soaked the wood in it for days. We would use roofing tar on the bottom of these logs and then use them as posts. Bent hundreds of nails on those posts as a kid trying to nail boards to it or staples trying to attach wire. I got a bit smarter than my dad and the neighbors. Got a bit slightly smaller than the nails or staples and would pre-drill holes for them. Now it took a smidge longer but I did not end up with a used-up arm like the others.. We used hand crank drills back then. The first time Dad saw me with it about to go do fening asked about it and did not believe me so asked him to try it. Went out we were hanging barbwire that day. showed him how I was doing it and then timed him doing it my way. then let him do it his way. took him half again as much time his way as mine and it was easier. The neighbor was passing by he was Mennonite, He told him I had found a better way of dealing with nailing into these locust posts. Had me show him how I did it and had him drive two staples one without pre-drilled holes and one with. The man commented before that was a waste of time.. Did it anyway and when done he stood back and looked at me and smiled and said, "You found a good smart way of dealing with this hardwood.. High praise from this man who seldom said anything at all. Asked what size bit I was using to make sure he had a spare one as they were about to start fencing next week. I pulled a spare I bought in case I broke the bit off in this blasted post.
Great story!
Wish I would have listened and took a lot more of my elders advice growing up. I’d have less scars and a better back, lol.
For sure
I'm about 30 years in to using locust. The only bad thing I've found is don't set posts in concrete. It will speed up the decay process a lot. I pulled up some fencing a month back that'd been in the ground twenty years and the wood below ground and there was no rot whatsoever. Not even the sapwood. You got to be gentle planing it and take your time. You're not going to clean it up with one pass.
Yes wood in concrete seems to be regarded as a bad idea anymore. It is tough to work with
I use it at a teak substitute for my wooden boats-both new and restoration. It'll match flawlessly. And yes! it does saw hard! It also has a unique smell. It can be offputting to some folks (kinda smells like a barn), but I like it. The big issue here is it doesn't get managed for so it's hard to find sawlogs. It all tends to get bulldozed to get to white oak.
Interesting about a substitute for teak, it makes sense. Yes it grows in pockets around here.
Much easier to work when its first cut. when it dries out get hard as steel
That’s true
Locus is more of a rake handle,or something similar.
It works well for that also
I need some locust boards for a cold frame!
That would be a good use for it.
Where you located?
HI, is black locust and locust the same trees or are there different types of locust? Thank you Ron USCG RET
There are different types of locust, black being the best rot resistant (small thorns). There's Honey locust that makes nice lumber but not rot resistant. It has big thorns and usually grows close to water.
@@Dun-ot7hx Thank you, I live in South Central PA. I just took down some trees here that my neighbors tell me is Locust but there are no thorns. Not sure what it is, but when I cut them down the chain saw with a new chain had a real hard time cutting them. Thank you Ron
??? The first log you’re sawing in your video is definitely not in black locust , looks like black walnut. Black locust is mainly heartwood with a rather thin sap wood ring without much contrast between them. Black walnut as you see in this first picture as dark heartwood With a large contrasting sapwood ring as you see in this first picture. I fell and cut them both regularly dead on the stump and black walnut growth along the riverbank and falling into the river green.
I’m not sawing anything in this video. I think you’re referring to my intro theme that plays at the beginning of all my videos…that is a walnut log.
@@hillcustomlumber thank you for that clarification 👍. Yes you are correct