Free Locust

[Woodcutteranon]

I was given a free downed locust tree. I think it is a black locust. The tree has decent size...I may have to noodle the trunk rounds. I estimate about two full F150 loads. Its easy to get to...I can back my truck right up to the tree. My question...I have never dealt with locust and I was wondering how this wood is for firewood. How does it cut, split, burn etc. Can I sell this or should it go into my owb. Is locust worth the labor? A farmer offered this tree up to me. If I don't take it he will burn it this spring.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Merry Christmas too from WCA!

 

[HARRY BARKER]

burns great!! take it!!!!

 

[flxblx]

:agree2:

Take it!
Also files & spare chain.
Splits better than Elm and Hackberry.
Burns well.

 

[Pleasant Ridge]

I just cut some black locust today that has laid on the ground long enough for the bark to be rotted off and moss to be growing on it. It is still hard as steel inside.

It works great in a stove or boiler. Don't use it in an open fireplace. It stinks!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Some people consider locust the best firewood around. I've heard hedge is better, but locust is right up there as a respectable contender for that title.


I've never known it to stink.


I'd grab locust over oak any day.

 

[caliman99]

Great find!

Don't know if you're into woodwork, but if you are, and if there's still some sound wood in it, Black Locust is BEAUTIFUL. The grain's not usually anything to write home about, but the wood shines like you wouldn't believe. Even off of a smooth chainsaw cut, you can see whole patches that look like mirrors.

Makes sense it would burn well, cause it's so dense. Never noticed it smelling bad, but then again, I've never burned any.

Interesting side note: Here's a cool photo of a great-looking and historically important Locust tree (Honey, not Black). It was one of the "Witness Trees" in Gettysburg. It stood 150 feet from where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. It fell in a storm in 2008.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

caliman99!


Repent! Resize!



Stop wrecking the forum with oversize pictures!



For shrinking the photos, there are several different free programs you can use. Here are a few:


http://www.xnview.com

http://www.irfanview.com

http://www.photofiltre.com/


I think for all of them, the process is to go to the menu and select Image, then Resize. Pretty easy once you have the right program. I think Xnview is the simplest of these. I've used all three.

Don't bother with Paint - it's pretty much worthless.

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

I hate you...

I never get free wood like that - it's always box elder or chinese elm...or silver maple.

:blob6:

 

[caliman99]

caliman99!


Repent! Resize!



Stop wrecking the forum with oversize pictures!

Umm, I repent. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to wreck anything.

I didn't upload a photo, I posted a link to an image on a newspaper's website. Other forums I belong to won't accept uploads of images that are beyond a certain size, but they accept any size link because links don't eat up their storage space. When this site accepted the link, I figured everything was cool.

I use Photoshop, so resizing an image is no problem. Is it the preferred method here to resize a photo and upload it to this site rather than just link to a remotely hosted image? Seems like the link takes up less room on this site's servers, but I wanna do whatever's best.

Just for future reference: Is there some other way that links to large images wreck the site that I don't know about?

Sorry to OP for causing a side-jack. Shouldn't have included the "color commentary" and photo to begin with. I just don't see Locust discussed that much and thought somebody might be interested. I'll edit myself better in any future posts.

 

[turnkey4099]

It is, as others said, great firewood. You will find it listed as no lower than 4th on any chart rating firewood.

Odor? Yes, some especially burned green, some find it objectionable, others don't.

Splitting? Easy. I am always amazed how easy such dense wood splits. A green Black Locust round will often 'reject' a wedge, i.e., tap the wedge to get it started and then whack it and the wedge bounces out. Solution. Chainsaw to put a small kerf in to set the wedge. I do tht almost automatically rather than try without it and wind up chasing the wedge. I use a wedge to 'half' a big round and then a maul.

Cutting it? Green not a problem but you need to keep a sharp chain. Dry - very hard on chains - I have seen sparks coming out of the cut.

Harry K

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Umm, I repent.

Well, just have yourself flogged at sunrise, and we'll forgive you.

I use Photoshop, so resizing an image is no problem. Is it the preferred method here to resize a photo and upload it to this site rather than just link to a remotely hosted image?

Yeah, when they are huge, it's mo bettah. I had to do that yesterday. Linked to an image that looked small on the site, but when I came back to AS, it was huge! Did a quick download, resize, and upload. Most annoying!

Sorry to OP for causing a side-jack. Shouldn't have included the "color commentary" and photo to begin with. I just don't see Locust discussed that much and thought somebody might be interested. I'll edit myself better in any future posts.

Oh, don't sweat it. I was mostly just messin' with ya!

 

[Feez]

I haven't seen a rotted piece yet. I have some locust that has been sitting on the ground for years and it still looks good. I try to hang on to it and burn the stuff that has a shorter shelf life.

 

[Chuck Diesel]

It also makes great fence posts

 

[Taxmantoo]

caliman99!


Repent! Resize!

In Firefox, I just hit ctrl minus a few times until your text looks normal, and then the pic that caliman99 embedded fits on the screen. After viewing the pic, ctrl zero puts the page back to normal. Ctrl plus is handy for blowing up smaller pics.

 

[1harlowr]

About all I've burned this year. I've got a patch of up rooted locust that is probably an acre + in size. Locust has been down for about 8-10 years. At least 40 trees 12"-24". Very hard and very heavy. Some that has been laying directly on ground starting to rot on the very very outer. What's up off the ground is as solid as the day it fell. Long hot burns

 

[ray benson]

I would take it all. It's rated good.
http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html

 

[caliman99]

...I've got a patch of up rooted locust that is probably an acre + in size... At least 40 trees 12"-24"...

holy crap! what an awesome stockpile.

 

[turnkey4099]

holy crap! what an awesome stockpile.

That is about the size of the new score I made. All standing dead plus a bunch of down. Will be cutting in it the next nice winter day.

Harry K

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

Locust is in the top of the firewood department for sure. I'm on my 3rd load in the stove this year and I can honestly say that it out performs the red and bur oak that has been through the stove this yr.

 

[Freyboy23]

Cant go wrong with Free!!