Locust Pavers

[Riggs]

A friend of mine showed up this week with a pick-up load of locust, cut to 18" lengths. He is building a small patio and wanted them sliced roughly 3" thick end ways (cookies) for pavers. Yesterday we worked on it, and after alot of experimenting with how to hold them, finally came up with these. I like to try different things, and we were both pleased with the finished product.
On a side note, I am now of the notion that locust is the next thing to granite on the hardness scale. 

[hackberry jake]

I have been thinking about doing the same thing. How did you hold them upright? And what is going between the pavers? Gravel?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Instead of gravel, I've seen people use "screenings" in the cracks.

[Riggs]

I have been thinking about doing the same thing. How did you hold them upright? And what is going between the pavers? Gravel?

We sat one at a time on a 1x6 and clamped them between a 2x4 and the clamp on my mill, it worked ok once you got them down to about 12" tall or so. I cut REALLY slow the first couple of passes. He is putting sand between them. I think he was going to treat them too. I'll post a picture when he gets finished.

[Blue Sky]

Seeing I have been milling locust exclusively for the past 15 years, I have gotten a number of requests for locust pavers.  Chicago, Illinois has a street paved in 4"x6"x8" pavers as do some other cities.  I have been harvesting locust trees and when I cut one, I leave about a 6" tall stump.  After felling the tree, I then flush cut the base and get really beautiful locust pavers such as yours.  The best solution I have found is to thoroughly soak stone dust, nestle the locust in place, add lots more water and use stone dust to fill in the spaces.  A good dead bolt mallet striking the pieces helps to settle the pieces.  I use mine as stepping 'stones' in pathways.  Folks really like them.