what else is honey locust good for

[matto]

i 'm taking down two big honey locust trees and wanted to know what else i can use the wood for besides an anvil stump and fire wood. maybe dishing blocks handles a long bow, i'm up for any thoughts. one tree is three foot diameter the other is 58" in diameter.

[pkrankow]

I have some fids and a "seam rubber" for sail making made from locust. I am not sure the variety, and want to say "black" but the wood is not very dark. The wood is hard and durable, but may be stringy. It might be suitable for tool handles.

I made them from a tree I took down with my Dad on Grandma's property.

Phil

[wd&mlteach]

I know this is not metal related but...Fresh trees are always good for turning natural edge bowls. I turned a couple last out of locust, when wet it turns soooo smooth. I could do it all day, -just great. IOf you need more info on that let me know.

Relating this to blacksmithing I have seen a couple of people that keep a stump around their shop the same height as their anvil. They used it accompanied by a wooden mallet to straighten out hot steel without damaging delicate twists. I gota get me one of those.

[Judson Yaggy]

Um, the dumb answer is to have your bees make honey with it. :)

Non blacksmithing answer is that locust is rot and insect resistant, and fairly dense. What do you need to make that is rot resistant? Wear your dust mask when working because it's mildly toxic.

Blacksmithing answer is anvil stump or dishing stump, see above.

Round here most common is black locust. After a year or so off the stump the heart wood turns a vivid purple and will dull a chainsaw about as quick as running it into the dirt.

[Judson Yaggy]

Just put 2 and 2 together. Matto, did you sell a Little Giant to a blacksmith in Vermont about 15 years ago? My first power hammer came via the ABANA website from someone in Kearney. If it was you, thank you, it was a great little hammer.

[matto]

judson, i did not sellyou the hammer but can say you are wecome from kearney. phil i don't know much about sailing, but am thinking handles also do you know about what size i should save i will draw knife them down so i will save some about 1 1/2" to 2". wd&mlteach i would love to turn some bowls but have not done any of that sence high school. have helped make a lath that runs off a tractor pto. would be fun to try a bowl out of the big stump if the tractor could hold it. i will take part of one trunk and cut down a stump or two. did not think about making it anvil hight or maybe a little higher. thanks all

[Wayne]

How about looking at a couple of the woodwright books or tv show for hints/ideas are there any wood turners or such who might be interested?

[ThomasPowers]

Rent a chainsaw lumber mill and make the planks for your next forge/shop extension? If you don't build green you will have to drill the nail holes later...

[tomhw]

Years ago an old wheelwright told me that black locust is the best wood for hubs. Nothing about honey locust.

[oscer]

My elevated deer stand legs are made from honey locust one stand is 8 or 9 years old now and the other one must be 5 or 6 the older one shows a little wear at the ground level but I expect it will be there a long time yet. They are 12' to the floor.Kinda hard to get the things started out square cause of the twisty turny tree legs. I also made a cant hook handle out of it.

[CBrann]

I am not sure about handles, but I found out the hard way to spilt handle blanks, not saw them. Splitting follows the grain, whereas sawing does not. I made a beautiful handle out of hop hornbeam, and it split the first time I used it, because it was sawn oblique to the grain. Quite a surprise to have a handle crack and fall apart between one strike and the next....