Black Locust Staves

[Morgan]

I have never seen a black locust with anything close to red heartwood. Everything I’ve cut had a dark greenish brown heartwood that dries to a creamy brown.

[Ancient Paths]

Here is a better picture of the heartwood.this one was beside the more red looking one in my phone. It is also soaking wet from rain. Maybe its honey locust instead of black or either my picture is deceptive. Ill get better pics when I split them and compare the large one to what I know is black locust that has the thorns on it. Thanks again!

[Pat B]

That is not black locust! It really looks more like black cherry and not at all like black locust.

[Ancient Paths]

To clarify the large tree has bark identical to the short stump with all the thorny shoots. Black cherry bark does not match how this bark looks and black cherry dose not have thorny shoots around its stump. Pics of different growth rings first black locust second honey and then the black cherry. thanks google!

[Pat B]

Well, you believe what you want. I've been dealing with locust for almost 30 years. My first 25 or 30 bows were made with locust, some I bought as fence rails, some I cut myself. The tree with the reddish heartwood is not locust.
 You can't always go by the bark. As a tree grows the bark changes, depending on where the tree is growing can make changes to the bark.
If you don't want to believe folks that have dealt with different bow woods why do you ask?
 I'll leave it at that.

[okie64]

Sometimes pics can be deceptive, especially with specific colors. But just goingnoff that pic I would say that looks nothing like the black locust that I’ve dealt with. Heartwood is usually almost green looking on the stuff I’ve dealt with. My guess would be You’ve got either black cherry or mulberry, more likely black cherry.

[okie64]

A good, clear, close up pic of the end grain would tell for sure if it was black cherry since it is diffuse porous.

[JW_Halverson]

Back to your "how many wedges" question...2 steel wedges will be fine. But bring 4 wooden wedges along to act as followers.  Use the steel wedges on the leading edge of the split and leapfrog them. But then feel free to use the wooden wedges following up behind to help keep things moving along. Even a soft pine wedge from a 2x4 can help, though hickory, ash, maple, osage etc will give you more usage.

Good luck, you got this far and there is no sense not splitting things out and getting on with the wait and cure process. If it turns out to be something other than what you want, so what? Make bows, not excuses!

[Ancient Paths]

Ok, thanks everyone. For the record I never asked for help To ID the wood untill you began to question it. I know nothing about black locust or black cherry but what I do know is the pecan farmer that owns the land and the trees told me it is. The man that milled the lumber for him did not question whether it was or not. I’m not trying to be argumentanative but I am only trying to make sure it is or is not locust before I put in the labor to split it. We know for a fact that black locust is growing all around from the picture with the thorns and leaves so I sure hope the pictures are off but I know for sure the standing stump is black locust by examining the thorns so at least I will have a few good locust staves. if the rain lets up I will have clear pictures today. I have no problem with being wrong about it And sure don’t want any bad feelings from anyone. Pat B if it is locust or cherry I would love to bring you a stave from it when I head to Brevard in May if you would like.

[Ancient Paths]

Pat B I think your expertise was correct. I called the farmer and asked about if it could be cherry and he said he did mill a cherry out that spot also. He pointed to the one In question and told me it was locust but I think he was mistaken. He did say there was a locust on the ground though and I think it may be the one laying beside it seen in a couple of my pics. Smaller diameter and grey bark. I think you saved me from a lot of work. I’ll post pics later when I cut them all. Thanks again!

[Pat B]

There are no bad feelings here. We are all here for one reason, to help others build wood bows.
 If the reddish colored log is anything but locust it wouldn't be worth trying to get a bow out of it. Any wood, standing dead or laying on the ground would already have been infected by fungi unless it were locust, osage or possibly yew(I'm not that familiar with yew). Maybe the pecan farmer would let you have some pecan for bows. Pecan is a hickory(Carya sp.) and does make good bows but you will want fresh cut pecan to start with.
 I appreciate the offer of a stave but I have more bow wood than I'll ever be able to work so Thank you but no Thank you.
 Where do you live? I think it would serve you well if you plan on continuing with your pursuit of building wood bows to get a tree ID book and familiarize yourself with the trees that typically make good bows. Your local Cooperative Extension Service will have Tree ID booklets for your area or the Audubon Society's series on trees will get you on the right track.
 Also, it is a lot easier to ID trees after the leaves come out.

[Ancient Paths]

Thanks Pat! The pecan farmer did just drop a lot of pecan trees but I have a nice pignut on some of my land I plan on harvesting in the next few weeks I thought would be more worth my effort.  I live in Lexington SC and have a bunch of hunting land in Bamberg SC where my pignut is.

[Pat B]

Wait til the leaves are out before cutting the hickory to insure the bark will peel off easily. Be sure to seal the ends and the backs of the staves you split out.

[Ancient Paths]

Thanks everyone. The locust was a bust. The only black locust that was left out there other than saplings is a 8” wide log that’s only 54”. I only draw 24” but figured I needed 60” of stave. Any style I can make 54” long that will give me a 24” draw? Or maybe back with rawhide? The log I cut was grayish green with hardly any sap wood and I discovered the stumps he must of milled the lumber from.

[Pat B]

You could cut the 54" locust and make billets to do a spliced in the handle bow or trade to someone for a stave.