[MaplesBest]

Hey everyone, I'm slowly getting situated on the site. I'll start posting some pics of my stuff on this thread. Here's my most recent stick that I made for a professional artist. He allowed me to go through his tree trimmings and get some high quality sticks. I like to return a finished product for raw materials whenever I can.

This stick is my depiction of a freshwater ecosystem. it shows some habitat with a number of trophic levels of the food web. It seems like ecologically-themed sticks are my best sellers. I recently had a beaver stick sell for $70, if you can believe that. Sanded it down, put a coat of stain on it and made money off what would otherwise get thrown away here in Canada.

But here's a start on things; I'll get some more shots up later on.

 

[dww2]

Really great stick, Al. About how long did it take to carve it?

 

[MaplesBest]

Thanks man. It took about a month to do, but I work on a bunch at a time, cycling through them through the day. Better for the ADHD than going at a single one.

 

[MaplesBest]

So anyways, now that I know how to get the pics up I can share a bit of stuff with you.

My "workspace" is a bit of the shed that I defend territorially. Just a place to keep my tools and materials and a few walls around me in the rain or the heat of the day.

I made the snake stick years ago and I deem it my best piece of work yet. This stick freaked out a cage of monkeys at the zoo. It's the highest honour that could have ever been bestowed upon a craftsman, artist or artisan haha.

The marine cane was meant to go for sale, but it got beat around a bit and needs to be refinished. I think I did a nice job making it look weather-beaten though.

Now that bloody thing with the grim reaper, I don't know. I want to get it finished so I can get the hell rid of it, but the eye creeps me out. Another honour bestowed, I guess.

So there's a taste of my stuff. Enjoy.

 

[dww2]

Wow! Some really nice work there, Al. That snake must have taken ages. I just finished one a while ago and decided that there was no way I'd have the patience to carve in all those scales. Called it a "stylized" rattle snake.

I too know the "small shop blues." Until a few years ago, my shop was a 4x6 foot space in the garage with a chair, folding workbench, and some small rolling tool racks.

Dana

 

[MaplesBest]

Not far from what I have now. Yeah, the Snake took a while to do, bit I can rattle them off pretty quick now with a good hard wood like maple and a sharp knife. I don't use any power tools whatsoever; the mistakes I make with them, while not necessarily more numerous, do manage to go deeper or farther than with my swiss army knife haha. And I'm just referring to a Dremel. Other power tools vary according to their wattage.

Ah man, the perfect afternoon... Sitting in the shed watching a thunderstorm just starting. And carving another whale cane handle. And having lots of puffs to help with the creativity. Vive le Canada!

 

[MaplesBest]

Just finished off another one today: a nice unicorn stick for the wife's friend's daughter. Being a single mother and all, she's getting a good discount. Next to be done is the friend's dragon stick.

This one is done out of cedar, very light yet very strong. Good for a 6-8 yr old to grow with. The stain was diluted 1:1 with linseed oil but I guess I should have tried a test coat somewhere. I may dilute it further when I apply it to the oak dragon stick.

 

[dww2]

Nice! What did you make the mane out of?

Just out of curiosity, what part of Eastern Canada are you from? I'm in Maine. My Dad's side of the family was from NB. Moved here to Maine 100 years ago last year.

 

[MaplesBest]

The mane, yeah. It's Just a little strip I took off a beaver pelt. I have loads of fur and stuff in my fly tying kit; made some nice trades with a taxidermist. I'm always willing to make a trade for raw materials.

I'm in New Brunswick myself. I'm from Newfoundland but I've been here 21years now. Long enough to call it home.

 

[MaplesBest]

And now as I sit back in the foldup camp chair about to spark up a Doobie and admire my latest piece I can have the wife call her friend. The dragon came out looking a bit like an alligator more so than a dragon, especially after the stain was applied, but it'll still draw attention. Maybe even freak out the monkeys at the zoo...

This one is made of oak and the stain is a dark Minwax diluted 3:1 with linseed oil. I like it light enough to see the grain easily, especially with a stick of oak. But yeah, here's a couple pics of it hanging for the stain to dry. And a shot of one of my carving knives. I was playing hurry up and wait for someone at the bank. Now anytime I have to bring anyone anywhere I always bring something to do, so I was carving on a stick outside my car and a guy called me over to his truck. Just curious what I was doing and stuff. So we got to talking about it and he said he has a set of surgical knives he has no need for. So I thought he meant a box of scalpels, but I gratefully accepted his offer just the same. Those babies can be useful.

A couple weeks later he showed up at the house with them and when I saw them I knew I was going to have some fun with them. I was right. But the handle is too small for wood carving; I wrapped a couple pieces of paper around the handle and gave it a good shot of black tape.

Enough rambling; here's the pics:

 

[dww2]

Does look a bit gator-ish but pretty dang cool. Look out monkeys!

 

[MaplesBest]

So here's one I "finished" yesterday. It's my own, so it'll probably be permanently in a WIP state.

This one's is a fighting stick primarily, fashioned after a Medieval war hammer and somewhat disguised with a bit of carving. Carved into one side of the head, you can see it says Pax Per Ardua, Latin for Peace Through Adversity. On the other side, carved in Greek script, it says The Inflictor. The shaft is oak and the head is cedar, finished with my stain/linseed oil mix. There's a load of beetle trails along it so I don't have to do a whole lot of carving to it. I'm not sure of the length right off, but it comes up to my elbow and when I hold it the stick is at a good balance point with my elbow protected by the wood. Waiting to try it out on a drunk ******* now.

 

[MaplesBest]

Wow, the thing bleeped out the word red neck.