Concrete wood?!

[blubyu]

My previous thread got deleted because of inappropriate symbols/language. In anycase, I was talking about my experience with a new wood that I come across. As someone responded to the thread earlier the "King of Firewood"! Locust. I never heard of it until I moved to the Eastern Shore. It a hard to get started, but once it get's going, it goes good. I have a bunch of logs in my back yard now. Maybe two cords worth so far. More to come.
Why don't they use this stuff in furniture, flooring and baseball bats?

 

[GLM]

You need a bigger splitter if locust is hard, the stuff up here is almost seasoned when you cut it down dries out fast and burns hot, I like it almost as much as oak but not quite at least it much lighter to work with.

 

[begleytree]

if you think locoust is hard, wait until you run across some osage orange.
if locoust is concrete, that would make osage titanium
-Ralph

 

[ben14826]

Locust is really some amazing stuff. I have some black locusts around my campsite and some of them had died probably 15-20 years ago. The cool thing with black locust is that over the years instead of rotting the wood just gets harder and harder with age. I swear those ones that were dead were as hard as rocks. Absolutely impossible to pound nails into. When put in the campfire they would burn forever. They are also unique in that they have thorns, and they also have a very nice color. some green, some mixed, some brown, and the seasoned ones are a reddish brown. Really neat trees if you ask me.

 

[Ianab]

Why don't they use this stuff in furniture, flooring and baseball bats?

The trees dont usually grow big and straight enough to make good timber

Some of the small scale sawmills will cut a bit of it and it gets sold to woodworkers and turners. But you cant get the big wide high grade planks of the stuff that commercial furniture makes want.

Of course if you think thats stuff hard, get hold of some of the Aussie desert euclayptus species.. now they are HARD. Ironbark didn't get it's name for no reason, I imagine it was what the first guy to swing an axe at one thought he had hit

Cheers

Ian

 

[turnkey4099]

My previous thread got deleted because of inappropriate symbols/language. In anycase, I was talking about my experience with a new wood that I come across. As someone responded to the thread earlier the "King of Firewood"! Locust. I never heard of it until I moved to the Eastern Shore. It a hard to get started, but once it get's going, it goes good. I have a bunch of logs in my back yard now. Maybe two cords worth so far. More to come.
Why don't they use this stuff in furniture, flooring and baseball bats?

Someone else pointed out that you can't get good large boards out of it. Very knotty and it also checks badly. Cut green in 16" rounds and let dry long enough and it will almost fall apart from checks. It is also extremely rot resistant. I had a 4x4 post holding up a beam n the basement. I had to remove it in 1984?. It was placed there in the 40s. Looked rotted at the base and I figured, just hit it with a sledge...nope, had to cut it out. The rot only went in about 1/4" inch. One of the greatest woods there is for fenceposts.

Harry K

 

[Jimfound]

My previous thread got deleted because of inappropriate symbols/language. In anycase, I was talking about my experience with a new wood that I come across. As someone responded to the thread earlier the "King of Firewood"! Locust. I never heard of it until I moved to the Eastern Shore. It a hard to get started, but once it get's going, it goes good. I have a bunch of logs in my back yard now. Maybe two cords worth so far. More to come.
Why don't they use this stuff in furniture, flooring and baseball bats?

Back in the day they used locust for the prow of ships due to its resistance to rot. As for baseball bats, I don't know. Maybe too brittle. Ash is used for baseball bats because it has the right mix of hardness and flexibility. The Elm I recently cut down is some of the hardest wood I have come across...not sure what species of ELm it is but super dense and hard wood. I have Locust too. What about Hophornbeam? I believe it is also known as Ironwood...must be a reason..although I've never burned or chopped any.

 

[ben14826]

Hophornbeam (Ironwood) is a very hard wood. I cut and sell some for firewood now and then and it is great firewood. Pretty stringy when split but yes you're right it is a VERY hard wood.

 

[sawyerDave]

Locust

Looks like someone else discovered locust. We use most of these trees for fence posts on the western shore. The old saying is a locust post will outlast three postholes. If you run across any big ones (up to 28") i'll mill em for some of the wood!:biggrinbounce2: :biggrinbounce2: :biggrinbounce2:

 

[blubyu]

Concrete Wood

sawyerDave,

I'll keep an eye out for them. There seems to be quite a few over here. Funny thing though, it seems like whenever I see a Locust tree, it always has some type of vine growing on it!! What's up with that?

 

[charlesfarm]

Osage Orange is the king of firewood

if you think locoust is hard, wait until you run across some osage orange.
if locoust is concrete, that would make osage titanium

Ralph is right on the money with this one! If it's on the ground and over a year old, you'd better bring a sharp chain for every few cuts. Splitting old hedge is best done when it's 15 degrees or lower, anything warmer and you might as well be hitting it with a wet noodle.

Osage Orange (AKA "Hedge") is an incredible wood! Burns as hot as coal, but sparks like the 4th of July when you first get it going and when you prod it with the poker. It will easily hold an overnight burn and provides an even heat that feels more like coal than any other wood I've ever burned.

There's a lot of hedge here in Iowa and just about everybody uses it for the corners on fences. If you use hedge posts for your corners and your seconds, notch and brace it properly and use #9 wire to bring it all together, it will outlast anything out there!

God bless,
Chris

 

[BigSix]

Locust Is Awesome...

Up near the Canadian border, there is locust that is yellow inside. And it does dry out and split really easy, and it isn't overly heavy--both comments made here by others that I agree with.

And it burns HOT!

I have a crappy, stamped steel, bolt-together, pre-EPA woodstove, but with locust in it, the stove almost gets a "secondary burn" going. Not really, but I do believe there is a special, blue flame one gets out of locust, almost like a gas is coming out of it, like coal.

It is a wonderful wood, when dry, for hot fires.

 

[Jimfound]

Up near the Canadian border, there is locust that is yellow inside.

The Locust I have on my property is yellow when split as well. Anyone know if this is a particular species of Locust...maybe honey Locust as opposed to Black Locust? Thanks.

 

[turnkey4099]

The Locust I have on my property is yellow when split as well. Anyone know if this is a particular species of Locust...maybe honey Locust as opposed to Black Locust? Thanks.

If it has wicked, long, hard thorns, it is Honey Locust. Those thorns were even used for nails back when.

Harry K

 

[Jimfound]

If it has wicked, long, hard thorns, it is Honey Locust. Those thorns were even used for nails back when.

Harry K

I believe there is another thread on here that touched on the thorn issue, but still not clear to me whether black locust has thorns as well. The wood is pretty bright yellow....Black Locust yellow when split as well? Thanks.

 

[Ductape]

I've got a question. I live in central New Hampshire. I've read both here, and on other forums, about Osage Orange. I've never come across any... that i know of. Anyone know if it grows in the northeast? I'd like to try some in my stove to see if it is all they say it is.

 

[huskydave]

on a bit of a side note anyone else see the diamond tip chains that can plunge right into concrete and cut through brick walls I would love to try that. I think water runs down the lenghth of your bar for cooling and the teeth are joined for 0 kickback!

 

[begleytree]

black locoust has thorns. about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. mostly on young wood
-Ralph

 

[Jimfound]

black locoust has thorns. about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. mostly on young wood
-Ralph

Thanks. Is it really yellow in color when split?

 

[begleytree]

Thanks. Is it really yellow in color when split?

yup
honey locoust is more red in the heart. Osage is bright neon-like yellow when split and stays like that. B locust seens to turn more tan as it dries
honey locust thorns are long and branched and need cut off the tree, Black locust thorns pop off when pushed from the side. Osage thorns are more long and narrow than B Locust and do not break off. in your area you have osage, just trying to help ya distinguish between them
-Ralph