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GEPPETTO

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26 Oct 2004
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Location
Vinci (FI) - Italy
Hi all

For a long time I thought about the idea to build an workbench for my workshop. I think workbench is to be done with a very strong wood.
Therefore I went to my lumber supplier and asked if he had a very hard and well seasoned wood for my workbench.
Well, he gave me a lot of "black locust" ( robinia in Italy) he had from about seven years. I bought some strip about (2700x300x80 mm) for my bench.


What do you think about "black locust"??
 
Robinia
The Robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia) is also known as the False Acacia or the Black Locust. This tree can produce mean spikes along its trunk and within the branches, which is a form of protection against predators. It is a fast growing, deciduous tree that reaches heights of up to 85ft. This can be an attractive ornamental tree with its delicate leaf formation, twisted trunk, white, sweet-scented hanging flowers and open crown. The variety R. pseudoacacia 'Inermis' does not produce the spikes and the variety R. pseudoacacia 'Frisea' has attractive honey-golden leaves.


we've got one of the these in the front garden but i've never heard it called the 'black locust' tree, only 'false acacia'... i wonder if i'm allowed to cut it down.... :twisted:
 
Philly":26st5r77 said:
Wow, never heard of it. What does it resemble-i.e. mahogany, oak, teak?
regards
Philly :D

Hi Philly

My timber is yellow/green colored and is very near to :

robinia.JPG


A review I have found in the web:


Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Robinie, black locust)

Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Trade and local names: Robinie, Falsche Akazie, Akazie, Gemeiner Schotendorn (D), robinier (F), false acacia (GB), black locust, yellow locust (USA), robinia (NL, I), ak t (CS), bagrem, robinija (YU), salcam (RO), akacja biala (PL), fehér akác (H).

Tree. Geographic distribution: Europe, excl. Mediterranean and North America.

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to yellow to green. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.54–0.74–0.87 g/cm³.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood ring-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in clusters (both early and latewood). Vessel outline rounded. Average tangential vessel diameter 130–180–220 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 7–11 µm, vestured and not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular. Helical thickenings present, only in narrow vessel elements, throughout the body of vessel elements. Tyloses in vessels present (extremely so), thinwalled.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids commonly present. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 760–1000–1250 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, vasicentric, and aliform. Aliform parenchyma lozenge. Axial parenchyma fusiform and as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4.

Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–6 cells wide. Rays of two distinct sizes. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm, or commonly over 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent.

Storied structures. Storied structure present (macroscopically hardly visible), axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.

Miscellaneous. • Trees. Aufforstung mit Robinie in Nordostdeutschland - Black Locust afforestation in northeastern Germany - Aforestación con Robinia en el nordeste de Alemania. Robinia pseudoacacia. • Wood surface. Robinia pseudoacacia.
 
I have worked with black lockust. It´s one of the most decay restistant woods in Europe, so its great for outdoor use
I made this door of Black lockust; it is just oilded with teak oil, if it is not protected it will became gray over the time...

Gartentor.jpg


The wood is very hard and dense. It is not easy to plane, at least the blank is used.
In Germany the use of BL is not common for indoor furniture, but why not try to build a bench out of it :lol:

regards
Rolf
 
Black locust should make a great bench. It is very hard, heavy, and doesn't shrink much with drying. It will age to a beautiful brown/orange color. It will be hard to work with hand tools so I hope you have a jointer & thickness planer available.

When I was a youngster, my father and I cut some black locust trees for fence posts. He told me the posts would start growing again and I was sure he was teasing but they actually do.
 
Roger Nixon":2f89aagc said:
...... It will be hard to work with hand tools so I hope you have a jointer & thickness planer available.

Hi Roger, I was very afraid that it would be been a wrong thing when I bought the wood because I tried to plane the strip with my handplane and a I had a poor result because the blade was not sharpened and the plane was set off.

I was, and now I am still, a novice about woodworking but now I know to sharpen a blade the things are very easier. I have done some things from the timber above and the planning is hard, but it is possible.
Naturally with a jointer & thickness things will be very more easier.
Thanks for the answer.

P.S. I hope my scholastic language is clear for you and I hope said things which I think.
 
If you joint together the wood for your top be VERY,VERY sure about the planing direction.

I would (strongly) recommend testing each surface with a plane, and chalk the preferred planing direction on every surface. If 2 adjacent pieces have opposite planing direction, planing the resulting worktop flat is very difficult.

Then arrange your lamination pieces, trying to ensure that the alternate lamination have the curve of their grain up then down then up... etc. This ensures that any movement in the timber pieces generates minor "rippling" not major "cupping"

You'll also want (if possible) to have the prettier faces on top.

Then mark the hallowed "cabinet makers triangle" on the assembly.

BugBear
 
bugbear":cvbszo4c said:
...
I would (strongly) recommend testing each surface with a plane, and chalk the preferred planing direction on every surface. If 2 adjacent pieces have opposite planing direction, planing the resulting worktop flat is very difficult.

BugBear

Mhh, I didn't think to this thing. It's very very true. This is a confirmation about my small woodworking knowledge (it will grow, I hope.. :roll: ).
Sorry but I do not understand the term "cabinet makers triangle".
Can you teach me what it means??
 
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