Not sure if Asplundh's work or not but i spotted this yesterday on the main drag here in town. I was jonesing to get it as ive never scored locust before. Maybe only a log or two from the dump. With all the talk of it here on the forum i was excited to get some (Something only a fellow hoarder would understand) and process it. Kinda like trying a new candy as a kid! Went early this afternoon and backed right up to it. It was bordering a small business' parking lot. Went inside and asked. The guy said for me to cut and take it. Says he may hire someone to remove the other two on the property boundary and give me the wood and actually came out and asked for my number! Half hour to buck and load. Not quite a face cord. I was faced with a dilemma. Landlord has cut me off from bringing more wood here, so off to my friends where im building the lean to. Processed it all there. Half hour to SS. I think i had an adrenaline rush or wood hoarding high. This is some weird wood. Bark reminds me of sassafras bark on steroids. Very dense in spots, split like red oak even the knotty and gnarlies werent that hard with the Fiskars. The nice splits stacked. Dont know if the permanent stack but stacked. typical bunch of nuggets and chunks from roadkill score. These will get snuck here and go in the oak bin (when i build another or four) Even the gnarly "Y" log split easily. This piece was HEAVY! I couldnt believe the weight for the size. Does the weight vary on locust depending on section of tree? Some of the base was punky in the center and ants were present. Thought this stuff was rot proof?
Wow great score. Yes it is usually “rot proof” for a long time but mostly because it needs to dry out before it gets put back into the ground. I believe they used to split it long-ways so that the heartwood would be exposed. I’ve had several in experience where the middle was just straight pulp and the sap wood is just perfect. This leads me to believe that if it becomes standing dead, the inside begins to just rot away, heartwood is dead anyways but it isn’t impervious and I’ve seen this stuff have termites in it. My previous neighbors had a standing dead one in their yard that fell and lots of termites came out of that pulpy middle and all. So splitting sure did help get that under control. Great set of btu’s brother. Hard to find a match in caliber.
My property is packed with black locust. I absolutely love it. It is rare that I cut one without ants in it. I css about 5-10 cords a year. I ran across a property that has tons of them either leaning or with the tops broken off. We had bad straight line winds about 29 years ago. The beauty of BL is that it last almost forever without rotting. I haven’t got the nerve up to ask if I can go in and clean out the broken/leaning ones yet.
Do you have the guys number, ill ask for you? If its your bread and butter wood than go for it! Unless its a PITA to retrieve.
Looking good there as always! I have a bit in the stacks for this winter, and a couple truckloads css for next year or 2021. Can't wait to see how it burns! I've only ever burned a little mixed in with other woods.
LOL. Thanks for the offer but I don’t know who it is. I knew who his dad was. He passed away and the son moved into his dads house. I just need to do it. I would have to go through his yard to get to the wood. I’m not sure how he would feel about that. I just need to do it and find out if it’s doable. Thanks, I think you just gave me the confidence to go ask. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Glad to help out a fellow hoarder. Hope it goes well for you and yes would like to know how it turns out. Good luck and hoard on!
Listen-if Ash is the firewood of kings and royalty, you just scored the absolute firewood of dictators and despots...that chit will melt your stove down...you burn that with a mix of beech, ash or red oak and your stove will moan in ecstasy....top shelf there-save it for next February...its a one year season to boot-Locust is the bomb of bombs...same as Osage...equal to or better-Nice score there my friend...
Nicely done Brad, nicely done. I just moved my BL from my driveway out to the processing area couple days ago. Have another small ash tree to pick up tomorrow and CSS then I’ll be chopping on the locust. Fill the ash stack out before starting on a different stack. Good to hear it splits easy. I’ve been wondering about that.
I scored about a face cord back in Nov 2017, has been split & stacked since then. I burned a couple of splits in my fire pit and noticed an odor to it as it’s burns.
I saw lots of locust on my mill it must have some kind of sugars in it when its growing that the ants like but once its cut they seem to leave it alone it is very rot resistant once its dry when it gets that dry rot on the inside it is lighter but it is very dense and heavy when solid it does take a long time to dry for burning much like white oak I just sawed 1800BDFT for a customer so I always end up with slabwood for firewood ENJOY!!
You will be able tell it has a distink smell when burning...some dont care for the odor...i dont mind it...good stuff tho!
