[Batakali]

Hey all! Here's the deal. It's yard cleanup time around the area and I've been seeing a lot of branches that would seem to make good knob sticks. Thing is my knowledge of pine consists of Christmas and a few uses of sap and needles. Has anyone worked it into a stick? If so was it difficult and/or worth the effort? Are some varieties harder to work than others? How about drying time? Am I asking too many questions? I'm imagining the sap being a real bother on the tools. Okay that's all. Later!

 

[RandyL476]

I've made a few walking sticks from pine especially Longleaf pine they grow slow and make a good light stick, the only sap problem is when you peel them green the sap is sticky I where gloves when I do it but in a few day it drys and comes off your gloves and knifes. Drying usually takes about 6 to 8 month's when dry I never had any problems with sap. This time of year the sap is rising here in the south and the bark pells off very easily I mean some times I have pulled the bark off like pelling a banana.

 

[CV3]

I prefer other woods but there are a lot of canes and sticks made of pine.

 

[LilysDad]

I've had old pine lumber that when set out in the sun the resin would still ooze out of it.

 

[Batakali]

I've had old pine lumber that when set out in the sun the resin would still ooze out of it.

I'm glad you said that. One idea I've been playing with is a "survival" stick, something that I can shave a bit of resin rich wood off of for a firestarter.

 

[Rodney]

So far I've avoided soft woods for sticks just because of the potential pitch issues.

Yew and cedar don't have the pitch that firs and pines do though. I'd look there first.

Rodney

 

[LilysDad]

I've used a cedar sapling of the aproppriate size. I think that a piece of cedar lumber cut down to size is weaker than a small tree that hasn't had it's growth rings cut/split.

 

[Batakali]

Thanks all! I made a "practice" shillelagh from a piece of pine pallet that turned out pretty good. Guess I'll just give a few branches and saplings a try. Let ya know how they turn out!

 

[MJC4]

I don't mind pine. I have made sticks from Ponderosa, White and Lodgepole pine. Well seasoned wood is the
key to keeping sap problems at bay. I have carved toppers & Christmas ornaments from Engelmann Spruce too, a wood that is also used to make guitars. Recently I acquired several pieces of White Spruce from a tree the neighbor took down, they are in my "futures" collection. If U carve pine small shallow cuts will minimize chip out. When finishing pine it is advisable to use a stain conditioner or a gel stain as pine will sometimes give blotchy results when left untreated. I figure if most of the lumber used to build a house is made up of spruce, pine or fir it oughta be strong enough to use as a walking stick as well!