Black Locust BUG DAMAGE??????

[rapaport]

I got really luck and found a construction site with a dozen or so black locust trees cut down. Imtalked to the property owner and he gave me access to all the BL I want! So I got my chain saw cut four nice logs at 7' long and about 12" diameter. I split my first log and and noticed in center large burrowing holes but only concentrated in a small area. But as I remove the sap wood I see fine black lines and what looks to be black "pin holes" . I tried to feel the black fine lines and what looks to be a couple of tiny black pin holes but i dont feel any damage. And what looks like tiny black holes dont feel like there are any holes. Is BL known to have strange black fine markings and tiny black spots that look like bg damage but cant feel the tunnel or hole! I rub my finger and even run my finger nail accross these markings but dont feel any ruts or holes. I did hear BL can be inconsistant in color but could they also have weird marks and lines and dots! Or am i doomed? This is from the first log. I havent even touched thenothers yet. Please inform me   

[Pat B]

Those bore holes are common in locust...at least here where I live. The other cracks are probably wind shakes (stress cracks from the wind)that have discolored from water getting down in them. Find some clear wood and make a bow.

[blackhawk]

Can you post some pix please? Is it just one stave,or all of them?

[Eric Krewson]

What you have is the worst of the worst when it comes to bug damage in wood, powder post beetles.

If you were to split your logs right at one of the pin holes this is what you would find, good wood damaged beyond hope for ever being bow wood. Powder post beetles go in the top of a log and come out the bottom, recking havoc along the way.

[rapaport]

WOW! My stave does NOT look that way. It just looks like black lines in the wood. No tunnels from what I can see. Well i did find some larger tunnels and holes but they where more concentrated in a small area and near the heart of the log. I read some where black markings could be fungus?? The wood looks healthy and solid except for the occasional black marks streaks and what sorta looks like tiny itty bitty black dots or maybe holes? And this is the first stave out of the log piles i brought home. Could I possibly see some bug damage from someone familiar from all types of damage?

[blackhawk]

Post some pics dude ....someone elses words are easy to misinterpret while pics are not

[DavidV]

I think the logs are just spalted. Not good for making bows but the lumber could be valuable if it looked good. Look up spalted maple pics and see if it's anything like that.

[George Tsoukalas]

Some of the BL around here gets bugs. I've seen the spalted stuff too. I'm trying to remember if I ever made a bow from spalted BL. I'm thinking yes. Don't remember for sure. Yes, show some pics. Jawge

[Gus]

I'd like to see what you're talking about as well...

-gus