Anyone Turn Black Locust?

[Tom Collins]

I recently cut a couple pickup loads of black locust for firewood. Naturally several pieces have migrated to my lathe. The wood is still green and I expected it to turn easily. It seemed to fight me throughout the whole process. I wanted to use a spur drive but couldn't keep it from spinning out so I mounted it on a face plate. I tried sharp tools but it just didn't cut well. I won the fight and finally got it turned green to finish but I'm not sure I won the war. Waiting now to see how it dries.

Anyone else turn black locust? What were your experiences with it?

TomCollins

[Reed Gray]

Well, it is hard. And then it is hard. You can not be aggressive when cutting/turning this wood. Not a lathe big enough, or tools tough enough to do that. Just have to take lighter cuts. Colors can be beautiful, but I like it best when it has had a chance to oxidize into an amber color like the Osage. Some people can react/are allergic to this wood, so if any lung congestion, put a mask on, or burn it. Seems to take 2 years drying before it is ready to burn out here.

robo hippy

[curtis rosche]

It makes some cool coloring if you soak it in a bucket with vinegar and steelwool. Turn wet, I like high speed and lite cuts vs low speed and heavy.

[Ian Upwood]

I have had some roughouts drying for about a year now and have noticed only minimal weight reduction. Very dense wood. I would be careful putting this wood in an open fire. As it retains moisture more than most wood, it could boil from the inside and explode, causing some harm to people near.

Ian

[John Keeton]

When I started turning in 2009, one of the first few pieces of wood I picked up to play on was a piece of locust firewood. That was also the last piece of locust I attempted to turn!! Just call me a wuss, but I don't need the abuse, and I have never really seen much about it that justified the effort. Aussie burls are like turning concrete, as well, but hardly a comparison in finished appearance!
I have had some roughouts drying for about a year now and have noticed only minimal weight reduction. Very dense wood. I would be careful putting this wood in an open fire. As it retains moisture more than most wood, it could boil from the inside and explode, causing some harm to people near.

IanIt is some of the best firewood, but it and hedgeapple/osage pop a lot when burned - even after a year of seasoning. I haven't witnessed any exploding wood, but it can sure make a racket!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have turned some Black Locust, starts off with a nice greenish yellow color and then changes into nice dark golden color.

It is one of the hardest native woods, but I didn't find it that hard to turn while still green, it does gets harder to do when dry, but a good sharp gouge still will cut it just fine, just don't expect it to cut like soft Maple.

Here's one platter/plate that I have a picture from, it was rough turned and then returned when dry, I wish I had some more of that Black Locust to turn, as I like the look and finish of it:).

257572 257573

[Roger Chandler]

I have some black locust in my shop.......I was given a log about 6 ft. in length.....have not turned it yet, but have cut a couple of blanks from it that are drying inside my shop. The grain structure reminds me of oak........even crosscutting on the bandsaw, you can see some rays.

Is black locust in the oak family........Leo will probably know the answer to that, but anyone with knowledge can chime in! thanks!

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have turned several pieces. It is pretty hard and sharp tools are in order when green. When it dries it is like putting a chunk of concrete on the lathe. I had to sharpen my gouges every few turns. Definitely wear a mask or respirator when turning.

[Tom Collins]

Thanks to everyone for your insights on turning black locust. They pretty much mirror my experience. Roger, black locust is actually from the pea family and will fix nitrogen in the soil as will peas. I have seen people interplant it with black walnut. The locust trains the walnut to grow straight and upright while providing free fertilizer. Really makes a difference in the growth of the walnut.

I had tried to turn a natural edge bowl. The cambium layer right under the bark just wanted to shred an tear out. I think I will try another piece but with a regular edge to it. The grain is quite attractive.

TomC

[Kevin Bourque]

My neighbor gave me some left over 6x6 pieces he was using for fence posts. The wood was air dried and was extremely difficult to work with. It's definitely easier if you can remove as much wood before hand with a chainsaw or grinder.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have some black locust in my shop.......I was given a log about 6 ft. in length.....have not turned it yet, but have cut a couple of blanks from it that are drying inside my shop. The grain structure reminds me of oak........even crosscutting on the bandsaw, you can see some rays.

Is black locust in the oak family........Leo will probably know the answer to that, but anyone with knowledge can chime in! thanks!

Black Locust is very closely related to Honey Locust and Redbud, the name Robinia pseudoacacia, tells that the tree is very much like an Acacia, and it is part of the bean family.

Wood fibers are cross-linked like in Elm, and the wood is very rot resistant when in ground contact, good fence post ;), better for turning wood IMO

[robert baccus]

Black locust is another species of "escaped tropicals" so called because they very obviously evolved in the tropics and were able to thrive in the temperate zone later. They usually exibit large leaves, large showy flowers and fruit, rot resistant wood, very hard or very soft wood. Others are bo,darc, mullberry, honey locust, catalpa and others introduced by man recently.

[Tom Collins]

Robert, black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, is native to the southeastern United States but has been planted extensively throughout North America. I am not aware of it being considered an invasive such as paulownia, autumn olive or bush honeysuckle. One of the things I really look forward to each spring is the scent of the black locust blossoms............like heaven on earth!

TomC

[Jamie Donaldson]

And those black locust blossoms and bees make some wonderful honey! Add some biscuits, and life will be really great at breakfast time!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Not just the Souther part of the US, it is native to the southern part of Ontario, where the Carolinian forest is present.
Calling it and escaped tropical Is a misnomer if I ever heard one IMO, being part of the bean family the range of types and conditions where these plants can and do grow is amazing, counting the different species in the thousands, and you would find this very adaptable plants that will hang on in desert and cold conditions and thrive where others can't, certainly did not have to escape from the tropics, no jailbird tree ;)

[Jeff Gilfor]

I LOVE black locust. It isn't the easiest wood to turn, but boy is it beautiful when finished! You can send me all the stuff ya'all don't want. I'll be happy to take it off your hands.

[Tom Collins]

Jeff or anyone else, if you are near Northwest Ohio you are welcome to some of my stash. I have about 2 pickup loads of various diameters at home and still have about an 18 foot log to cut up that is probably in the neighborhood of 20" diameter at the base.

TomC

[Ron Rutter]

I was under the impression the black locust & Acacia were one & the same. It may be hard but it is beautiful to turn & finish. Ron.

[robert baccus]

If you read my post again it does not infer that BL is a recent invader but has managed to get here from the tropics probably millions of years ago. Botonist recognize the species from the various climate zones usually exhibit certain similar growth patterns which evolved there. Most do not change due to temperature but many have gone south as well as north in time and thrived.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I was under the impression the black locust & Acacia were one & the same. It may be hard but it is beautiful to turn & finish. Ron.

Black Locust is not a true Acacia species, therefore called Robinia pseudoacacia.

[Nathan Hawkes]

As others have already mentioned, black locust has some characteristics that make it a challenge. It is worth it in my opinion though. I ONLY turn it green to final thickness. Black locust is one of my veryfavorite trees. That almost disturbinglysweet aroma, the nitrogen fixing bacteria on the roots, pretty grain, and amazing rot resistance make it one of the most useful tress to have around. If it weren't for those pesky thorns......

[Scott Lux]

I'm another Black Locust fan. Heck, I made my deck out of it. I don't usually put a finish on BL pieces. I find just sanding to 600 or 800 to be finish enough. It is extremely durable as other have stated. But no one has mentioned that it fluoresces under UV!!!

I've made pens, bracelets, and small bowls out of it.

[robert baccus]

That's cool yeah. Our native Sumac fluoresces as well--anyother woods do that. BL and other hard, hard woods will buff out and wax out like metal does and is usually prettier than with a finish. I think any wood turns well green. Been peeling some persimmon here.

[robert baccus]

Not a misnomer--just science. I studied and practiced forestry most of my life. Studied some in the tropics. Look at a Catalpa next to a Oak tree. Notice the very open, airy, sunny shape of the crown. Also the huge thin leaves and large, showey flowers and fruit. It is a very soft wood yet very resistant to rot. Last notice the "drip tips" on the leaves. These are all due to the tropics being too wet (rot) and most of the trees in the tropics have these identical characteristics. The fossile record backs up this accepted Taxonomy theory. Lets go peel some--can't be any better than this Persimmon. A true ebony, 90% + of the genus grows in the tropics only.

[Roger Chandler]

What a treasure trove of useful info about the black locust.......thanks to each of you who shared on this thread!

[William Bachtel]

Just turned a Black Locust Burl, it was hard as nails, but it turned and sanded good. It is a Natural Edge Bowl. Was Air Dried for 4 years in someones garage. Like I said it was hard. No photo piece is sold.

[ken gibbs]

Years ago my grandfather was teaching me to turn on his old lathe. I mounted a piece of black locust on the lathe one day when he had gone someplace and started turning a spindle. I smoked several chisels before granddad caught up with me. He just turned me over his knee right there in the shop. I had to stand on an old cracker crate to get to the lathe. I recently reacquired his old turning chisels that were all hand made from old barn chisels and bastard files. I had to remount the shanks on new handles, but that old high carbon steel still takes a great edge. I used one this afternoon on a spindle. These chisels were very old in 1952 when I first used them so they may be over 100 years old. I remember that black locust and how tough it was.

[steve johnson]

It has beautiful reddish and white rays. It is hard but stable and worth the effort to get to the beauty. Also, it does irritate my nose.

[John Thorson]

I agree with your experience, Leo. My brother gave me a log (six ten inch diameter bowls worth) for my birthday and it went OK using a standard rough turned green, sealed and air dried and then second turning when dried bowl method. It is a dense hard wood but turned OK with patience. I also agree that this is not a wood that is visually striking enough that I would search it out.

[Bob Bergstrom]

It is also one of the hottest burning woods. A fellow turner said he has melted two grids in his fire place burning too much at once. He now only burns one in each bundle. Lots of BTUs.

[Michael Poorman]

A few years back I turned several vases from old fence posts. Like everyone else has said, it's hard stuff. I usually turn harder woods like oak and hickory so the locust didn't seem that much worse to me. I do absolutely love the iridescence and yellow gold color in the grain though. It's slow working, but I think it's worth it!