[Rodney]

I wasn't really sure what to call this. Basically just a few random shots of stuff I'm currently working on.

First up is the walnut I dragged home last Sunday. There's a couple maple chunks there too from other collecting trips.

I'm not touching it until the snow melts so it's still sitting where I dumped it when I unloaded it.

Next up is another pumpkin cane. Yeah, I know. It's a bit early for Halloween. I'm having fun with them though. This one has a few refinements over the first one and is much improved IMO.

It still needs a few coats of oil before it's done. I used India ink on the shank and I really like it. It goes on smooth and is a nice rich true black. The only issues I've had is it doesn't penetrate deeply and it's not compatible with spray lacquer.

A quick shot of the inside.

It uses two AAA batteries. Getting everything to fit was a bit of a challenge. I'm working on improving the wiring inside on the next ones.

I'm using amber LEDs for the bulbs in them.

I've got a couple more handles started as well. I plan to do three this year for sale.

Last is a couple handles I'm working on.

The market stick handle on the left is white oak. It has a big bullseye of a knot running up and down through the middle of the grip area of the handle. I'm going to keep this one. I like white oak and I like the grain but while I like it, I'm not sure if that knot is going to weaken it or not. If it's going to break, I'd rather it didn't while someone else was using it. I also haven't kept a market stick for myself yet either so this will be a good one for me. The good thing about making sticks is you always get first pick of what comes out of your shop.

The cardigan on the right is red alder from a crotch section. I haven't worked with alder as a handle material before. Around here it's more highly regarded for smoking fish than it is for fine woodworking though it is logged commercially. I think it mostly gets used as a secondary wood in furniture.

It seems a little softer and a little more prone to fuzz and tearout than the maple I usually use.

Mostly my projects haven't been much different than stuff I've posted before so I thought I'd share these ones.

 

[CV3]

Unique Sick Rodney . Nicely done.

 

[Rodney]

Thanks, though my carving has a lot of room for improvement. I actually did use one of my carving gouges on this one-at least in a few places.

My wife humors me though I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm crazy and wonders where I get these ideas and the nicest thing my daughter will say about it is "I like the handle."

They are fun to make and are a nice change of pace from my usual stuff. Most of the variety I get in my standard canes comes from the wood selections. Now that I have a few handle designs I like they're pretty straight forward. I still like making them but like to try different things too. These pumpkin canes give me a few technical challenges to work out along with having fun playing with the shapes and facial expressions of the pumpkins and painting them.

 

[LilysDad]

Great idea with the pumpkin canes. You can go so many ways with these.

 

[MJC4]

Halloween may be ways off but that shouldn't slow you down! I procrastinate on my Christmas carvings next I know it I am scrambling to get gifts done. Nicely done by the by!

 

[dww2]

Great solution to the pumpkin battery problem! Cool contours on the handle where it meets the pumpkin, too.

If that knot in the oak handle seems punky at all, you could try some wood hardener on it. It worked wonders on the punky stuff running through the middle of the crook handle I did a while ago.

 

[Rodney]

Thanks guys.

It's not punky at all. The handle just isn't fully cured yet. I'm more concerned about short grain and the possibility of radial checking at the knot as it finishes drying. The chances of it actually breaking are pretty small but they do exist. Straight clear pieces are a lot easier to work with but I prefer the wild grain and figure I find in the ugly stuff I work with.

I've been working on trimming up some of my rough slabs into boards I can cut my handles from. Most of it is too wet to do much more to it yet. The smaller pieces will cure faster and take up less space. Starting with raw chunks of wood creates a lot of sawdust and scrap.