Honey Locust: drying slowly, bugs feasting

[howellhandmade]

Cut, split, and stacked my first cord of honey locust last winter. The cherry I cut three months after the locust and stacked right next to it is quite burnable. The oak on the other side has dried considerably, but I don't need it. The honey locust feels as heavy and wet as the day I cut it, and is covered with frass. I've never seen bugs chew on anything the way they're on this honey locust. So far, not a fan.

 

[John R]

The BTU value of bugs is unknown, but it has to be something.
Just toss it in the fire.

 

[JimiLL]

Keep the stuff with bugs away from the house and then bring it strait into the fire

Locust dries awfully quick, sure its just not heavy wood? How does it burn?

 

[howellhandmade]

Keep the stuff with bugs away from the house and then bring it strait into the fire

Locust dries awfully quick, sure its just not heavy wood? How does it burn?

Not burning well. I've got about 4 cords of black locust and have burned it for years; it does season quickly. After I cut this honey locust last year I cut a maple, a pin oak, a bunch of cherry, in that order. The maple dried very quickly and I burned it first this fall. The cherry is fine, and the oak isn't bad, but I'm clearing out some older oak and locust. The honey locust is stacked alongside everything else and the wood on either side of it has dried well.

It's too wet for the EPA insert in the house. I've got an old Buck stove in the sun room that sucks wood and has a flue that is easy to clean. I'm putting a few splits here and there with dryer wood in the Buck to start using it up.

I'm not worried about the bugs; there are always a few of them in the oak and some under the bark in the black locust and cherry. It's the number of them and the mess that's an annoyance with this particular wood, and I have to think that if it dried more quickly they would have a harder time of it.

 

[trophyhunter]

I just cut a three year old locust split in half about midways, and then a couple more because they felt "heavy" to me earlier today. All of em right at 9% moisture in the center of a fresh cut. The oak next to it was really light and felt like it aged that long.

Some of that stuff just stays heavy...

 

[sw18x]

Funny I was about to post myself about seasoning time for honey locust. Here's some I cut/split in June 2011. I'm trying to figure out if it's ready to burn indoors, it's still got most of the color and has a pretty good heft to it.View attachment 268091

 

[Philbo]

Weird...in my experience, locust is the fastest drying wood there is, but I really have only gone after the dead stuff.

Was is still living when you cut it last winter?

I've cut dead locust, split it, and burned it within two weeks and it's been completely fine. Still real heavy, but very dry.

I could see it taking much longer than that with a live tree, but still not seasoned after a year???

Are you throwing it on the fire with a nice bed of coals already established?

 

[HD2010]

I have the same problem. Cut and split last October. Cut a piece in half a couple weeks ago and checked with moisture meter 26%. I couldn't believe it. This was a very dry spring and summer it should have been dry. Next time I will let it season for 2 years.

 

[HD2010]

Funny I was about to post myself about seasoning time for honey locust. Here's some I cut/split in June 2011. I'm trying to figure out if it's ready to burn indoors, it's still got most of the color and has a pretty good heft to it.View attachment 268091

Do you have a moisture meter? If not try it. You will know if it is ready.

 

[sw18x]

Just bought a meter today to satisfy my curiousity - I split a piece and measured inside, got 13 - 14% if that means anything.