# Milling Locust



## rg05 (Jan 6, 2009)

Another question I have is does anyone know anything about locust? I have a woodmizer lt40 and just started milling about 6 months ago and I have only cut cedar and doug fir. Anyways, there is a guy that has a bunch of black locust he wants cut and I was hoping someone would have some tips or knowledge about this type of tree. thanks a lot!


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Having only milled softwoods so far you are going to be in for a treat jumping right to black locust...It's hard. But pretty straight forward to mill if you have decent logs. Straight grained, not much different than the fir you have milled (except the hardness, about 3X as hard on the Janka scale)

I have found bigger logs often have heart check= are kinda busted up inside. That is a defect you can see before you open the log on the mill. The cracks generally run straight so it's not a total loss, just narrower lumber in the center once milled out. If you can pick and chose which logs to mill for the guy it would still be better to avoid the ones with obvious/bad heart check if you can. 

Black locust in one of the most rot resistant woods in north America. It is pretty stable when drying and in use, but does take longer to air dry/kiln dry than most species. 

I guess that is all I got off the top of my head. I have milled quite abit of it. A local guy came by 2 weeks ago and picked up a load to make several adirondack chairs to sell. I told him to not even try to drive a screw in the wood without predrilling :no: And as heavy as the wood is the customers probably won't have to worry about the wind blowing the chairs around the lawn.


.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I have seen black locust used as fence posts and they went back to growing, it looked funny to see leaves growing on a fence post. Green locust doesn't make good fire wood either.


----------



## Fishbucket (Aug 18, 2010)

Seal the ends quick like, it checks very fast. Gets harder and harder as it drys. I've milled some with my table saw... not easy, but doable. Have fun. It's great wood.


----------



## rg05 (Jan 6, 2009)

thanks a lot for the input! it'll be fun to try it out and see how it goes. I really appreciate all the knowledge you share daren


----------



## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

When I mill Locust, Pecan, Osage etc. I always put on a older blade until after I knock the slabs off, then I put on a brand new one. If there's any sharp left on it after milling the hard hardwoods, I'll save it back for cutting softwood later, then sharpen it. I used to sharpen them after they got even a little dull cutting the real hard hardwoods, then it dawned on me one day when I was out of new blades that maybe there's still enough sharp left on that blade I cut the last Osage with to cut this pine - sure enough it cut the pine fine. 




.


----------



## rg05 (Jan 6, 2009)

thanks alot TT. that's a good idea!


----------



## cL3m (Jul 29, 2011)

Wear a mask...I milled some black locust and it made my throat itchy


----------

