black locust thorns--infections

[SouthSoundTree]

I have a bid for a black locust removal. I've heard bad things about thorn punctures leading to serious infection. What can you tell me?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Tread lightly.

 

[Old Monkey]

Just pain for a few days and then a chance to shoot puss primed thorn projectiles.

When you grab a branch, slide your hand around it as the thorn pop off easy when pushed to the side.

 

[ClimbingFool]

ohhhh ! such fun trees to climb......

 

[SouthSoundTree]

The thorns that I saw were small, like I've seen on honeylocust. I've seen some that were over an inch long. My friend's groundie got stuck in the finger and he had a sore knuckle for about a month. This HO said that while cleaning up storm damage, he got poked, and ended up going to the doctor after a few days and had to get antibiotics.

I was wondering about welding gloves for the groundies, or something.

Unfortunately, its in a really tight space. I'd like to crane it out, push the brush into piles with a tractor, and grapple truck it away. Don't know if I can do any of that effectively.

What do you know about the wood for lumber, boat trim, etc?

 

[DMc]

Fined a custom bow maker. Clear Black Locust makes some of the finest bows.

Dave

 

[rbtree]

Sean, if the wood is good sized, call Dave at Green Tree Mills.
he's part of Meyer Wells. They may pay $2 az board for for it. They use it, Garry Oak, Oregon white ash, and big leaf maple for flooring. I have aa smallish Garry oak coming up.

I've worked on many black locust...and find they have few thorns, at least when mature..save for watersprouts. Never bothered me muchH

 

[Burnham]

Crooks are desireable for boatbuilders, too. Breasthooks, hanging knees, braces, such stuff.

 

[thattreeguy]

theyre no fun, but thorns are thorns, like ol monkey syas they get gooey and pop out, it sucks to get them in a finger joint, just some good new gloves, and have the guys pack it out, and chip it as normal...the wood is great, even for firewood

 

[Burnham]

True that, one of the best fuelwoods.

One of the times when wearing leather gloves is worth the lousy dexterity, and the old field-going requirement for long sleeves of heavy duty cloth make good sense.

 

[Al Smith]

The honey locust is the one that has torns like minature elk antlers .They're tough enough to puncture a tractor tire .

 

[vharrison]

Fined a custom bow maker. Clear Black Locust makes some of the finest bows.

Dave

This made me think of Stumper, his dad makes bows. Wonder what he is up to these days.

 

[flushcut]

theyre no fun, but thorns are thorns, like ol monkey syas they get gooey and pop out, it sucks to get them in a finger joint, just some good new gloves, and have the guys pack it out, and chip it as normal...the wood is great, even for firewood

Yep I agree.

 

[stig]

It is really fine turning wood, too.
I've made countless saladbowls from it.
It takes an interesting greenish hue when fumed with ammonia.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So do I, LOL.

 

[stig]

Quick thinking, Butch!

 

[Burnham]

 

[woodworkingboy]

I have used mucho Black Locust for furniture, and as Burnham suggests, it was first suggested to me by a boatbuilder friend, that would use it for ribs. It steam bends quite well when the grain is straight, as is often the case. The straight grain bendability is why it can make a good bow. I have made table tops from it also. The grain tends to be rather quiet appearing, and the initial yellow color ages to a nice honey tan. A useful wood, but it can be problematical to dry, a lot of warping can result during the process, I'm not really sure why some boards will dry flat, and some will twist badly, even with a similar grain configuration, possibly the season when it is cut, and the age of the trees will make a difference, older and tighter grain being better. I would suggest having the wood quarter sawn if the tree is large enough, and you don't need wide pieces, it will dry more stable that way. It can be a tough wood to work, sometimes very hard and stringy with the grain changing direction often. It machines ok, but internal stresses can make a board that appears stable in the larger width, when you cut it with a table saw for example, the pieces coming off will immediately twist, and in the worst scenario, it wants to bind against the blade and won't push through. For such a hard wood, there isn't a lot of strength between the fibers, it will split easily, and not talking about firewood. Still, all in all, it can be nice. I've been poked a few times too, but I don't recall any complications.

 

[Husabud]

I am inundated with it here, to the tune of at least one removal/week. Most weeks I will drop four mature trees. They are awesome for fire wood if you get it cut soon after you fell it, after that it is like cutting concrete. Jay is right about drying as is Stig, turnings are beautiful if they don't crack. I've had several bowls suddenly turn into wall sconces. As far as infection goes, I have only had one in the twenty years climbing in Black Locust. Usually a poke will hurt for a day or three as long as the tip of the thorn doesn't stay under the skin. Trucker style leather gloves are the best IMO some dexterity is lost but certainly not all. Be aware of the root plate. If it is a young tree or you have had heavy winds recently, it may be loose. I have only had one start to head over while I was aloft, but. it was only an eight inch tree about forty five ft tall. It didn't go anywhere, but the movement at the base was shall we say awakening. I just did a removal yesterday of a nine inch about fifty ish high, I put a line in it at about twenty five feet and pulled it over with my Maasdam rope puller. No breakage at all just broke the root plate out. I would have climbed it if it wasn't surrounded by Hemlock and Spruce all within two feet away.

 

[Tucker943]

I got a thorn infection from one last week. Still have the scab.

 

[bonner1040]

Shew, one of my biggest hopes as a future owner operator is that I can pick and choose my business enough to avoid any of the thorned trees, barberry bushes, and especially hawthorne. Call me a panzy all day long, I would just rather not do it.

 

[Tucker943]

Barberry put me in the hospitol for 3 days last year. If you ever get that busy that you pick and choose work, don't run from the gross stuff. Just highball the hell out of it.

 

[Husabud]

Hawthorne sucks! I'll climb Locust of the Black variety all day long. I don't miss working for the man, just the constant paycheck.

 

[FJR]

It is something how tall black locust can get with such a small diameter. Thorns are not anything close to native honey locust. I have over bid on every single thorned honey locust I have ever looked at, and didn't get it. Oops

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Tucker943]

Steady paycheck you say? Sounds wonderful.