Hi everyone! I had to share a project with you all, that I am working on at the moment. I was out in my yard over a month ago, picking up sticks and small branches from my sycamore trees, they are rather messy trees sometimes.
I picked up one particular branch, I held it in my hands, and instantly thought it would make a good walking stick! It has some rather cool knots. Not being very tall, it would work for myself or my daughter. The stick measures almost 39" long in length.
As you can see the stick has a total of four knots towards the top, the bottom has nothing on it, which is fine, over half of it really. The knots are towards the top, which is perfect. I have already taken off the bark on 90% of the stick, and done lots of sanding. It also has a heart on it! I couldn't believe that. You tell me what you think. Here are a series of pictures that I've taken.
http://modetwo.net/users/brokenarts/Stick1.JPG
http://modetwo.net/users/brokenarts/Stick3.JPG
http://modetwo.net/users/brokenarts/Stick4.JPG
I basically want to know if anyone has worked on walking sticks, is there any advice you can give me?
I've taken a series of pictures, so you can see this piece, I find it very interesting, and I've never seen a branch like this! At least I thought so.
Image #1 the top.
I see a lizards eye right in the center of that top piece. I found a Taxidermy website that I can order glass eyes. I plan on ordering some eyes, and setting them in the various knots. Hallow out the knots a bit, and set the eyes.
There are 4 knots. The glass eyes come in sets of two, makes sense right? So, one set of Lizard eyes, and the other set, I haven't decided yet.
As for the heart, I may use a more slightly red stain to outline the heart.
Once its all done, I will stain and seal everything in. I'm taking things a bit slow, with this much on the stick, I want to be sure of what I want done.
Here is the link for the Taxidermy site.
http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/subcategory/150
Thanks for looking. :)
That looks like it's gonna be an awesome project. And I adore the heart. The only thing I would suggest is getting a rubber stopper for the bottom of the walking stick so that it will last longer.
Thats a good idea, thanks for that tip! Hah, no pun intended. :P ;D
if you plan of carving or sanding on it, i would suggest wearing a dust mask. the irregularities on sticks such as the one you have is caused by a type of fungus which can be harmful to your lungs if you breath the dust. i've been woodcarving fo about 25 years and have worked with spalted woods and one called Dimond Willow which has a growth deformity closr to your piece.
Thank you for that informative bit of information, thats very interesting. I do appreciate that. I will definitely wear a mask! Thanks again. Any other tips, I'd love to hear them. TY.
Quote from: irish boy on July 31, 2008, 12:11:58 PM
if you plan of carving or sanding on it, i would suggest wearing a dust mask. the irregularities on sticks such as the one you have is caused by a type of fungus which can be harmful to your lungs if you breath the dust. i've been woodcarving fo about 25 years and have worked with spalted woods and one called Dimond Willow which has a growth deformity closr to your piece.
Very good advise on wearing a dust mask, irish boy. Whether fungus' or not, use respiratory protection of some sort when working with woods, everybody. I'd just like to offer my observation that those "knots" on her sycamore branch weren't caused by fungus or spalting (see http://www.hiltonhandcraft.com/Articles/Spalting_a_Fungus_Amongus.asp (http://www.hiltonhandcraft.com/Articles/Spalting_a_Fungus_Amongus.asp) for information on that aspect of wood coloration/fungus attack). They are just simply overgrowths from broken limb-lets or other damage. The wood on the inside may very well be spalted, but those knots have nothing to do with that.
BrokenArts,
You mentioned using a stain ... I'd suggest a dye instead of a stain. Analine (alcohol based) dye gives the most outstanding color and is more light-fast than either stains or water-based dyes. A dye also allows the wood to show through the color better, too.
TY too Woodland Artisan, good advice as well. I am glad I posted this! The one thing about my trees, they drop branches a lot. So, that makes sense, whether it would indeed be fungus or not. They do drop a lot of branches anyway.
A lot to read with the fungus amung us. A good read, I'm still going through it. You never know what you'll learn.
I'll look into a dye, good idea. TY again! Keep the info and tips coming. I'm enjoying this. :)
You're welcome, BrokenArts.
Yes, Sycamores do drop a lot of limbs. It's one of those typical characteristics (along with the thin peeling white-ish bark and lacewood-like quartersawn grain look) of this tree. Also, the fact that most large (over 3' diameter) Sycamores are usually hollow to varying degrees at the base. Bit of trivia (for those just dying to know ;D ) ...
Frontier families of the midwest frequently used the very large Sycamores (5' and up diameters) with their hollow bases (frequently open and accessed to the hollow from the outside) as natural, quick, small stock shelters for their pigs and other smaller animals as they traveled through or until they could make a permanent pen.
I use Sycamore a lot for my kitchenware products and commercially spalt it for the veneer business. A nice wood.
I've been making walking sticks/hiking staffs for quite some time but only do a few higher-end ones (unique collectibles or serious hiking staffs) a year now. Got all sorts of tips, depending on what you're wanting to do with it.
Oh woodland, you are just full of all kinds of information! Very cool actually. Thats interesting about the hallowed out section that settlers used to use in the trees.
My house sets on a corner lots, I've got a total of 6 sycamore trees. You get a good rain, or a strong wind, hello, time to go outside afterward and pick up the yard! The trees are big, probably 50 years old, or more, few stories tall. The house was built in 52, so probably planted around that time. They shade my house in this hot Texas sun, so, I love them.
I do restoration work on objects, so, I have all kinds of tools to work on that stick. I felt a little foolish in posting the images, and the story, thinking, who'd care about this? But, I did it anyway. ;)
I am barely 5'2" so the stick would work just fine for me, it won't be very tall, there is a notch out of the top, to rest your thumb on. The top would sit at about waist level for me. Its comfortable. I took my dremel/fordem tool, and smoothed it out and rounded it out further to make it even more comfortable for your thumb.
As for what I really plan on doing with the stick, just making it smooth right now, I've taken down some knots, and sanded some completely off that I didn't want.
Its like a progression of sorts, and seeing and listening to what the stick says to me.
In a sense.
So far with what I want to do, is more fantasy based. I see lots of character in the wood. I'm just going with it. I even thought about taking a mold of some of the sections, for later use, and if I want to make more sticks. We'll see there.
I'd love to see some of your past work woodland, if you have anything available to view. ;D
Quote from: BrokenArts on August 01, 2008, 07:59:09 AM
The house was built in 52, so probably planted around that time. They shade my house in this hot Texas sun, so, I love them.
Do you know if Sycamores are native to upper Texas? We have them everywhere here in the Ozarks. I spent some time down in the Wichita Falls / Dallas area last fall selling wood blanks and picking up some Mesquite but didn't remember seeing much Sycamore.
Quote
I do restoration work on objects, so, I have all kinds of tools to work on that stick. I felt a little foolish in posting the images, and the story, thinking, who'd care about this? But, I did it anyway. ;)
Oh? What kind of restoration? I get quite a lot of furniture restoration commissions (materials/structure ... not re-finishing) and I really enjoy the researching aspect of it. Many times, there simply isn't available information on a piece and we just have to work with the museum, gallery, or collector to come up with what we think might be appropriate in replacements and techniques.
QuoteI am barely 5'2" so the stick would work just fine for me, it won't be very tall, there is a notch out of the top, to rest your thumb on. The top would sit at about waist level for me. Its comfortable. I took my dremel/fordem tool, and smoothed it out and rounded it out further to make it even more comfortable for your thumb.
Sounds great for cane usage. I, too, enjoy trying to find the natural aspects of the existing wood and trying to work them into something useful instead of just forcing something onto it. Also, the fact that wood is meant to be felt ... not just seen. One of the defining characteristics of my wood pieces (be it furniture, utilitarian, or art pieces) is to be able to actually
feel the wood. All too often, especially wooden art pieces, they look great but are covered by so much film finish that you can't feel the wood. So, I always appreciate those "feeling areas" that we woodworkers find or put into wooden pieces.
Now, with that said and a little tip for those that are new to it, having a significant thumb-rest or otherwise a place for the hand or fingers to tightly grasp or rest upon a heavy-use walking/hiking staff is a no-no. Those that use these things hard-core aren't going to actually be using those nice areas because over repeated and prolonged use, the fingers and palms of the hands really hurt. A wrist strap of some kind is what's preferred by them. Gripping of the staff/stick is normally very light in walking or hiking. The weight and swing of the staff/stick is managed through the strap. But, again, that's for a subset of the people that buy canes or staffs. They are picky, though!
QuoteIts like a progression of sorts, and seeing and listening to what the stick says to me.
In a sense.
I know completely what you mean there.
QuoteSo far with what I want to do, is more fantasy based. I see lots of character in the wood. I'm just going with it. I even thought about taking a mold of some of the sections, for later use, and if I want to make more sticks. We'll see there.
Hmmm, that's interesting. Molding. What material would you make the molded sticks from? I guess fiberglass (for weight) ?
QuoteI'd love to see some of your past work woodland, if you have anything available to view. ;D
I'll see what I can dig up of the earlier staffs I made. I've found that over the past few years, my picture-taking of the pieces (across all types of products) that I make has dropped considerably. Not sure why, though. I don't keep as many pieces hanging around for much length of time anymore, maybe. Mostly, I make things now that are commissioned pieces that get shipped out to customers or galleries pretty quickly.
I've made many hiking and walking sticks and that's a gorgeous piece you have there! I'm a bit lazy and didn't read through all of the posts but one thing I have grown to love for finishing hiking sticks is a product called True-Oil. It's a gunstock finish that you rub on with your fingers and just buff with 000 steel wool in between coats. The stuff dries hard as nails and really allows the grain of the wood show through. You can have a high gloss finish or a matt finish and I usually can put 7 coats on in 4 hours and it's dry to the touch in an hour.
Most gun shops carry it. It comes in a little brown bottle and I think it's a combination of boiled linseed oil and shellac. You might check it out.
Quote
Do you know if Sycamores are native to upper Texas? We have them everywhere here in the Ozarks. I spent some time down in the Wichita Falls / Dallas area last fall selling wood blanks and picking up some Mesquite but didn't remember seeing much Sycamore.
I really don't know if they are native or not. The state tree for Texas is a pecan tree. At least where I live, they seem to be more numerous. I live near Downtown Dallas.
QuoteOh? What kind of restoration? I get quite a lot of furniture restoration commissions (materials/structure ... not re-finishing) and I really enjoy the researching aspect of it. Many times, there simply isn't available information on a piece and we just have to work with the museum, gallery, or collector to come up with what we think might be appropriate in replacements and techniques.
I restore objects, you can look at BrokenArts.com to see some of the objects I've worked on over the years. More pictures to come soon for my site. Furniture is one thing I don't work on, I do an occasional mother of pearl in lay, or other types of inlay that need to be replaced.
Quote
Also, the fact that wood is meant to be felt ... not just seen. One of the defining characteristics of my wood pieces (be it furniture, utilitarian, or art pieces) is to be able to actually feel the wood.
I keep running my hands over the piece, it feels really good right now, and I am no where near done.
Quote
Now, with that said and a little tip for those that are new to it, having a significant thumb-rest or otherwise a place for the hand or fingers to tightly grasp or rest upon a heavy-use walking/hiking staff is a no-no. Those that use these things hard-core aren't going to actually be using those nice areas because over repeated and prolonged use, the fingers and palms of the hands really hurt. A wrist strap of some kind is what's preferred by them. Gripping of the staff/stick is normally very light in walking or hiking. The weight and swing of the staff/stick is managed through the strap. But, again, that's for a subset of the people that buy canes or staffs. They are picky, though!
I understand that, and I hear you there. I was actually thinking about adding a strap of sorts to it. When its about done, I'll decide what kind etc. I do have another walking stick, its taller, nothing fancy. That has a leather strap on it, which I use all the time. I use it for hiking, it has a compass on the end of it.
Quote
Hmmm, that's interesting. Molding. What material would you make the molded sticks from? I guess fiberglass (for weight) ?
I've use a silicon mold making compound for my castings, its great stuff. I've tried other materials, I keep going back to this stuff. The molds retain their shape, and don't crack on me. If they do, it will be a long time when that does happen.
I'd probably use some sort of a fiberglass material, or something, I have all kinds of stuff I can use. Some stuff called Permastone too. :)
I'm sure this piece isn't anywhere near what you do, I just enjoy this stuff. Some decorative sticks can be quite elaborate, with their carvings and all. I am just using what is already there. Its fun!
Arma, more info! I am finding I do enjoy the carving, and dealing with the wood, just something about it. I'll see where this takes me. Thanks for that tip as well.
I can be a resource info hog, you can never get enough sometimes. :) I'd love to see what you've done too. I do enjoy seeing other peoples projects.
I do have a question about using a dye. If I choose to use a dye, do I need to seal it in? If I do, with what? Would a wax work? I have a really good conservation wax, Renaissance wax, hah, nice name. Its used by the British museum, its one of the best waxes on the market.
When dealing with dye (as opposed to stains), you have to be careful in what you topcoat it with. To make this really simple (there are lots of caveats and procedures to overcome things) ...
Say you are using a water-based dye. Don't use a water-based finish over the top of it. You'll just pull that dye back up into the finish and it'll streak or just look muddy. Same goes for alcohol or oil based dyes. Don't use a finish over it that's solvent is the same as the type of dye (alcohol based dye with alcohol based or similar finish).
With that said, here's a simple thing to do ... just gently wipe or spray on a couple of very light coats of thinned shellac over the dried dye regardless of the type of dye. Then you can use any finish you want over that. The shellac will act as a barrier ("sealer" if you will) between the dye and final finish. Shallac can be used under or over any finish.
Using a wax to seal wood isn't good. Doesn't last, won't protect, attracts dust, can be slippery, and other finishes won't adhere to it.
I would use a final finish on the wood to help protect it (the wood) and make it a bit prettier. A film finish such as a polyurethane (varnish too) or even just boiled linseed oil is going to be your best bet. An oil-based finish in this application will hold up well for walking sticks. There are lots more options but those two are easiest and common. If you want to wax over the top of the (cured) film finish is fine for a bit more shine.
Yep, Ren-Wax is a good product for it's intended purpose. It's a petroleum-based synthetic wax. Basically, a wax-ified mineral oil. It's main advantage in restoration work is the fact that it's fairly non-reactive and won't mess with materials of unknown origin or make-up. We make our own wax blends (indeed, all of our finishes) for most of our work so that we can tailor them to what is needed for the task at hand.
Looking forward to seeing the results of your stick.
Thats a lot of info right there. I am going to save this, and refer to it later, when I get to that point. Thank you Woodland. What you say makes sense. I shall take your advice. I worked on the stick this past Sunday, working on the knots, taking back some of the bark, just deciding what I want to do. It will be a little while before its done. I'm getting there. I will surely post more pictures, when I can.
Thank you again, you've been most hopeful, I love to learn. :)
Now that's one awesome stick. It does remind me of Diamond Willow, which I absolutely love carving.
In my experience, a rubber tip made for crutches is the most resilient and pliable and is great for gripping on surfaces. Doesn't really go well with a Ren Faire motiff though. I'd wrap the ground end with copper wire tightly and twist is closed (about an inch from the end). That way the end can get all beat up, but won't crack.
As for color, you might try good'ol Sharpies markers. The more muted colors give a slight variation to the wood. The bold colors hold up well, but blues tend to soak in and bleed. Sharpies hold up well to polyurethane as well.
I use a shilellagh with a knob on the top, I also use a flat topped cane. I prefer the shilellagh knob to the cane's handle as it has a great "swing" when walking. Your stick looks rather bulky and heavy - is it? I wonder how well it "swings". That swing is important for comfort while walking.
No, its not a bulky stick. Its rather short, about 36" tall. The diameter is not that wide either, maybe an inch and a half. Of course I need to accurately measure it. With all the sanding, taking down of the bark on the knots, etc. It makes it look smaller still, more refined too. Its getting there. Thanks for looking, and the added info! I'll upload some updated shots of it someday soon.
Good luck with it, I'd love to see it upon completion!
I took a look at your site rogheff. Very interesting. I enjoyed looking at your various sticks and staffs, and learning more about Diamond Willow. It is a lovely looking wood. I love the patterns, knots the wood can get. The variation in that particular wood reminded me a little of my walking stick.
As of now, the stick sits on my shelf, waiting for me to pick it up, and work on it again. Working on Halloween stuff right now. :P ;) You mentioned letting the wood age, would that be said for all woods? Let it dry, better for the wood?
When I harvest a stick, I let it age for about a year. If you strip the bark when it's green, you'll have an easier time, but the wood will crack as it's drying and that applies to most woods. Keep the bark on and the moisture escapes through the bark and dries slowly.
Dry wood is also much easier to carve. The wood chips and flakes easily.
Let it dry - better for the wood project.
That last topic on drying struck home for me. Been working on a gift from hurricane Gustav. He knocked over an old arizona ash (I am told) tree in my yard. I cut about 5 staff length peices and a shorter one for a walking stick. They vary in width from @5 in diameter to nearly a foot across.
I started on the width short walking stick peice by chainsawing the bark off then used a chisel to start thinning it down. I am impressed at the density of ash. The chisel will shave hair but it takes a few good whacks to remove a small shaving. After a few days of not working it I noticed that it was developing cracks. I can only assume this is due to it drying. I was hoping to finish it for TRF in a couple weeks. Do any of you experienced woodworkers think that it would be possible to whittle beyond the cracks and then dry it afterwards to be a servicable walking stick? Or should I just keep practicing on this one but don't expect it to work out because I started when it was very fresh?
So far I am using a chisel but I did locate an old drawknife at a local hardware store. The owner thinks his father must have bought it ages ago and it's been just on the shelf for years and years. I imagine once I get closer to the thickness I want, I'll switch to the knife for smaller smoother whittling then switch to sanding for the finalization. Staining, dying, and end cap haven't entered my mind yet because I don't know what it will give me when I get deep enough. It's still too big for me to get my hand around even but it does have a nice angle at the top that I would like to preserve for the handle secction.
This is my first attempt at wood carving so any and all advice is welcome.
Glad to see this thread keeps going and going. :) Lot of useful information. Good to know too about the drying time. My stick, I think had been dead on the tree for awhile. Eventually it just fell off the tree. It doesn't look green, inspecting on the bottom, it looks aged. No signs of green at all on it. But, that is good to know about the drying time. Keep this going people! I love all the info on it. Good for all to learn more. Thank you.
Grov:
Why are you going to the extreme and carving down a stick from a much larger section of the tree? That's a huge amount of work! Why not just take a smaller branch? If the tree came down, a smaller branch must be available.
I usually hunt for small saplings (2" caliper +/-). I'm also constantly looking for young trees and branches further up with good shapes (twists, dips) for canes.
I've never seen a crack in a walking stick stop, it usually keeps going to the center of the branch.
Cracks can be great though. One of my favorite sticks was a Hickory Shilellagh. I harvested it and stripped the bark, then it started cracking. I got lucky because it cracked below the handle. I decided to keep that stick natural and the crack gave it personality. The Grizzly Bear claw and bone beads helped the effect too.
Broken Arts:
If a branch has fallen from a tree it may be too rotted to use.
One piece of advice that I give my Boy Scouts when they're carving sticks on a campout is this...Once you find a stick that you really like and want to keep and carve, whack it on the ground as hard as you can. If it survives, carve away. if it breaks, you've just saved yourself a lot of time and energy (and anger when it breaks later).
I can make all of the basic staffs anyone could desire, but for the intricate carving I will leave to others that are more qualified. Now with that point, to the story. I was in the air force back in the early 60's. Stationed in San Antonio Texas. Somewhere, somewhen(the details escape me), I came accross this piece of blow down. It was in a great state of condition and had the general shape of a cane. I knew nothing at the time of drying etc.etc. so I stripped the bark and let it dry for a while. I had no need for it, so I wrapped it up and sent it home to my father. Now fast forward to about 1983. My folks are packing up, selling out etc, so as to move from New York to Georgia where they had purchased a mobile home. My father packs all of the left over stuff that he wants to keep but cannot take with him right away and brings it to my house. As we are unloading and putting stuff into the garage he brings out the still wrapped cane which he only looked at and never did anything with. So I packed it up with the rest of the stuff. Now fast forward again to the 21st century. I have a friend who is with me a lot and highly involved in antique cars. One day after a brief excursion to view some old relics we go back to my house to discuss the find over some cold ales and some how we get on the subject of wood carving and he tells me that he is a novice wood carver and is a member of some wood carving group up in Atlanta. I had been cleaning and sanding the old cane for a couple of months and it was coming along nicely but I still had not come up with any meaningfull designs. I showed him the cane and he offers to take it and he will do some carving because he sees some very interesting areas in the cane that will come out nicely. That was about 5 years ago and I have not seen the cane since. I talk to the guy all the time and make inquiries, but so far no joy. He says he is making progress, but he too has schedule problems so I am sure that he only works on it when he has time. So some day I will hopefully be able to post some pictures of it 'WHEN" I get it back. Which triggers a thought. I have a staff that I created from a blown down branch. It is very unique and I call it 'OLIVER RUNESTAFF". I will try to take some pictures of it over the weekend and get them posted. I also developed a rather interesting story to go with the obtaining of the staff. More on that later.
rogheff, I gave the stick a few good whacks on the ground. Nothing, its fine. It hasn't changed. Looks like it will be ok. :)
Well, actually there weren't any salvageable staff/walking stick lengths of smaller diameter. I started working on what I had. What I didn't have was electricity or cable at the time, aside from the evenings when I ran the generator. And it's my tree. It grew in my yard, fell in my yard, is being carved down in my hard. I'm hoping the "heart" under all that wood has some great features. Also, with the other larger diameter pieces, I am planning on having a friend with a commercial woodworking shop (spiral staircase builder) cut them down to a couple blanks each.
Here's a few shots of my stick. I expect tons of sanding later.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/GrovdinDokk/WalkingStick001.jpg)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/GrovdinDokk/WalkingStick002.jpg)
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/GrovdinDokk/WalkingStick003.jpg)
Jesus that thing is bigger than my arm. :P ;D Good luck with it.
Yes, thinking more and more about power tools, haha. The chisel and drawknife don't chew it up like I need.
Quote from: Grov on September 27, 2008, 09:13:08 AM
Well, actually there weren't any salvageable staff/walking stick lengths of smaller diameter. I started working on what I had. What I didn't have was electricity or cable at the time, aside from the evenings when I ran the generator. And it's my tree. It grew in my yard, fell in my yard, is being carved down in my hard. I'm hoping the "heart" under all that wood has some great features. Also, with the other larger diameter pieces, I am planning on having a friend with a commercial woodworking shop (spiral staircase builder) cut them down to a couple blanks each.
I understand that completely. The best hand tool that I have for removing large quantities of wood fast is a really rough rasp. Do you know anyone with a lathe? That would be the easiest way to remove a lot of excess wood.
Got a friend with one but I would have to cut the curved length to lathe the straight chunk then reconnect the crook. Since it seems to be cracking terminally, I think I'll just whittle it the hard way for the practice.
You're probably way beyond this by now, but a really sharp hatchet will easily remove a lot of excess wood.
Tried to file my hatchet to a keener edge but I gave up. If I had a grinding wheel, maybe... With the severe cracking and so much other stuff coming up, I haven't touched it in over a week.
Historically speaking, anyone know who made canes? Some of the really fancy ones had to be related to the jewelry/goldsmith trades. Did they have any guilds, or similar brotherhoods for cane/walking stick makers?
when I use found wood in my sculptures they have to be heat cured to kill any residents, the wood is put in the oven at a low temp and left to cook for several hours. This kills any residents,fungus etc. I may be wrong but heat setting the staff/stick may be called for. A fire let to cool to ash and coal and lay it near there and rotate it till the whole thing has been exposed. This is better done after the carving as this will harden the wood a bit. I may be wrong, haven't made a staff yet. Have a nice piece on the porch I found while out riding my horse in the woods a few weeks ago. Been staring at it trying to decide what to do with it...not even sure what kind of wood it is.
I suspect it was a combination of trades that made the fancy carved, jeweled, etc. ones, Groomporter. The turning being done by the Guild of Turners (later Chartered "The Worshipful Company of Turners" by James I) and the rest by the other trades. Much like today ... I do everything up to the really fancy wood carving or any of the metal, jewel or leather work. That all gets outsourced to other artisans.
No proof, just conjecture. But, I'd try asking the Worshipful Company of Turners yourself (http://www.turnersco.com/ (http://www.turnersco.com/)). I'm sure they'd have the historical records on whether the turners had anything to do with it in England.
Yeah that's my guess. Some one mentioned to me that possibly sword smiths might have had some connections as well as far as making fancy handles/knobs.
So, having read this post, a 6' long, 10" diameter trunk of japanese maple came up on my local freecycle-- would love to get 3-4 slender walking sticks out of it.... is this a wood that can be used or is it too soft/hard/unforgiving/etc? TYVM in advance for any info
PS- Tree died of 'verticillium wilt', if that makes any difference in its usefulness...
Japanese Maple is fine for making walking sticks out of. It's not terribly hard and not soft, either. Never have seen a 10" diameter trunk on those, though. Other than at the very bottom and a whole lot of forking a couple of feet up after that. Please post a picture if you have one. I'd love to see it.
The verticillium wilt is quite common with the ornamentals and will, if it hasn't damaged the wood inside (no way to tell until you get in there and see), give some nice color streaking that could make some outstanding sticks.
Split that trunk into, at least, fourths as soon as you can. And, with a good 10" trunk, you should be able to get a whole lot more than 4 sticks out of it. Unless you're doing some serious twists or other things to your sticks.
Good luck and have fun.
Brought it home today and cleaned off the bark. It is 10 inches diameter at the base, but quickly tapers down to about 4-5 inches at the 5' point... going to cut it off at that point and try to get 4 out of it, plus chunks for other smaller projects when i remove the excess at the larger end, then the remaining 4-5 feet of trunk is kinda gnarled, probably only be able to get one out of it. Really looking forward to this project! And, having removed the bark, the grain of the wood is absolutely gorgeous!
Okay, so my only local lumberyard wants a rediculous amount of money to split the log- any suggestions as to how to split it cleanly myself?
I can't think of a way unless you use a band saw, using moderately priced available tools. (I bought a band saw for $100 a couple years back). You'll need help feeding it!
Quote from: kilteddispatcher on December 08, 2010, 05:15:24 PM
Okay, so my only local lumberyard wants a rediculous amount of money to split the log- any suggestions as to how to split it cleanly myself?
SPLIT it or CUT it?
If you actually split it, it'll follow the grain direction ... wherever that may lead. I do this for my traditionally made windsor and ladderback, etc. chairs. In todays' language, this type of woodworking is called 'greenwood woodworking' ... as in using green (freshly cut or wet) wood. Everything is split (called: riving). But, this is simply how most furniture was initially processed. But, I digress ...
What I do to split logs is to just use a sledge hammer and some wedges. Start one into the end of the log to get a crack going and then begin along the length of the log and keep splitting down the length until you get to the other end. Repeat at different angles as needed.
If you're wanting to cut it, then either use a bandsaw (very dangerous if it's long or big diameter) or use a chainsaw and saw it lengthwise carefully.
Quote from: groomporter on October 06, 2010, 06:51:10 PM
Historically speaking, anyone know who made canes? Some of the really fancy ones had to be related to the jewelry/goldsmith trades. Did they have any guilds, or similar brotherhoods for cane/walking stick makers?
This reminds me of a rerun episode of "Antique Roadshow" that I saw a couple of weeks ago. A man was there with an elaborately carved cane, and the apraiser was saying that typically only a few canes would be made by any one person. Often it was a woodworker making a cane for themself to use and show off their talent. Sometimes they would make a few more as gifts. This was in referance to the 1800's.
If anyone has any more information then that, please share.
Every now and then I'll find at the family farm branches or saplings with the perfect bend to them for a cane. but in addition to these, I'm also wanting to make some simpler canes, ones with a more standard shape. I'm thinking about cutting saplings and bending them into shape.
What would likely work best, cutting them green, and bending them in a jigg, (bark on or off) and letting them dry that way. Or dry then, skin and shape, then steam them before puting them in a jigg. That would also require me building and finding somewhere to keep a steambox.
Quote from: jcbanner on January 03, 2011, 09:44:53 PM
Quote from: groomporter on October 06, 2010, 06:51:10 PM
Historically speaking, anyone know who made canes? Some of the really fancy ones had to be related to the jewelry/goldsmith trades. Did they have any guilds, or similar brotherhoods for cane/walking stick makers?
This reminds me of a rerun episode of "Antique Roadshow" that I saw a couple of weeks ago. A man was there with an elaborately carved cane, and the apraiser was saying that typically only a few canes would be made by any one person. Often it was a woodworker making a cane for themself to use and show off their talent. Sometimes they would make a few more as gifts. This was in referance to the 1800's.
If anyone has any more information then that, please share.
I can see that for some of the things that show up on the Roadshow, but I was thinking more about the 17th/18th century fancy/formal canes with more expensive silver or gold handles as opposed to carved wooden canes/walking sticks.