Black locusts old log

[Kopper1013]

Hey y’all a friend called me up and said
“hey I cut down a black locust you pointed out you wanted about a year ago and just forgot to let ya know, it’s been sitting under the overhang of the shed, you still want it?”
So I grabbed it but not sure if I have fire wood or something I should split and try to dry for maybe further use. It’s about 80” long and has checking on the ends. Anyway to tell if it’s salvagabl or junk?
Wish I would of gotten to it sooner.

[Pat B]

Black locust is rot resistant so it should be OK. I'd split it in half at least to see what's inside. From there I'd reduce it to staves. If the bark is still on you will have to remove it and the sapwood just like with osage. Seal the ends and when you remove the bark and sapwood be sure to seal the back.

[Kopper1013]

So you think it’s probably all right even though it’s checking already and has been sitting for a year with bark intact?

[Bowjunkie]

Could be. Only way to tell is to get it opened up and check it out. I have some locust logs laying out behind the garage, on a limestone driveway, that have been there for 4 years. I just wasn't too interested in them. They look ok, but who knows. I'm going to get them split open as soon as the weather breaks and will use them for something. If not bows, then ramrods, tool or hawk handles, handplanes, whatever... just cuz I'm tired of looking at them.

[Pat B]

I found a locust I left in the woods probably 15 years ago. The sapwood is rotted off and the back is checked but there is enough sound wood still in it to build a bow.
 Like Bowjunkie said, open it up and remove the sapwood and bark and see what you've got. Even a few checks won't hurt a bow as long as they don't run off the edge.

[scrub-buster]

If the log is 80" long you should be able to trim 6" or more off each end and hopefully remove the checks. 

Thank your friend for saving you the log.  Politely educate him on the proper way to handle bow wood as soon as its cut.  If he's going to cut more for you maybe buy a small bottle of wood glue and leave it with him so he has something to seal the ends with.

[Kopper1013]

I’ll have to do that, thanks y’all for the information! Thought she was a goner, hoping to get everything split and be making fire wood from it in the next year or so 

[Bowjunkie]

It's so warm today, I came home intending to split those locust logs up and get them in the garage. They're not perfect, not full stave length, the longest is probably 56" or so, the bark is falling off, but I don't see any bug holes in them. It was supposed to rain in a few hours so I elected to quickly spray and fertilize my fruit trees instead. But those locust logs don't look any worse for the weather. I'm going to try to get some bow billets, muzz ramrods, and tool handles out of them. Should have taken care of them years ago.