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Yesterday's work, Honey Locust

Started by ButchC, October 10, 2017, 09:14:33 AM

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ButchC

First Honey Locust on the swing mill. It is and interesting species to  maximize grain structure. Here taking 5/4 x 6 cuts.  Wife was drooling and dreaming up projects for this.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Ga Mtn Man

Very nice figure.  I was looking at a honey locust tree on my property just the other day and wondering if it was worth sawing.  I think yes.
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

ButchC

Quote from: Ga Mtn Man on October 10, 2017, 09:34:17 AM
Very nice figure.  I was looking at a honey locust tree on my property just the other day and wondering if it was worth sawing.  I think yes.

After it is down and you have to start dealing with the thorns your going to ask yourself why you didnt just leave it standing, LOL Once on the mill it will put a grin on your face.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Brad_bb

I love milling Honey Locust.  Mine has had kind of a faint pink hue to it, I love the look of it.  It has planed fine for me, and I actually had some with flecks or maybe it's quilting or curl?  Pretty wood for sure, but I've never had to cut it down. 



 
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Ron Wenrich

There's a thornless variety of honey locust.  I sawed some a number of years ago.  Wide boards have a tendency to split badly when they dry.  It does stay flat.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

fishfighter

Got way to many on my place. DanG tractor tire flat giving tree. >:(

Larry

I used to saw a lot of it just because its on the kill list for TSI (timber stand improvement).

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Coltbodi

very nice, I have never herd of these trees. Just looked it up and we have them in Louisiana, I know I have seen those pods before. Time to go tree hunting.
If I can't fix it, I don't want it.
Timberking 1600 with lots of mods, a 65hp mahindra with a front end loader, a welding shop, and sugarcane mill from 1890 for making syrup

fishfighter

Quote from: Coltbodi on October 10, 2017, 01:12:35 PM
very nice, I have never herd of these trees. Just looked it up and we have them in Louisiana, I know I have seen those pods before. Time to go tree hunting.

I'm over in Pointe Coupee Parish. You are in pine country, I'm in bottom land country. ;D Big difference in about 50 air miles away.

addicted

Hey guys
I'm going to be dropping some honey locust and moving them to the mill soon.
I've never handled this thorny stuff before. Any advice on how to handle the thorns? All of my tires are magic. The trailer tires will find any sharp object but only after fully loaded. Same with skid steer, once your in an awkward fully loaded position, that 3" deck screw appears.
Thinking of paying my kids a nickel per thorn but child services already has me on speed dial.
Thanks
Rusty

Larry

My favorite way to harvest honey locust is to ring the tree twice with a chainsaw and squirt with herbicide to kill it.  The thorns will fall off in a year or two and decompose.  The timber can than be felled and treated as normal with no fear of tire problems.  The herbicide prevents stump sprouts.  90% of honey locust I've sawed have been harvested with this method.  I've not had much or any degrade in the lumber.

My second method is to cut off all thorns with the chainsaw and hoe as high as I can reach.  Fell as normal and treat the stump with herbicide.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

addicted

Thanks for the advice
I wish i had that much time to rid the tree if thorns however the owner needs it removed soon. I think the hoe method may be in my future
Rusty

TKehl

My favorite method is similar to Larry's.  Drop and wait.  Goats love sprouts!   ;D

If you have to work it green, get the heaviest leather gloves you can find and work SLOW.  The darn thorns always seem to find a seam, but if I work at a regular pace, they will go right through the leather.  They will go through a shoe or boot as well, so walk softly. 

When green, I will limb it then take and run the chainsaw up and down the trunk to knock off as many harpoons as possible.  I'll then drag it somewhere else if I can.  Otherwise I will rake up the thorns as a preventative measure.  Well worth the time.

We'll get one in the skid steer tire often enough to debate foam fill, then forget about it a while until it happens again.   :D  The firewood trailers that stay on the farm have more frequent flats due to junky tires.  I've threatened several times to go Amish on them and weld steel up to the stock rim and just use the tire tread as a cover.   ;)
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Banjo picker

Those thorns will not only stick a hole in you, but they are can cause an infection if they break your skin as well. We had one of all things at the side of our house and my mother stepped on one of the blame things and she had to go to the doctor because of it.  I have never seen another one on my place except for that one tree.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

ButchC

I used an axe to dethorn the one shown on the mill. Took about 2 minutes. Woodlot work  probably should never be done while wearing tennis shoes but they would be a big no-no while dealing with the thorns. My loader tires are extra heavy duty with many plys but I was careful as those thorns are super tough.  All in all dealing with them would be a pain if a person had to do it on a daily basis but for a log or two  the lumber is well worth the effort I think. 
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

D6c

How does honey locust last for outside use?  Does it weather well or rot quickly?  I have a few larger honey locust that need killing, and it looks like it's well worth sawing.

I also have quite a bit of black locust, which I sometimes use for fence posts, but I ran across a company that mills it for deck flooring.  Supposed to be very durable.  I'm thinking of adding a porch on my house (hate decks) so maybe I could saw a bunch for the floor.

Larry

Honey locust has little rot resistance.  Its not a wood to use outdoors.

Its one redeeming value is its easy to sell as cabinet wood and brings a good price.  Another picture.



The tree tops make good firewood.

Black locust is a whole different ball game.  It will last forever outside.  An excellent choice to build your porch.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Brad_bb

Larry shows a good representation of freshly sawn Honey Locust.  A couple of those boards are showing a lot of sapwood - I normally don't see that much, but it looks like a cut close to the outside on the middle two.  The pic I showed was after drying at least a year and surface planing.  The pink has faded a bit, and there's no sapwood on there.  That piece is actually becoming a 4" thick stair tread.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

ButchC

Here is another on the mill today. I have access to a lot of it, some at least 2x this size. I dry my wood  in the haymow of my barn and the smell in there is pretty bad right now so add stink to thorns among the bad attributes of honey locust, lol but the look is worth it think.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Larry

I see some dote in the end of the log.  Most would consider it low grade...I think of it as special.  That means I like it for the extra excitement $$$$$ it brings to the lumber.  Box makers like it 5/4 so they can make four corner grain matches.

Another picture showing honey locust dote.


Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

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