# Burning black locust



## Backwoods Savage (Jan 22, 2013)

I've stated a few times that I'd like to try some black locust because we have none around here. So, thanks to etiger (thanks Ed), we got some black locust. We burned some earlier in January and burned the last of it last night (except for a couple small pieces). So, how did it go?

The first thing we noticed about it is the smell! Wife not happy for sure. She went outside again this morning when some was still in the stove and came in complaining. lol

When I first started I was mixing it with ash and it burned nicely. Then we tried a full load. Stove and flue got up to temperature and we engaged the cat. Nuts. Temperature went down and flame died. Open the bypass and get the temperature back up. Now the cat lit off and the stove top temperature went up to 700. Held there for quite some time and then dropped very slowly. Don't remember how many nights we did this but had pretty good results with long burn times and huge bed of coals in the morning. That is one thing we noticed too is that it paid to have a large coal bed when loading the locust.

So last night was a cold one and I loaded the stove with most of the last of the BL. Same scenario. Cat did not want to light off. Had to cycle it twice. There was no hissing or moisture coming from the wood but for sure it could have been drier. Also last night was strange in that we did not get a long burn time. I got up around 6:30 this morning just because the stove needed fed. This really surprised me. So I put in some more wood and crawled back in bed for a while. Tonight I'll be burning oak. Burned ash though most of the day.

I do think the BL can be an excellent firewood and Ed tells me we'll soon have some honey locust to try out. It might be interesting. I'll give him some more good ash to burn too.


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## Woody Stover (Jan 22, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> last night was strange in that we did not get a long burn time. I got up around 6:30 this morning just because the stove needed fed. This really surprised me.......Ed tells me we'll soon have some honey locust to try out.


Hmmm, is it possible that you gave it more air to get it going (even bone-dry, it's hard to light) and then when the load caught, the increased air burned it up faster?
I haven't tried Honey yet either but my neighbor has a good-sized one that's dying, I just haven't gotten it yet. No hurry; It'll be two years before I burn it anyway, per Dennis rules.


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## fishingpol (Jan 22, 2013)

I usually let locust take a little more time to catch when loading a split as it can be dense.   I also find locust has large coals towards the end of the cycle and I open the air to get them to burn down.  It is nice for cold nights like tonight, but not necessarily my favorite wood.  Yes, it does stink when burning.


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## Woody Stover (Jan 22, 2013)

fishingpol said:


> I usually let locust take a little more time to catch when loading a split as it can be dense. I also find locust has large coals towards the end of the cycle and I open the air to get them to burn down. It is nice for cold nights like tonight, but not necessarily my favorite wood. Yes, it does stink when burning.


I usually mix a couple of splits in with some Red Oak or something, and let it catch in it's own time. Really extends the useful heat output of a normal load.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 22, 2013)

I agree mixing is a good idea with this. Woody, yes, I did give it more air last night but not for that long. Not really sure what happened but won't trip over my brain trying to figure it out. It only happened that once.


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## Woody Stover (Jan 22, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Not really sure what happened but won't trip over my brain trying to figure it out.


Could be "missing time". Do you think you may have been abducted?


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## raybonz (Jan 22, 2013)

I have burned black locust and I found that a good hot bed of coals from oak or ash makes a big difference. Also give it some air until is charred good and it should keep going..

Ray


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## ScotO (Jan 22, 2013)

I love to mix my BL or HL with ash, elm, or maple.  The 'lesser' woods get going and spike the stove temp, while at the same time start gasifying the locust, once the lesser woods coal and ash off the locust is rockin' and takes over......
I love locust, but like others said it works best with mixed loads if you're looking for it to take off quickly.  Slow out of the gate, But you can't stop it once it gets goin'!


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## osagebow (Jan 22, 2013)

Glad ya got a hold of some, Savage.
I also love the coaling of BL. allows me to reliably relight at 630 AM after crashing at 11, even on a 4 split load. It's at least 70% of this winter's burn menu. In my limited experience,(2nd year) i haven't had much of a smell issue though.  It is a PITA to light,  and I have split a lot of maple and sass to compliment next year's locust.


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## fishingpol (Jan 22, 2013)

If it does not catch well, it'll stink up the yard and neighborhood.


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## cptoneleg (Jan 22, 2013)

I am out of town and the wife is running the stove,  I made two stacks one by the door that is just BL and another of mixed Oak, Maple and Ash.  I had told her the BL should be used for cold nights and long burns.  After reading this I called and asked how the wood on the porch was holding up and she said she had burned everything but the wood by the door (BL)  I asked her if she was having any trouble with it and she said " no it lights right up it's real dry" the BL is her favorite wood. 

Before I put the BL in the woodshed I checked it ( just for the heck of it) and it was around 9%  could be you need to let it dry a little. 

Can't believe I said that to Dennis


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## Jon1270 (Jan 22, 2013)

fishingpol said:


> Yes, it does stink when burning.


 
Heh.  I have almost 2 cords of it drying, and I live in a dense suburban neighborhood.  My neighbors will love me next year.


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## cptoneleg (Jan 22, 2013)

I don't notice any smell when burning BL, but then when I burnCherry I don't smell anything either.  Think my stove burns everything up, even smell, or the smell blows away or something.


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## Paulywalnut (Jan 22, 2013)

Excellent coaling Dennis. I really like it also but really works best with some other
type of wood with it, It really can warm up an area quickly. Its not oak though that's for sure.


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## Ralphie Boy (Jan 22, 2013)

5 degrees last night and I put 3 nice splits of BL in on a very nice bed of ash coals. Cat temp went down some but not so you would notice. With everything runng well, I went to bed and when I got up at 0600 this morning I had a beautiful bed of brightly glowing chuncky coals. Cat temp 800 room temp 72.

Yep it stinks when you burn it for sure, but I'm inside when it's burning and my only neighbors are horses and neither of us care about the stink!


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## etiger2007 (Jan 22, 2013)

I took delivery of that locust a week before Christmas 2011 and the seller said he had it split for six months before I bought it (didn't believe him so I let it set until this winter). Tonight I threw in a huge split of BL in the back of a freshly raked forward coal bed  and loaded up ash splits on top and in front of it.  Stove top is 650 and she burning nicely.  I will never have useful heat at 4:30am when I get up, its just too cold for a non-cat 2.3 cf firebox to keep up with.


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## ailanthus (Jan 22, 2013)

It's like coal. It seems like I have to have the air open further & longer than for anything else I've burned. Can't beat the heat output, though!  This is 20 year old shed-stored BL, so moisture is definitely not an issue.


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## lukem (Jan 22, 2013)

Hmm."

Black locust is my all around favorite.  It does take a good coal bed to get going, but it burns a LONG time and isn't as prone to running away like hedge (although I loves me some hedge).  I usually rake the coals down...put two pieces of something "soft" like elm or slightly punky ash or oak in the center...then load it up with BL.  The "soft" wood gets it going them it's auto-pilot from there on out.

I think you are spoiled with 18 year old wood, Dennis.


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## jatoxico (Jan 22, 2013)

I only have BL at this point. Mixing in another species like oak makes life easier. As I have said in the past, BL is like lighting coal and since I have to do a lot of cold starts I've had to adapt. There is no such thing as throwing in five splits and a super cedar to start a fire.

I deal with it by splitting up a piece or two into kindling sizes and making a crib so I get plenty of air. Once I have a coal bed it's no problem but don't let that coal bed burn down too much if you have somewhere to be.

Next year is going to be primarily ash, cherry and oak. Kinda looking forward to that.


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## Hickorynut (Jan 22, 2013)

When we moved here 17 years ago on this 3 wooded acres it was overgrown with locusts of all sizes up to 24" diameter.  Terrible yard tree but some of the best firewood I have ever had.  Everybody has about covered all the tricks of the trade burning this stuff.  Couple of things to note, by the time I burn the locust I peel the bark or it comes off on its own and when I burn this there is no smell, so I think the smell comes from the bark especially when damp.  Also, I have been able to burn my locust alot better with the epa stove I have now vs. the older country flame stove.  Can burn just locust wood for days as long as I have a bed of coals to lay the next load on.  Seems like all species have at least a couple of pluses and minuses


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## etiger2007 (Jan 23, 2013)

I got up around 6:30 this morning just because the stove needed fed.


Dennis, what was your homes temp when you got up to re-load?


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## TimJ (Jan 23, 2013)

Burned 5pc for the first time last night myself. Like the oak much better. The oak splits were glowing red when I put in the locust. Got up this morning to get ready for work and thought I would still see some good coals from the locust but no.


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## Dune (Jan 23, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> I agree mixing is a good idea with this. Woody, yes, I did give it more air last night but not for that long. Not really sure what happened but won't trip over my brain trying to figure it out. It only happened that once.


 
Is it possible that atmospheric conditions caused greater draft?


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## firefighterjake (Jan 23, 2013)

I think Woody is right . . . alien abduction is the only rational explanation.

If Backwoods suddenly decides he wants to toss out his beloved Fireview and buy a Blaze King we'll know the aliens are bombarded his brainwaves telepathically.


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## Applesister (Jan 23, 2013)

Black locust is a manly man's kind of wood, and no not like Sandelwood. No no not like Sandelwood. 
Interesting thread here. I sympathize with Backwood Savage's wife. Cant get past the smell and yes maybe it is in the bark. I think it smells like styrofoam burning or old bicycle tires. Worse than the cat pee of Cottonwood.
I have been and always will be an aromatic wood snob. Sacrificing btu's for scent.
Yup in my eyes(and thats where it hurts the worse) Black locust is best served lined up in the ground with horse fencing wire stapled to it. Where those resins serve best keeping the rot away. And not the cold.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 23, 2013)

My wood for last year was 90% BL. I learned to have lots of small splits handy to make the reloads easier. Burns long and hot. I'm thinking of mixing next year's BL with this years Red Oak and then shuffling my stacks a bit so I can do the same thing next year.


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## raybonz (Jan 23, 2013)

firefighterjake said:


> I think Woody is right . . . alien abduction is the only rational explanation.
> 
> If Backwoods suddenly decides he wants to toss out his beloved Fireview and buy a Blaze King we'll know the aliens are bombarded his brainwaves telepathically.


Think you've been snorting too many Whoopie pies Jake lol!  

Ray


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 23, 2013)

etiger2007 said:


> I got up around 6:30 this morning just because the stove needed fed.
> 
> 
> Dennis, what was your homes temp when you got up to re-load?


 
Didn't look but can tell you for sure it was at least in the high 70's. I don't like a cold house. Went visiting Monday and they have an OWB. I hate going there in the winter because it is always cold in the house. They sit in their living room with blankets over them! Knowing this in advance, I dressed really warm.....and still got cold.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 23, 2013)

Dune said:


> Is it possible that atmospheric conditions caused greater draft?


 
That is always possible but should also be noticeable in the stove with a roaring fire.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 23, 2013)

Applesister said:


> Black locust is a manly man's kind of wood, and no not like Sandelwood. No no not like Sandelwood.
> Interesting thread here. I sympathize with Backwood Savage's wife. Cant get past the smell and yes maybe it is in the bark. I think it smells like styrofoam burning or old bicycle tires. Worse than the cat pee of Cottonwood.
> I have been and always will be an aromatic wood snob. Sacrificing btu's for scent.
> Yup in my eyes(and thats where it hurts the worse) Black locust is best served lined up in the ground with horse fencing wire stapled to it. Where those resins serve best keeping the rot away. And not the cold.


 
You definitely need to be burning some sassafras!


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## Paulywalnut (Jan 23, 2013)

Applesister, I like your post.. but I still like the locust's warmth.
You must burn alot of cherry and apple.


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## firefighterjake (Jan 23, 2013)

raybonz said:


> Think you've been snorting too many Whoopie pies Jake lol!
> 
> Ray


 
I know it looks like I eat 'em all the time . . . but the truth is I'm not a big fan of the whoopie pie. Now coconut cream pie, apple pie, blueberry pie . . . well that's a whole other thing.


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## BucksCounty (Jan 23, 2013)

Burning some black locust for first time.  It is season about a year. Not sure that is long enough. I tried mixing it with 2 year seasoned red oak.  I feel I am getting hotter temps when only burning the red oak.  How long should the locust season. Intersted to know because I just split about 2 cords of it and want to use it next year.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 23, 2013)

I have found that one year should be OK for BL. I have also found that smaller splits are better for BL.


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## jatoxico (Jan 23, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> You definitely need to be burning some sassafras!


 
BW I have a fair little bit of of sassafras drying. Don't feel like it's gonna give much heat it better smell good at least.


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## Nixon (Jan 23, 2013)

Guys....... You are being played by Dennis ! He likely got 12 hour burn times from the Locust , his wife didn't mind the smell ,and it was easily lit . Dennis is a crafty individual and is constantly on the prowl for a source of firewood .
He's just waiting for someone to say "try my Black Locust ..... It will work really well " . Dennis is a genius !


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## etiger2007 (Jan 24, 2013)

Nixon said:


> Dennis is a crafty individual and is constantly on the prowl for a source of firewood .


 

I doubt he needs a source for firewood, you should see his property.  lol


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## blwncrewchief (Jan 24, 2013)

BucksCounty said:


> Burning some black locust for first time. It is season about a year. Not sure that is long enough. I tried mixing it with 2 year seasoned red oak. I feel I am getting hotter temps when only burning the red oak. How long should the locust season. Intersted to know because I just split about 2 cords of it and want to use it next year.


 
It "depends" with BL. I know I hate that saying also but here is my experience with having allot of BL. If it was dead standing or dead on the ground it is usually good anywhere from fresh cut to one year. Fresh cut green I would say it really needs 2 years at least. It will burn at one year but it can still be quite high MC. I had to clear a couple off my property last March and I just checked a couple a week or so ago with readings of 23-28%. Not real good considering they were c/s/s single row for 9 months and an extremely hot, dry summer for us. If cut green at one year it will burn but it is usually really hard to start, takes much longer to get going, and usually stinks much worse. I think you will find it much better next year. I also find because BL starts hard that even once it is seasoned, keeping it surface dry can make a huge difference in the burning experience.


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## Nixon (Jan 24, 2013)

etiger2007 said:


> I doubt he needs a source for firewood, you should see his property. lol


Id love to meet the man ! I've learned a lot from him over the time I've been here .


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## etiger2007 (Jan 24, 2013)

Nixon said:


> Id love to meet the man ! I've learned a lot from him over the time I've been here .


 
He's a great guy for sure.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 24, 2013)

Ed, if not before, we should get together sometime this spring when it is splitting time.


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## Nixon (Jan 24, 2013)

etiger2007 said:


> I doubt he needs a source for firewood, you should see his property. lol


Having thought about this for a bit . (likely not a good thing ) ...I'm more convinced than ever that Dennis is a pure genius at getting firewood to "test " . How anyone with a MS290 ,a milk crate and a vertical splitter can get that far ahead is beyond Me . There's more here than meets the eye !


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## cptoneleg (Jan 24, 2013)

blwncrewchief said:


> It "depends" with BL. I know I hate that saying also but here is my experience with having allot of BL. If it was dead standing or dead on the ground it is usually good anywhere from fresh cut to one year. Fresh cut green I would say it really needs 2 years at least. It will burn at one year but it can still be quite high MC. I had to clear a couple off my property last March and I just checked a couple a week or so ago with readings of 23-28%. Not real good considering they were c/s/s single row for 9 months and an extremely hot, dry summer for us. If cut green at one year it will burn but it is usually really hard to start, takes much longer to get going, and usually stinks much worse. I think you will find it much better next year. I also find because BL starts hard that even once it is seasoned, keeping it surface dry can make a huge difference in the burning experience.


 


You are exactly right, If it has been dead a long time it could be ready to burn imediatly, but if still green can take 2 or 3 yrs.


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## etiger2007 (Jan 24, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Ed, if not before, we should get together sometime this spring when it is splitting time.


 
Sounds like a good time to me


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## tfdchief (Jan 24, 2013)

I find all wood species have their unique burning characteristics. It is like getting used to a new stove. Switch to a new species of wood and you likely will take a couple of days to get used to how to start it and burn it. That is part of the reason why I don't separate my wood. It is all mixed and therefore goes in the stove that way, so I have less problems with switching species. Dennis is just spoiled rotten. He burns mostly Ash, which has to be the easiest stuff in the entire world to burn.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 25, 2013)

But it is a warm spoiled.


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## albert1029 (Jan 26, 2013)

just put in the Buck 21 insert...so far use only locust...start it hot, once I have a good bed of coals put a 2 yr dry 16-18" fat split that just about fills up that little stove...burns g r e a t....


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## Stax (Jan 27, 2013)

I've burned primarily BL mixed with Hemlock this season with good results.  I like to run 4 hemlock splits N/S on top of a nice coal bed and all BL on top.  Usually gives me a nice fire with good heat.  I will agree with members in that it does smell.  I still think when cutting and splitting that it has a "sweet, farmy" smell if that makes sense.  The stove also has a certain smell after burning a load, but a smell I haven't figured out.


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## raybonz (Jan 27, 2013)

Stax said:


> "sweet, farmy" smell if that makes sense


In other words it smells like cow $hit 

Ray


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## Todd 2 (Jan 27, 2013)

Hello there Dennis, I see you have been test burning some locust, been burning alot my self these last couple weeks. My good stash is mostly all yellow locust now (honey) I think there the same. I half to change my cat start load a little different than other woods, when I load full of all locust I let her rip to get up to temp, engage the cat, then only close the air about half way or more to normal cat burn.
That keeps the secondaries active while enough smoke is still there to get the cat going strong without stalling, then the heat out put really kicks in. I let that stage go for about 15- 20 min then cut air back to normal cat burn. I call it my two stage locust start.
This hybrid side of the stove is what has made me a big fan of the progress, plus locust keeps my stove temps around 75-100 deg hotter and pipe temp 20-30 deg warmer through out the burn cycle. I really like the coal bed at the end, rake them all forwards towards the air hole on the progress open bypass & air and in about 15 min she is glowing hot with a view of those blue/purple flames.
Spread them out load her up and she's ready to rip again. I do load with smaller splits on the bottom and the big guns on top, seems to work best for me. Burning a hotter stove has cut my burn times down 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs but she usually don't ever drop below 80 in here ( I love it ! ) Keep warm my Friend  hope you figure out the trick to locust in your Fireview that I have come to enjoy.
By the way, checked the new liner last week for the first time, about a 1/16" of brown powder dusting build up (like in your past pics you have posted) Really awesome no black crap at all, happy camper I am with this Woodstock/insulated rigid liner setup.
Good Post too, I enjoy the locust burning ones.

Todd2


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## raybonz (Jan 27, 2013)

Todd 2 said:


> Hello there Dennis, I see you have been test burning some locust, been burning alot my self these last couple weeks. My good stash is mostly all yellow locust now (honey) I think there the same. I half to change my cat start load a little different than other woods, when I load full of all locust I let her rip to get up to temp, engage the cat, then only close the air about half way or more to normal cat burn.
> That keeps the secondaries active while enough smoke is still there to get the cat going strong without stalling, then the heat out put really kicks in. I let that stage go for about 15- 20 min then cut air back to normal cat burn. I call it my two stage locust start.
> This hybrid side of the stove is what has made me a big fan of the progress, plus locust keeps my stove temps around 75-100 deg hotter and pipe temp 20-30 deg warmer through out the burn cycle. I really like the coal bed at the end, rake them all forwards towards the air hole on the progress open bypass & air and in about 15 min she is glowing hot with a view of those blue/purple flames.
> Spread them out load her up and she's ready to rip again. I do load with smaller splits on the bottom and the big guns on top, seems to work best for me. Burning a hotter stove has cut my burn times down 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs but she usually don't ever drop below 80 in here ( I love it ! ) Keep warm my Friend  hope you figure out the trick to locust in your Fireview that I have come to enjoy.
> ...


http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm

Yes black and honey locust are close with honey being a tad better as seen in the above referenced chart..

Ray


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 27, 2013)

Sounds good Todd. I had been turning the draft to 50% when engaging but still no dice. But I might also think it could be because our chimney is shorter. It usually gives no problems but perhaps this is one instance that it did. I also think we would have had to add on to the chimney had we put the Progress in.


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## StihlHead (Jan 27, 2013)

I do not understand the problems burning BL. I got a half cord last year from an arborist that said "I hope you have a good stove to burn this stuff in". Not to worry! It was good and dry, already cut and split, and only cost me gas money. I had zero problems burning it. Open door, throw in wood, close door. Lots of heat, burns long, coals up, great firewood. I did not notice any stink to it, but I an used to burning cottonwood so anything that does not smell like cat pee is fine with me.

Reading about BL online on the BTU/wood species burning characteristic web sites, they often list BL as 'hard to burn.' I wish I had more hard to burn species in my stacks.


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## Stax (Jan 27, 2013)

Stihl, I'm with you.  I could care less about the smell as well.  Love BL.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 28, 2013)

I was dong some random googling on Black Locust. It makes some nice lumber.
http://www.blacklocustlumber.com/index.html


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## Machria (Jan 29, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> You definitely need to be burning some sassafras!


 
Why, does that smell?



Flatbedford said:


> I have found that one year should be OK for BL. I have also found that smaller splits are better for BL.


 
Oh krykeeee!  Now you guys tell me!  I just finished splitting a few cords over the last few weeks of BL, and split it all BIG, so I can get long burns with it.  Now suddenly it needs to be small, ans stinks!    




tfdchief said:


> I find all wood species have their unique burning characteristics. It is like getting used to a new stove. Switch to a new species of wood and you likely will take a couple of days to get used to how to start it and burn it. That is part of the reason why I don't separate my wood. It is all mixed and therefore goes in the stove that way, so I have less problems with switching species.


 
Hmmmm.... very interesting thought.  I used to split and stack anything and everything randomly, never even thought about what it was.  Lately, I've been splitting and stacking each species separetaly, and was just thinking the other day how I would handle that in the next few years, do I dig into two different stacks (BL for cold days, pine and maple.... for the other days)?      I kinda like the just mix it all up idea.



Stax said:


> I've burned primarily BL mixed with Hemlock this season with good results. I like to run 4 hemlock splits N/S on top of a nice coal bed and all BL on top. Usually gives me a nice fire with good heat. I will agree with members in that it does smell. I still think when cutting and splitting that it has a "sweet, farmy" smell if that makes sense. The stove also has a certain smell after burning a load, but a smell I haven't figured out.


 
It smells like olives when freshly split and stacked.  I confirmed that 100%.  Does it smell like olives when burned?


Lastly, anyone with a PH burn any BL loads?  How does the PH handle it?


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 29, 2013)

Machria said:


> Why, does that smell?


 
Smells super sweet when cutting. I think about the sweetest smelling wood there is. Not the best for burning but will do for short fires.


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