[dangerranger]

Hi all.
I found this site while looking for ideas. You are the first active site I have found.
I have been making toppers and cane handles for about a year, Mostly novelty hand carving.
And now I want to start making the cane and staff's myself. I have been mostly using ready made sticks and dowels bought at hardware stores.
I know art is in the eye of the beholder, But I am not a fan of natural sticks. I want to see nice straight shafts. And nothing in nature is perfectly straight.
I have made a few natural canes but they are not my favorites. I'm working on two Diamond willow canes for bigger friends right now. Both are both big and tall and need a stick with some heft. I ordered a couple Hames tops for the handles.
So my next thing will be to find a lathe with a long bed and try my hand at making laminated sticks.
Is there any one on this site that turns their sticks?
I tried to take pics of some of the toppers I am working on, But they are still in the white and faded into the background. Ill take some new pics on something darker tomorrow.
Anyway thanks for having me. DR

 

[CV3]

Hello DR and welcome to the Forum. Check out the gallery. click on the 3 dots in the upper right an the gallery you will see a large variety of sticks and canes. Also check out the "Reading Room",alot of good information. click on the lines upper right of this page and scroll down. Ask any questions you have. I have turned a few sticks for canes. but I mostly use natural shanks or 1 inch dowels for my canes. Here are a couple of turned sticks.

 

[valky307]

Welcome to the forum! I really am looking forward to seeing your work.
Valky

 

[dww2]

Hi dangerranger! Welcome aboard. Natural sticks are kind of my thing so avoid my posts like the plague.

 

[dangerranger]

Hi dangerranger! Welcome aboard. Natural sticks are kind of my thing so avoid my posts like the plague.

I like other peoples natural sticks just fine. Its just not what I enjoy doing. I have even made a few. I just end up looking at them later and wishing I could have gotten them straighter, or that knot hole was not right there, etc...
I'm making two diamond willow canes now. DR

 

[CV3]

I ment to mention I spent some time in Fresno in the 60's and was a Redinger camp growns a couple of times. beautiful area.

 

[dww2]

Glad you got my attempt at humor. I'm sure we've all made a cane or two which didn't match what we had in mind when we started. I've had several which sat on the bench after supposedly being finished, but weren't quite right. Some are still there, some I redid once inspiration hit me the right way. A couple I later decided weren't as bad as I thought they were and went up for sale as is.
Looking forward to seeing those diamond willow pieces. It doesn't grow in my area so I've never tried working with it.

I like other peoples natural sticks just fine. Its just not what I enjoy doing. I have even made a few. I just end up looking at them later and wishing I could have gotten them straighter, or that knot hole was not right there, etc...
I'm making two diamond willow canes now. DR

 

[louie.powell]

Welcome Deranger - -

I turn my own sticks on a 12x18 midi-lathe. I make the shaft in four sections that are joined together using a mortise and tenon arrangement. I drill a 2" deep hole in each end, and then make dowels that are 1/2" diameter by 4" long. Then, I dry-fit them together in pairs and spin them on the lathe to fine-tune the diameters at the join. After final sizing each join, I then glue the sections together before finishing.

Making the shaft in four sections means that my lathe is long enough to mount each section in a chuck and drill the end holes with a lathe with an 18" bed. It's amazing how much usable bed length is taken up by a scroll chuck, drill chuck and drill bit.

 

[dangerranger]

Glad you got my attempt at humor. I'm sure we've all made a cane or two which didn't match what we had in mind when we started. I've had several which sat on the bench after supposedly being finished, but weren't quite right. Some are still there, some I redid once inspiration hit me the right way. A couple I later decided weren't as bad as I thought they were and went up for sale as is.
Looking forward to seeing those diamond willow pieces. It doesn't grow in my area so I've never tried working with it.

I mostly give mine away. and some of those I would not be seen with are very much treasured by those that got them. Again Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The two sticks I'm working on now are wood picked out by the guys I'm making them for. One of the guy's brought them from North Dakota. He has several more pieces, I may work out a deal for more. It seems to be an easy wood to carve on. If I do I will try to straighten them, maybe with steam. DR

 

[dangerranger]

I ment to mention I spent some time in Fresno in the 60's and was a Redinger camp growns a couple of times. beautiful area.

I moved to Fresno in '69 and have been near by since then. DR

 

[dangerranger]

Is there a place on this forum with instructions for posting pictures? Do I need to use a third party posting service or can I post directly from Google pics? Or can I do it from a link in my Email? I used to be able to send pics to google pics and post from there but when I try I'm getting a dead link. any ideas? DR

 

[CV3]

DR at the bottom of the box ,as you write a post, there is a line of symbols. Click on the symble for photo to the left of the camra symbol. Click on (click here), and chose you file and then the picture. Click on the picture then on "open" in the lower right of you screen. You can also click on the symbol for the paper clip. the pickture should show below your post. click on Thumbnail or full picture and click on post.
I choose Thumbnail most of the time . If other want enlarge it they just have to click on the pictures. This is how I do it, I hope that is helpful.

 

[MiStickMan]

Welcome aboard, I'm rather new here myself. I just picked up a 40" Vevor lathe for less than $200, not the greatest thing but I wanted to try my hand at it first. Harbor Freight has a 33" for $399 and it gets good reviews. Market place on FB or Craigslist for better equipment cheap.

Natural sticks which are fairly straight can be straightened with heat and then sanded to be very round/tapered.
I also mill out a straight stick out of larger not so straight stick or thick lumber, sometimes with a spoke shave other times with a band saw. .

I try all kinds. I'm still looking for a Hazel bush in my area, so far no luck. Love working on Diamond Willow too.

 

[dangerranger]

What I seem to have a lot of on my place is pine , oak, buckeye, and manzanita.

I have seen some local guys work with Manzanita, but it is HARD! its power carving only, and the finished sticks are brittle, But the red wood is eye catching, and if you can get a mix of red and white....
I recently saw some knife scales cut from Buckeye that turned out well. They had streaks of tan/grey,and brown running through it.
It has fairly straight branches, I may start some drying.
The other I have thought of trying is live oak. it is a scrub brush, but has nice straight branches. its problem would be getting it dry without cracking. Should make a nice hard stick. DR

 

[MiStickMan]

My oak saplings here are White, Red, or pin oak, I think White and red are best, I take the top 8ft off a sapling and let it dry with the bark on, and if you wax the ends that will help too but might extend the dying time.

This oak is extremely strong for it's diameter but would be tough to carve as it does not have many growth rings, so it's best for adding a topper of what ever sort.

John