Black locust logs

[IdahoMatt]

Was wondering what the best preparations were for drying and splitting.  Will post some pics later tonight.  I am going to pick them up in a few.  They were a trade, he told me there was some that were green and some that were on their way out.  They have been sitting outside for about two months. Two are about six to eight inches one ten inches and one twelve inches across.  All bout eight to ten feet long.  What should be my plan of attack.

[ionicmuffin]

i hear that borer bugs like BL so removing the sapwood and coating the stave with bugspray/bug repellent. and then a sealant on the side you removed the sapwood from and on the ends. This should prevent checking and cracking. Hopefully someone else will either confirm this method or give you an easier one. Those are some big logs btw, you would probably want to split them into quarters or sixths maybe eights, just make sure you have room for a bow in each stave. Not sure if the sapwood is any good either, as a said, hopefully someone will comment with more info.

[okie64]

You should split them up like muffin said. After that you can leave the bark on them and spray em with bug spray or take the bark and sapwood off at the same time. If you take the bark off and leave the sapwood on it will likely check all over the place. Black locust heartwood is highly decay resistant so even the logs that have been on the ground for a few months should be fine. The sapwood may be decayed a bit but the heartwood will be fine. I got some black locust logs from a guy a few years ago that had been on the ground for several years and they made fine bows.

[IdahoMatt]

Cool thanks a bunch.  Just got back to the house will upload some pics soon.  They look real promising.

[IdahoMatt]

what do y'all think of the early to late ratio

[chamookman]

Matt -I see LOTS of BL bows in Your future ! Have fun - Bob.

[Trapper Rob]

Blackhawk told me to take the bark & sapwood off then seal the ends & back real good.
Rob

[koan]

Good advice already givin above... BL is greatly rot resistant but only if the sapwood is removed.. They make great fencepost if their reduced to heartwood... Brian

[Keenan]

Wow Nice haul,  BL makes a great bow. I think you may have to much and become infected with the bug. You should send at least one of those logs away to your support team to help curve your addiction.

[Stringman]

Makes good firewood!!   

Scott

[ionicmuffin]

I tell you man, you will be sooo good at tillering bows when you've gone through that stash that you wont think when tillering. BL is a teacher wood. It teaches you to get it right, otherwise you can get frets and crystals. Which means it speaks to you directly.

[okie64]

what do y'all think of the early to late ratio

Since you asked, its terrible for the most part. Theres still some good bows in there but I would pick and choose where I got em from outta those logs. Looks pretty good down toward the center when the tree was younger. If it were me I would split it up into quarters and then split off belly splits to where those thicker rings are to make bows. I would probably use most of that outside thin ringed stuff for firewood.

[IdahoMatt]

      Split some of it up today. Boy it was some work, working alone but got the hard parts done.
If the logs are eight feet plus long do i still need to seal the ends of the staves.

[Blacktail]

thats a load matt...you will have lots of fun..DONT listen to that keenan guy...he has so much wood he craps out staves..LOL...john

[RBLusthaus]

      If the logs are eight feet plus long do i still need to seal the ends of the staves.

I would not.  Just cut off the end parts that check.  I would not even debark till you need to use it.  The sap wood will rot, but the heart will stay nice if you leave the wood outside.  The rotting sap wood will then smell a little when you remove it, but, that is tomorrow, right?  I have a pile myself, just like yours, that I keep outside, but off the ground.  Works for me. 

Russ