black locust score, need advice. after advisment, i now have honey locust. lol.

[bigpapa]

Well, went out to the family farm this weekend. Scored some hickory and black locust. Need some advice on how far to work the locust down. Not sure where the sap wood stops. Any help would be great. Here is a pic of one log I cut.

[DarkSoul]

Sorry mate, but that is no black locust. BL should have thinner sapwood, a more obvious distinction between the sapwood and heartwood, thicker bark and a different color of the wood.
Perhaps this is honey locust?

[aaron]

are you sure that's black locust?
Seal the ends asap with wood glue.
In my area BL has thinner sapwood - the sapwood is creamy white and the heartwood is kinda  brown, sometimes vaguely greenish brown

[bigpapa]

Hmmm.... Well.... It's what my grandad called it. It's a thorn tree with big black thorns. Any idea?

[DarkSoul]

Honey locust it is then.
Big (up to 2"), dark thorns on the main trunk in clusters, right? Black locust has only small, brown single or double thorns on the younger twigs, at max ½" long.

[twisted hickory]

I just finished taking a bl stave down to heart wood about 10 minutes ago. That isn't bl from your description it is honey locust.
Greg

[bigpapa]

Yep, that's what the thorns are. Well then, how should I work it down then? Or would I be wasting my time?

[Joec123able]

Yep, that's what the thorns are. Well then, how should I work it down then? Or would I be wasting my time?

If your asking if honey locust is a waste of time, then heck no its not a waste of time

[aaron]

from TBB vol 4:
specific grav .66
a sapwood only bow is OK if longer or wider
I say go for it-

[aaron]

here's what I would do:
seal ends
debark
seal back
reduce to about 2x2 inches
dry slowly at first

[twisted hickory]

Give it a shot. Ya never  know it might be a great shooter when done. Heat treating can turn a dog of a bow into screaming cat
Greg

[bigpapa]

Well cool. I'll give it a try. Seein how I've got about four logs and I cut enough firewood this weekend I would rather work on bows! So I'm planning on splitting and reducing to close dimensions and sealing. Wish me luck.

[bigpapa]

Got three hickory staves roughed out. Locust split, but had to put on hold to do yard work, bein a grown up sucks. Lol!! But, its good cause I'm a little lost on how to work the locust down. Should I keep heart wood and some softwood, or just peel and keep that wood as back? Any help would be great!!

[Joec123able]

Got three hickory staves roughed out. Locust split, but had to put on hold to do yard work, bein a grown up sucks. Lol!! But, its good cause I'm a little lost on how to work the locust down. Should I keep heart wood and some softwood, or just peel and keep that wood as back? Any help would be great!!

I've made 3 honey locust bows all of which I just peaked the bark off and made that the back

[bigpapa]

Awesome. Thanks Joe. :-) flowerbeds will have to wait, lol!! I've got a bow to make!!