# Newbie milling Black Locust posts and planks - tree evaluation



## bradpj53 (May 15, 2011)

I am getting organized to cut Black Locust from my woodlot to use its naturally rot-resistant properties in utility uses on my small farm and homestead - skids for portable pasture shelters for my sheep, planks for retaining walls and stairs etc. I have a new Dol/Mak 6401 that I am breaking in to use with a planned GB Minimill, and a used 6401 that I plan to BB and put on an Alaskan. My initial approach is to plan to use the Minimill to make at least 3 sided cants, and from that cut 2x4, 4x4, 4x6 etc.

My main question for this post is figuring out which trees will make the best product. I do have some that are classically good to very good quality - tall, straight and no branches below 16'+. Most of these are not much bigger than 12" DBH. Many more, and almost all the big ones are either curved or leaning or both. In this species is compression and/or tension wood for material that will be used fairly green or air dried expected to create many problems? I mean, i wouldn't build fine furniture from a cherry that looked like many of these trees - how different is locust in air-dried utility use?

Brad


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## BlueRider (May 15, 2011)

I hade some very nice black locust that was milled from a huge limb. It moved a bit more than the wood milled from a straight trunk as it dried, but once it was dried it was so stable that I had no problems using it for fine furniture. In fact in the piece I made one of the boards was 12" wide and I had no problems.


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## bradpj53 (May 15, 2011)

BlueRider said:


> I hade some very nice black locust that was milled from a huge limb. It moved a bit more than the wood milled from a straight trunk as it dried, but once it was dried it was so stable that I had no problems using it for fine furniture. In fact in the piece I made one of the boards was 12" wide and I had no problems.


 
Thanks for the input - i spoke with AS member Betterbuilt, who uses a lot of locust, and he also thinks that good drying is crucial with this wood. He tells me good luck getting fasteners into it!


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## betterbuilt (May 15, 2011)

I'll take some pictures of locust that was stored properly and some of locust that wasn't and you'll see the difference. 

I just took these pictures of a piece that's 20inches wide and 7 foot long. I have about twenty of these and they are all just about perfect. 












I'll get some pictures of some that wasn't stored right next time I go by the sawmill.


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## betterbuilt (May 15, 2011)

Here's a picture of what I was trying to describe over the phone. 






You can see the teck screws I was talking about. They are supposed to have the same strength as a lag but I have a hard time believing that. Once the locust dried the teck screws were so tight that they would shear off. The bolts were a lot better because you could tighten the joint after the locust dried.

Sorry about the fuzzy photos. It's raining pretty hard here.


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## bradpj53 (May 15, 2011)

Thanks Bill, the photos are very helpful. I took a quick stroll in the rain this afternoon and I'm seeing at least a few Locusts that are about 16" DBH and look ramrod straight for 16'+. Also some lesser ones that could make excellent pole barn pole for a saw shed!

Brad


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## rarefish383 (May 16, 2011)

As a kid we used Black Locust, cut from the property, for fence post in our horse pasture. When green we were able to drive short heavy staples into the wood ok. For any out building use, it was strictly drill holes and bolt. Rot resistant, very. Dad owned a Tree Service, and when he sold out and moved, I was cleaning up the wood and chip lot with a loader. I found a load of Locust that had been burried for at least 10, maybe 15 years, the bark was still on the logs but loose and falling off. When split the wood was still bright yellow inside, Joe.


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## bradpj53 (May 16, 2011)

Joe, you're right about fence posts. I am in the process of clearing out a half-acre barn site that is mostly locust. The best quality stuff I'll saw, the straight-ish 4-8" stuff will go for fence posts and the rest will be firewood. There are huge locust roots and stumps piled elsewhere from when the homesite was cleared 30 years ago - probably be there in another 30.


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## betterbuilt (May 16, 2011)

rarefish383 said:


> As a kid we used Black Locust, cut from the property, for fence post in our horse pasture. When green we were able to drive short heavy staples into the wood ok. For any out building use, it was strictly drill holes and bolt. Rot resistant, very. Dad owned a Tree Service, and when he sold out and moved, I was cleaning up the wood and chip lot with a loader. I found a load of Locust that had been burried for at least 10, maybe 15 years, the bark was still on the logs but loose and falling off. When split the wood was still bright yellow inside, Joe.


 
They say locust will last a long time as long as it has a time to dry out. 

Where I grew up in PA there where fence posts that were over 100 years old and still standing. The fence had rusted off and was long since gone. 

I've built all sorts of things from locust and everyone of them amaze me how they never seem to age. 

I have a book that has a good quote in it. It says something like "Locust will last two years longer than stone". It makes me smile to know the things I build will probably last longer than the building I've built them for.


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## Timberframed (May 16, 2011)

BB, Just curious. Where in PA?


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## Birdhunter1 (May 16, 2011)

I had some Black locust milled off of my place by a fellow member on here, all I can say is use a through bolt instead of trying to put some sort of fastener in it. But if you insist on a fastener use a 1/2" lagbolt and have a cordless drill handy to pre drill a hole and a cordless impact wrench (not impact driver) to drive it in...... and an extra battery or two.

Makes life a bit easier.


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## betterbuilt (May 16, 2011)

Timberframed said:


> BB, Just curious. Where in PA?


 
I grew up just north Of MT. Davis. I could take a two day hike and never cross black top. I really miss communing with nature.


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