Black Locust

[Larry]

I have a chance to log a grove of black locust.  The price is attractive (free) and easy access.  Trees are small 16 to 20" DBH but straight and not too much taper.  I would saw the good logs 4/4 and dry for grade lumber to use myself.  Top logs would go to fence posts or landscape timbers.

Never have sawn or dried any of this stuff so looking for suggestions - ideas - or possible problems.  Really don't know if it is worth fooling with or not.  

Figure it will be slow sawing but I have sawed hickory and dried out white oak before so that won't be a problem.

[Frank_Pender]

Whoops! :-/   Sorry, I forgot a couple more steps.  I let the the lumber dry and least 60 days like this before it goes to the kiln.  Locust, being the lardest lumber I have sawn, I usuallylet it air dry for at elast 90 days before the introduction to the kiln.

[Ron Wenrich]

We don't fool too much with the lumber.  The only use we have found is for decking boards to use instead of CCA treated wood.  We cut a standard 4/4 x 6" for the most part.

The only neat thing about locust is that it turns bright yellow under a black light.  One guy was using it in bars in strip clubs. :D

Usually, we just see how many fence posts we can get from a log.  It also makes decent posts for outbuildings.  Saw them up as quick as possible.  Larger logs will probably have defect.  Caution:  sawdust is a lung irritant and is extremely fine.

[shopteacher]

I've been cutting it for replacement boards for my deck.  I never had any trouble sawing locust green, but they do get hard when they dry.  Several of the 6X6 post in the barn I'm building are locust.  I've been told a dried & peeled locust post will last up to 30 yrs. in the ground untreated.  If you put them in the ground green they'll rot just like any other wood.
   I turned a few dozen carving tool handles from locust and it turns and looks great when finished.

[dail_h]

   Locust makes very good looking lumber when dry,it would probably make good furniture ect.  I sawed some once,the guy took it somewhere and had it dried.we ran flooring out of it,bout destroyed our old Newman,THAT STUFF IS HARD. Locust post generaly will last about three years longer than a rock. Go for it,might be some good coin

[Bill_B]

Like it has been said locust is a very hard wood. I use it some in wood turning. It makes nice pens.
I used some unpealed posts that have been in the ground for 25 years and they are still solid as when they were installed.