# Thinking about harvesting some Black Locust ???



## amscontr (Feb 22, 2011)

We have about 200 plus Black Locust trees on our property and we have been kicking around ideas where to market these other then firewood.
I see a lot of fence posts and split rail fences made out of it.
Most trees range from 30 to 60 foot in length and 6 to 18 inches in diameter and straight as an arrow.
We have access to a portable sawmill and sell plenty of firewood (Oak, cherry, etc.) most people's wood burners cannot handle the BTU's of the locust.
Normally I just push them over when the ground is soft and cut them at the trunk so I don't have to mess with the stumps.
Also the same with Hedge/Osage Orange that are growing along with the locust like wildfire.


----------



## bowtechmadman (Feb 22, 2011)

I don't know about the black locust but bowyers are always looking for osage orange blanks for making long bows/self bows.


----------



## Ramblewood (Feb 22, 2011)

I have cut a lot of locust to clear land and to remove problem trees . The wood splits well and is rot resistant which is part of the reason farmers here use it for fencing . It also grows fast and relatively straight and is abundant here in western NY State and since the mills don't want it, it is the wood of choiceView attachment 173408
. The lumber has a yellow/greenish color and is not all that pretty and, as a hardwood inspector/salesman/yard operator for over 30 years, I have never seen any demand at all except for a small woodworker that may want to play around with it . I just cut and split about 10 face cords this weekend and it burns OK but it is not a great heat producer .


----------



## horseloger (Feb 22, 2011)

saw and plane it up into 6/4 and place an add in your paper to sell as back yard deck material ! It is better than wovinised and chemical free and will out last anything on the market as far as outdoor material. I have gotten as much as $ 6.00 a foot for it but that was on the east coast! If you sell it at a little more than what the local lumber yard dose you should come out all right!


----------



## Jumper (Feb 22, 2011)

Cut up a lot of this for firewood in eastern ON after hydro contractor came through and cleared under/around poles and left it lying along side country roads for someone to come along and chip it all. I beat them to it and helped myself. Recall it dulled the chain quickly though. Gave it all to my aunt and uncle for their stove and they said it burned OK.


----------



## bitzer (Feb 22, 2011)

During the war of 1812 the British claimed that the success of the US Navy was due to our ships being made out of the wood. I've seen several charts that claim it is the densest of North American hardwoods and gives off the most btus. 

If you're just going to firewood them, cut them down at least for the fun of it instead of beating up your equipment like a farmer!


----------



## hammerlogging (Feb 22, 2011)

splitting posts and rails is really quite easy with 3 or more splitting wedges and a sledge. Rather rewarding too. I suspect a stack of them and a for sale sign would be all the marleting you need. I think for some recollection you can get around $8 per rail, better check that.


Yes, dulls your chain, I hate coming across locust in my strip. Not to mention its usually standing dead, even worse.


----------



## ChainsawmanXX (Feb 23, 2011)

Could also market it on the east coast for rot resistant flooring for decks and what not!


----------



## hammerlogging (Feb 23, 2011)

It does have the highest BTU's (or nearly, whatever) but I don't like burning it, I way prefer oak, I hate the toxic smoke inevitably puffing out the wood stovewhen you feed it, chimney smoke curling around the roof and straight into the window cracked cause its too hot cause you're burning damn locust. Truly toxic esque smoke.


----------



## Boike (Feb 23, 2011)

around here the firewood guys get a bit more for all locust wood. Not sure if your market is the same, but any locust I cut goes into posts for sale($9/8' post this fall) and the rest for firewood. not sure there is easier money than posts with this. I LOVE burning locust on those cold windy days! second to none.....


----------



## floyd (Feb 24, 2011)

Check out Mountain Mahagony. Bet it is high in BTU. Used to burn it in a tipi long ago in another galaxy. Never filled the bed of the rice burner higher than the metal sides. Frame sat on the axle if I did.

Cut the locust for board & batten if nothing else. Bridge planks, decking. Something besides firewood. Or even easier, poles for pole buildings.


----------



## bitzer (Feb 24, 2011)

hammerlogging said:


> It does have the highest BTU's (or nearly, whatever) but I don't like burning it, I way prefer oak, I hate the toxic smoke inevitably puffing out the wood stovewhen you feed it, chimney smoke curling around the roof and straight into the window cracked cause its too hot cause you're burning damn locust. Truly toxic esque smoke.


 
Elm man! Elms where its at. ##### to split though. Dead standing is great when the bark has already sloughed off. Great coals and a decent smell IMO.


----------



## ElmerPhudd (Jan 4, 2012)

*Black Locust*

Did you ever do anything with those black locust trees?




amscontr said:


> We have about 200 plus Black Locust trees on our property and we have been kicking around ideas where to market these other then firewood.
> I see a lot of fence posts and split rail fences made out of it.
> Most trees range from 30 to 60 foot in length and 6 to 18 inches in diameter and straight as an arrow.
> We have access to a portable sawmill and sell plenty of firewood (Oak, cherry, etc.) most people's wood burners cannot handle the BTU's of the locust.
> ...


----------



## jammerz257 (Jan 5, 2012)

*locust! amen!*

i recently got out of a stand of locust. i have never been so ripped up. the thorns are brutal. would rather walk through berry briers in a pair of shorts than deal with a young patch. i did like cutting and splitting it though. have had some of the local amish say it was like coal when it burned. once it dries, you have to drill it before you even think about trying to nail it when dried. i know of a couple of other wood lots that i can get acess to. everybody around here wants oak for fire wood. did sell a load to one customer though, now its all he wants. doesnt leave as much soot in the pipes and burns good when a lil green.


----------



## cheeves (Jan 5, 2012)

hammerlogging said:


> splitting posts and rails is really quite easy with 3 or more splitting wedges and a sledge. Rather rewarding too. I suspect a stack of them and a for sale sign would be all the marleting you need. I think for some recollection you can get around $8 per rail, better check that.
> 
> 
> Yes, dulls your chain, I hate coming across locust in my strip. Not to mention its usually standing dead, even worse.



When I lived in Ohio used to get $2 a post. Was my bread and butter!


----------



## Tim Keating (May 1, 2014)

If you have access to any black locust, I work with a few mills who want it (logs, preferably). Please give a call and we’ll work out the details.

Tim, 917/543-4064 or [email protected]


----------



## c5rulz (May 1, 2014)

Tim Keating said:


> If you have access to any black locust, I work with a few mills who want it (logs, preferably). Please give a call and we’ll work out the details.
> 
> Tim, 917/543-4064 or [email protected]


 

Hi Tim,

With an offer like that, you might want to tell people where you are located.


----------



## Tim Keating (May 1, 2014)

I’m in the Northeast, as are the mills, and I think arrangements could be made for logs as far wast as the Mississippi, for medium quantities (obviously, not for one tree). If there are hundreds, we could go further afield. But I would prefer to talk to someone on the phone first, and we can figure out arrangements. Again, 917/543-4064 or [email protected].


----------



## DieselSteve (May 1, 2014)

good for firewood... when its seasoned it burns hot so mix it with other wood like ash or something


----------



## Tim Keating (May 2, 2014)

Having it turned into lumber that can offset the use of rainforest woods is such a higher, better use than firewood! People aren’t importing ipê and tigerwood for firewood, but they are for decking. Black locust is a great alternative, which is what it would be used to produce, if folks contact me and we can get it to a mill.


----------



## Red Elm (May 22, 2014)

amscontr said:


> Most people's wood burners cannot handle the BTU's of the locust


HAHAHA! Are you kidding me? This is what I love about this site, it reminds me that most everything is relative to where you live. In west-central Illinois over around the big rivers, we mix black locusts in the burn to cool off a fire when burning hedge. What are these people's stoves made of, beat up prince albert cans?


----------

