Help! Black locusts posts delivered but are they locust?

[TedLaRue]

Another thought:

The cross section of red oak is much more likely to be circular (or if split, portions of circles) whereas black locusts cross sections tend to be irregular in shape.

Also, if you plane the surface (with a knife or an actual plane), red oak is very porous and black locust is not.

White oak actually holds up well in the dirt, and is approved for sill plates in some codes. Not so with Red Oak, though. I don't know how Honey Locust holds up.

 

[whistlepig]

You would have to have someone that knows trees to look at these with the bark on. Some wood is very easy to identify with the bark off. I would consider Black Locust not one of them.

 

[Ken45101]

White oak and black locust are very rot resistant. Red oak and honey locust not as good.

It is very hard to drive nails into black locust. Cedar is soft and easy to drive nails.

Black locust should have the bark removed before using as posts or they will not last nearly as long.

If you can't tell what you have, perhaps your county extension agent can tell or if you have a state forestry agent, check with them.

Ken

 

[MillWeld]

If red oak is still green the it will have a pungent smell. Red oak is very poor for ground contact unlike its white oak sister. Red oak has on open pore structure through which you can actually suck air in short pieces.
Bob

 

[arrow]

Maybe I'll try the black light and the "burning" tests! Perhaps the pinkish posts are honey locust. I'll try weighing them to see if there is a difference, and will see if I get any black from handling them to indicate that it is black locust.

What do you mean by black locust being more "variegated" than honey locust? Does that mean more variation in the grain of the wood?

Thanks, again, everyone!

"black locust bark is more variegated"

 

[arrow]

Another thought:

The cross section of red oak is much more likely to be circular (or if split, portions of circles) whereas black locusts cross sections tend to be irregular in shape.

Also, if you plane the surface (with a knife or an actual plane), red oak is very porous and black locust is not.

White oak actually holds up well in the dirt, and is approved for sill plates in some codes. Not so with Red Oak, though. I don't know how Honey Locust holds up.

honey locust is also used for fence posts. Will not last like black locust but lasts awhile. 20 years ago, I once found a black locust fence post in the ground in my woods. It was charred. The last forest fire on my land area was dated to 1888. This post looked as if it was put into the ground last Saturday.

 

[6thgpSF]

I cut a couple hundred black locust posts,they are very heavy dense posts.how about a few pics.? russ

 

[rekees4300]

Robinia pseudoacacia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Skyco]

Glad I read that link! I have Black Locust on my remote property, had no idea the bark and leaves were toxic!
I cut downed ones for firewood...that wood is great when you need a long overnight burn.

 

[tb525]

Look at the end of the post, if you see medullary rays it is oak. If there are no medullary rays, then it's not oak..

Medullary rays look like lines radiating out from the center across the annular rings.. White Oak Log - Cross Section Rings EN tb0405.jpg photo - Thomas Bailey photos at pbase.com