locust

[Paul Rains]

How does locust turn? anyone had any experience with it?

[curtis rosche]

if it is wet, it is fun and easy. if it is dry then you are going to have a hell of a time with it. when dry it is hard, it will dull tools very quickly, it will heat the tool up and burn your hand. but it looks really good. if you have dry locust, dont try to do any figred peices or knots, they will catch, and when my last dry peice of locust caught, it broke 4 stainless steel screws.

[curtis rosche]

sharp tools, light cuts, and high speed work best

[Steve Frederick]

Ditto on the comments so-far. It tends to check quickly, so turn wet, seal or cover between sessions. Once dry, it finishes very well.
This is not a great shape, but shows how Black Locust looks finished.

[Scott Lux]

There are two trees called "Locust".

There's Black Locust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia) (Robinia Pseudoacacia) and Honeylocust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust) (Gleditsia triacanthos). They are about as closely related as apples and peaches. Meaning, they are both trees in the same family.

What they have in common, is strength and rot resistance. They are both top 5 for hardness in North America. Black Locust is usually ranked #1 and honeylocust is #2 or #3 (sometimes hickory will slip in as #2).

They have both been used as fence posts, railroad ties, mine timber, and barn posts; anywhere you want strength and rot resistance.

Both are very pretty turned and hard on the tools. Watch out for the dust. It's not listed as toxic, but it certainly is irritating.

Lux

[Gary Max]

Paul----I turned several items out of Honey Locust last year.
it was still wet so it was real nice to turn.
They are still sitting out in the showroom collecting dust.

[Scott Donley]

If it is very dry Black Locust, give it to someone you don't like a whole lot, you will feel better :D To me, it is just not worth the frustration,have not tried Honey or Green (wet).

[Bernie Weishapl]

Honey locust turns nice and when dry sharp tools are a must. Black Locust turns nice green but when dry is like putting concrete on the lathe. Don't get me wrong sharp tools, light cuts and you have a nice looking piece. I have sold several black locust bowls.

[Jack Mincey]

Black locust can be very beautiful. This is a bowl one of my 10th grade students turned last year. It sands and takes finish better than about any wood I've ever worked with. The burls are rare like this one.
Jack
http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1021.JPG

[Paul Rains]

Looks like Honey Locust, I had forgotten what a locust tree looked like, man, talking about some bark! Anyone done any natural edge stuff with that wood? I am not sure what it would look like, and if you could keep in on?

[Tom Lewis]

I think Honey locust is a awesome wood to turn. I turn it green a little bit oversize, let it dry then finish. It's really hard when dry. I'll try to post a picture.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Looks like Honey Locust, I had forgotten what a locust tree looked like, man, talking about some bark! Anyone done any natural edge stuff with that wood? I am not sure what it would look like, and if you could keep in on?

Hi Paul, yes I have turned a bit of Black and Honey Locust, I like Honey Locust wood the best, I think it looks nicer than Black Locust.

Also turned some natural edge Honey Locust, here's a picture of one (9" IIRC)

[John Shuk]

The burls are pretty plentiful in my area. It beats the heck out of a chainsaw chain though.

[Jim Underwood]

Black Locust is very hard, and brittle. That said, it's beautiful wood. I love using it for spindle work. The few green bowls I turned from it nearly beat me to death. I'll finish 'em up before too long. I plan to make some handles for hollowing tools out of a couple pieces.

Just had Ray Key over for box turning demonstrations, and his comments were that N. Am. hardwoods just weren't hard enough for good box turning. I'm thinking we should send him some Black and Honey Locust, Texas Ebony, Osage Orange, and Pecan. :D

So yeah, I've been thinking about making some boxes from it.

[Wyatt Holm]

I can't say much more than has already been said. I like it wet too. It is quite dense and I have done a hollow form with it that was about 1/16" thick.