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I had made some from brass and copper tubing, threaded inserts and furniture leg floor protectors screwed into the inserts.

Then I discovered the copper pipe fittings at the hardware sore, including the reducers.

Today, I saw this web page:
https://sites.google.com/site/davidcanesite/making-canes/cane-tips

 

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I imagine those long ones would work well if you've turned your cane, but I'm making from natural sticks and so my shafts are that regular for that long. I need something shorter, like the copper pipe end, the reducer or just the rubber compression foot I pointed out on my other post.

Of the five I've made to date that have protective tips, all were natural sticks. One has a manufactured brass Veritas tip from Lee Valley and four have brass or bronze tubing from the hardware store, ranging in length from about 3/8" to 2". For all, I used a knife and then a rasp to form the end of the stick, and then secured with structural epoxy.

I always cover a lot of wood and tubing with painter's tape because the epoxy will ooze out and get onto places you didn't intend. I set the tip on cardboard or thick paper so if epoxy should run that far the stick won't be glued to something solid. Then when the epoxy is gummy but not completely hardened, I sometimes remove whatever is easier to remove at that point.

If the lowermost four inches or so of your stick is fairly straight, it's easy.

 

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Our Doc of about 30 years retires at the end of this year. An "innocent" fishing expedition determined that he walks often and with a stick. During my final regular appointment, I advised him that he will receive a walking stick as a retirement gift. I took two sticks as examples, and my iPad with pics.

He was experienced enough to have preferences, that's good.

1) He really liked the pic of my daughter-in-law's stick from an outstanding piece of diamond willow. Three pieces will arrive on Monday in hopes that one looks as nice.

2) Caduceus pin just ordered to embed.

3) Here is my dilemma. I showed him the Lee Valley tip with both rubber and steel tips. He was ambivalent about the shiny brass but really liked the interchangeable rubber and steel tips. I think the Lee Valley brass is too formal for a diamond willow stick, and that copper tubing would look better. Also, the Lee Valley rubber tip wears out very quickly and I buy a hardware store rubber tip that slips over it.

So, I think that I should be able to find an alternative, it is easy to install the copper ferrule and a threaded insert. Let's say the ferrule is 3/4" or 1" diameter. I've used 3/4" diameter rubber furniture leg protecters that screw into the insert. What have you seen that could be used to provide the interchangeable rubber and steel tips such that the rubber is far more durable than the Lee Valley rubber, and the tips are easily interchangeable.

Thanks

 

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Re: the previous post.........

This 20 mm dummy round hollow steel projectile worked perfectly with the brass part of the Lee Valley tips. I could probably find a threaded insert that size too. Then, my problem would be just to find a much more durable rubber tip. The steel tip is good.

http://walkingstickforum.com/gallery/image/350-gift-for-cpl-samuels/

 

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I just found these two parts at Black Diamond in Salt Lake City. I couldn't find the specs, but based on the descriptions I think the rubber and the carbide tips will have the same threads. I will update this in a week or ten days when they arrive.