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General Forestry => Ask The Forester => Topic started by: BigBurOak on October 12, 2017, 12:45:40 PM

Title: Black locust fence posts
Post by: BigBurOak on October 12, 2017, 12:45:40 PM
Hello all,
I am getting ready to cut a heck of a lot of clear, straight, tall forest grown black locust ranging from 4"-12" in diameter and am wondering the best price to ask for a 8' fence post. I will be debarking and charring 3' of the ends. also are there any better things to use this wood for?
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Don P on October 12, 2017, 01:19:07 PM
Top use for me is as a timber, if I can get a nice 6x6x8' or more out of it, it is a construction timber, next is fencepost, next is landscape timber, then firewood.
USFPL did some testing on charring, best I can remember they said it didn't do anything.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: BigBurOak on October 12, 2017, 05:31:29 PM
Thanks Don P,
also I forgot to mention that I am still undecided on whether to leave them round or to square them w/ my Broadaxe. I do not own a sawmill but would consider hauling them to someone who has.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: John Mc on October 12, 2017, 09:14:44 PM
It makes a great alternative to pressure treated lumber for outdoor construction projects. we used it for the corner posts and railings on a shade pavilion near our pond. Makes stron, rot resistant decking as well.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Blue Noser on October 13, 2017, 05:33:04 AM
What is the going rate for black locust timber in your area?
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: BigBurOak on October 14, 2017, 09:05:18 AM
about 1.50 a foot is what I heard, Blue Noser.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Cedarman on October 21, 2017, 04:42:50 AM
If you want to debark, lay the fence posts out about 2 layers deep. Then drive over them with a tractor.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Do this the day you cut them.  If you let them set a day or two, the sap will turn to glue and make it hard to debark.  Once you drive over them you can pull the bark off in long strips.  Works very well on 3 to 6 or 7" posts.  The posts will be extremely slick until they dry.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: John Mc on October 21, 2017, 04:46:48 PM
Quote from: Cedarman on October 21, 2017, 04:42:50 AM
The posts will be extremely slick until they dry.

I'll say! We made a shade/shelter pavilion near our pond and used some Black Locust for the posts. They were incredibly slick until they dried - slipperier than if someone had greased them.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: WV Sawmiller on October 23, 2017, 07:56:04 PM
    I'm pretty much in agreement with DonP. I'd save any long straight locusts for pole barn usage then 7' sections for fence posts then firewood. I can't comment on the landscape timbers as I don't do that.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: moosehunter on October 24, 2017, 12:20:58 PM
I attended a Black Locust seminar this past Friday.  Very  interesting.  Pricing for lumber should start about  $1.50 bdft, there was talk of $8.00 a bdft for premium / specialty,  for instance a 8x8x12 priced at $7.54 a bdft. Cornell University and others are doing a lot of research trying to grow a sraighter, more vigorous BL.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: BigBurOak on November 02, 2017, 02:09:55 PM
Hey Guys,
Unlike I have been told, my black locust is extremely easy to debark even after three weeks. I have been using a flat nosed shovel with an edge I put on it and it works great. I know you are prob'ly thinking like "Its been 3 weeks since he cut it and he still debarking?" but I am in school so I can only peel when I get done with homework. I will post some pics once I'm done skinning all of them.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: mike_belben on November 03, 2017, 08:38:27 AM
I use a garden spade shovel .. The long narrow ones for small deep holes... With the point and sides sharpened and its excellent.
Ive not done BL but most other hardwoods.  Red and white oak, hickory, poplar, red maple, sweetgum.  If you ever missed the window and your bark glues itself back on, set it in the dirt for a few weeks and the worms will unbond it and leave you some character trails. 

The bark composts real well if you chip it first then layer with grass and manure.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: nativewolf on November 03, 2017, 08:45:03 AM
Quote from: BigBurOak on November 02, 2017, 02:09:55 PM
Hey Guys,
Unlike I have been told, my black locust is extremely easy to debark even after three weeks. I have been using a flat nosed shovel with an edge I put on it and it works great. I know you are prob'ly thinking like "Its been 3 weeks since he cut it and he still debarking?" but I am in school so I can only peel when I get done with homework. I will post some pics once I'm done skinning all of them.

Well Done!  Black locust is the best fence post bar none.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: nativewolf on November 03, 2017, 08:45:57 AM
Quote from: moosehunter on October 24, 2017, 12:20:58 PM
I attended a Black Locust seminar this past Friday.  Very  interesting.  Pricing for lumber should start about  $1.50 bdft, there was talk of $8.00 a bdft for premium / specialty,  for instance a 8x8x12 priced at $7.54 a bdft. Cornell University and others are doing a lot of research trying to grow a sraighter, more vigorous BL.

I'd love to know more.  Huge advocate and I'm working on TSI and in many cases the BL seems a great route to pay for the TSI. 
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: thecfarm on November 03, 2017, 01:18:25 PM
I'm with mike on the spade. That is all I use for planting stuff. Most stuff I plant is small and does not need a big hole.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: BigBurOak on November 03, 2017, 07:22:55 PM
Thanks for the coms guys.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: moodnacreek on December 14, 2017, 07:04:46 PM
All the locust I can get is sawed 2x6 and 2x8 for trail board walks. It brings $ 1.80 bd. ft.  I have never seen forest grown locust. Also charring fence posts is un herd of today and said not to do anything. The old timers , of course new better. Those old burnt stumps last a long time.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Al_Smith on December 22, 2017, 04:31:09 AM
They used black locust for the pins on post and beam barns . Black locust,osage orange and believe it or not catalpa all make good long lasting posts .
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: PA_Walnut on December 22, 2017, 06:47:59 AM
I do not deal with locust, but recently cut some for various posts I need. How should they be treated for direct ground contact? Should they dry first or go in green?

Wanna use for road sign posts, gates, etc.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: nativewolf on December 22, 2017, 07:04:58 AM
PA, no need to treat them at all.  If you can knock the bark off the bottom (in ground portion) that's helpful.  Don't worry about bark above ground.  Solid post, split, etc.  All very strong.  You split larger poles when green, otherwise...well it is a chore and a half.

Dry standing locust is fine too, don't have to be too picky.  Whatever you put in the ground is going to be the next generations issue to deal with...well at least for me :D.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: PA_Walnut on December 23, 2017, 04:11:21 AM
Great! I have some 4x4's ready to stick into the ground. Don't have much into it, so will just wing it!
Thanks.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: armechanic on December 23, 2017, 11:07:18 AM
I wouldn't put them in the ground green,  They need to season awhile.  The only problem with locust fence post is, it will tend to split as it ages, it is hard to keep staples in.  You need to go around and whack them tight.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Magicman on December 24, 2017, 04:41:37 PM
We always cut and stacked our post for a year before using, criss-cross ten to the row and ten rows high.  The "old folks" only used seasoned post and never put any post in the ground that had bark on it.  If they "had" to use a green post, it was debarked to above ground level.

My Brother and I would fell next year's trees this year and let them lay.  We would then take the 5' crosscut saw and buck the felled (year old) trees, tote the post out, and then fell the trees for the next year.  Grandpa would sharpen and set the crosscut saw before we began sawing.  We never had a power saw.  This was our Winter job and we were paid 5 cents per stacked post.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Timbercreekfarm on February 18, 2018, 09:41:12 AM
In central ny an 8' post 6" diameter is $5
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: petefrom bearswamp on February 18, 2018, 12:28:28 PM
Lots of fellows here  used to sell split and sharpened BL posts 6' long years ago.
Split em with and axe and wedges and sharpened on an old fashioned buzz saw pto driven.
Rarely peeled them.
when they were dry pounding staples in was not too much fun.
Lasted for years and years.
State of NY sold BL stumpage on an estimate basis for $.25 per post.
Almost all here now are PT southern yellow pine.
Title: Re: Black locust fence posts
Post by: Al_Smith on February 18, 2018, 01:17:43 PM
The idea of using the inner portion of veneer logs for posts and landscaping timbers certainly changed the way of making fences etc .Added a lot more value than using them to make OSB also.Somebody was thinking in the marketing department .