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It looks like we have all slowed down the stick making. Weather, holiday's projects and so on taking up our time. I know it is all thoughts things at my house. I thought we could share some how to while we are not doing. If we have been doing this for a while we all have tricks and things we do to add to our work. I thought I would start with adding spirals on a stick. But any thing would be helpful to those getting started. Sharing grips you do or finishes or attaching medallions. Whatever you would like to share. I hope you all have a great holiday season!
When I first started doing sticks I want to have spirals down the shaft. I lived in the big city then and finding natural spiral sticks was not happening. There are any numbers of ways to do it. I am sure many of you have your own way. But if your new and do not have your own way yet this may get you started.
I started using a role of thing wire. But string will work. The wire stays in place easier. I have also used painter tape. I would secure the wire tight at the point I wanted the spiral to start. Then I would measure down the shaft and make a mark every 2 inches (or whatever distance apart I wanted the spirals to be) until I got to the point I wanted the spiral to stop. I would then take the wire and I begin to wrap it around the stick,one rap between marks, making sure it hit each mark as I went down. At the bottom I would tie it off. Then check again to make sure the wire was on each mark so the spiral line was space even all the way down. Then I would mark the spiral down the staff using the wire as a guide. Once it was marked I remove the wire put it up for the next one. Then using a knife I made strait in deep cut along the spiral line. Then using the cut I just made as a stop cut I would cut up to the cut or down to the cut, depending on if I wanted the spiral to look like it was going up or down the staff. I use an old Stanley fix blade box cutter most of the time. When I got some tools other than knives I use a v tool some times. but I like the box cutter. Once I reached a depth I wanted for line I would use a rasp or some 80 grit sand paper on a stick to smooth and shape the spiral. You want to be careful not to go to deep where you cut in the spiral. You do not want to weaken the staff. I use about 25%. A 1 inch staff I would not go in more than ¼ inch in. Here are two sticks I did this way. I hope this make sense to everyone and not just to me.
When I first started doing sticks I want to have spirals down the shaft. I lived in the big city then and finding natural spiral sticks was not happening. There are any numbers of ways to do it. I am sure many of you have your own way. But if your new and do not have your own way yet this may get you started.
I started using a role of thing wire. But string will work. The wire stays in place easier. I have also used painter tape. I would secure the wire tight at the point I wanted the spiral to start. Then I would measure down the shaft and make a mark every 2 inches (or whatever distance apart I wanted the spirals to be) until I got to the point I wanted the spiral to stop. I would then take the wire and I begin to wrap it around the stick,one rap between marks, making sure it hit each mark as I went down. At the bottom I would tie it off. Then check again to make sure the wire was on each mark so the spiral line was space even all the way down. Then I would mark the spiral down the staff using the wire as a guide. Once it was marked I remove the wire put it up for the next one. Then using a knife I made strait in deep cut along the spiral line. Then using the cut I just made as a stop cut I would cut up to the cut or down to the cut, depending on if I wanted the spiral to look like it was going up or down the staff. I use an old Stanley fix blade box cutter most of the time. When I got some tools other than knives I use a v tool some times. but I like the box cutter. Once I reached a depth I wanted for line I would use a rasp or some 80 grit sand paper on a stick to smooth and shape the spiral. You want to be careful not to go to deep where you cut in the spiral. You do not want to weaken the staff. I use about 25%. A 1 inch staff I would not go in more than ¼ inch in. Here are two sticks I did this way. I hope this make sense to everyone and not just to me.
