[norson]

when they saw their hand-made canes.

These docs were delighted

 

[norson]

the clergy clung

 

[norson]

it knocked their socks off

 

[norson]

some neighbors nearly neighed

 

[norson]

others went to the dogs

 

[norson]

meanwhile others went bonkers

 

[Sean]

Awesome sticks you've gifted. Unique, and not everybody is lucky enough to be recipients of home made walking sticks in their life.

Your round toppers do you turn them on your lathe?

 

[MJC4]

Looks like a lot of happy campers!

 

[norson]

I do not have a lathe . . . MOST of my work these days is by hand...I hold those sticks upright in a vise and using a shoe-shine motion round off the tops with coase/medium/light strips of "belt" sandpaper.

The OLD metal vise was my dad's, I've had it for years, and for woodworking purposes I've cut two 1/4" plywood sheets approx 6x10" with slots to fit down over the vise mechanism . . . that allows me to clamp down on the stick without damage it.

It works for me.

 

[Sean]

Those are quite amazing considering they are that round hand sanded. Wouldn't mind seeing a pic of that vise jig sometime.

 

[norson]

Here's a pic I already had saved on the laptop hard drive . . . I'd been out locally gathering some potential cane sticks and took this picture. It shows the vise jig.

 

[norson]

and here's another view

 

[cobalt]

My workshop a tip compared to that.. To much stuff in to little a space

 

[CV3]

Nice work area and shafts. Helping others with a stick is fun. A large number of carving clubs have sticks for vet programs.

 

[norson]

Here's the simple vise jig, Sean, made from two pieces plywood, notched to fit down over the vise mechanism. Because it's relatively "soft" it does not mar the stick unless I crank down with too much force.

I use that lower "T" shaped unit to give vertical support/strength to the stick, such as when I'm drilling the hole in the top for the dowel screw . . . or when I'm sanding the top with that shoe-shine motion.

When not in use, I kick the lower unit back under the work bench.

Disregard, please, the poinsettia. It's headed for the curb next Tuesday evening.