In August 2012 my tree service contact dumped a huge load of extra nice Honey Locust in my backyard processing area.Smaller stuff from 4" to 13" was cut/split/stacked for the next year's fuel (it dries faster than usual around here). Most of the load was rounds from 18" to 26" & roughly 2 foot long,including this 36" diameter,35" long beast. Still have 6-7 of the 18"+ rounds stacked under a tarp,but finally got around to roughing out some large slabs yesterday afternoon.Had thought about doing this in late February after the last big snow had finally melted,but it was still frozen solid to the ground & it wouldn't budge,not even with my massive 5 ft prybar made from a piece of 1.5" rebar. Slabs are 2" to 4" thick,18 to 30 inches wide,35 inches long.Will have 3-4 more smaller slabs to finish in a few days.After rolling this 1000 + pound log into position myself & doing everything else,I figured that was enough for 1 afternoon. Not bad for an old man. Sister gets the mulch,I used up what little I had in Dec-Jan for paths in processing area,its nice on your feet & keeps weeds down. Used the 288 for this cause the 2100 has some carb issues that need correcting & the Mac 125C needs a new clutch,which I haven't replaced yet.But the 288 had no problem with the 42" bar & that super hard Honey Locust,just chewed right through it without bogging down.
Not yet.Digging through my outside covered stash recently I found some other Honey Locust 3 to 5 thick,12 to 15 wide & 24 to 30 inches long that was dated April 1998.Way back when I did a couple bowls with it when green,can only imagine how hard that stuff will be on gouges & scrapers by now.... Really shapes nice when green,even though some of it is fairly coarse,the extreme density means it smooths up nice without almost no grain tearout. Also its density means there can be lots of waste if not dried very slowly.Major cracking/splitting is the norm,especially if exposed to full sun/strong wind.Only thinner pieces tend to warp/cup a little,that is easier to control however. Many years ago I got in the habit of squirreling away a few nice pieces whenever I got the chance to process them.,Before internet that & a few other local/regional seldom used ''non commercial" woods weren't easy to find from retail or mail order outlets.I'd always have at least a dozen random sized nice ones in every truckload of firewood I scrounged or was paid for the tree's removal.
Man, that's beautiful grain on that wood. I'd be thinking of a small table or similar project for some of it.
That's some beautiful stuff. Does it hold up well outdoors like black locust? That's what I'd be thinking - an Adirondack chair or something.
I might be trying my hand milling a freshly-downed honeylocust in a week or so. I'd probably be smarter to mill some pine first, just to get a feel for the process, but honeylocust doesn't come along often and I don't want to pass up the chance. I don't have a 288, so I hope it cuts easier when green.
