Finish for a Walking Stick?
Dell*Phinus
Pardon the intrusion, but I need some expert advice on a finish for a
cedar walking stick I'm making. The piece is nicely figured with red
heartwood where the knots are, and has an overall light cream color. I
plan to coat it with spar urethane, but I would like to apply something
first to it to deepen the colors a little.
Could I rub an oil finish into it prior to using the urethane? Also,
will the urethane finish hold up under the constant hand contact?
Would some other finish choice be better?
TIA,
Dell*Phinus
* *
*
*
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
John Milton
A water base exterior grade urethane will change the colors much less
than the oil based sort will
Give it 4 or 5 coats it will last a very long time.
Dell*Phinus (dellp...@my-deja.com) wrote:
: Hi Folks,
Christopher Wigdor
abused much much more than people think. And the great thing about waxes
is that you can 'refinish' at any time with more wax. Furthermore, if you
use a coloured wax, then refinishing repairs any colour scuffing. I used to
use polyurethane for my walking sticks and walking staffs, now I only use
wax. Here in the UK the brand I use is called Briwax; I know that in the
USA there is a good choice. If you polish wax carefully, the finish is
superb and remarkably durable. Also, if you want to colour tone various
features on a stick, you can mix and match different colours of wax - not so
easy to do with varnishes.
Christopher W.
Dell*Phinus <dellp...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8qrqdn$1qi$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Dell*Phinus
John and Chris, thanks for the advice. A further question: I plan to
route the names of the parks and trails and dates we do them on the
stick. I had thought to simply sand the area first, route in the
lettering, then reapply the oil/urethane in that area. Yes? No?
Would the oil/wax finish lend itself to this more readily? How does
the wax finish hold up to water/hand contact?
Thanks again,
Christopher Wigdor
need to re-wax from time-to-time. On the instruction sheets that come with
the sticks that I make for folks here, I recommend wax polishing as
frequently as they wish. The fact is, if you like your stick, you'll keep
it well polished! Sounds like your stick is going to be well-travelled;
quite a lot of places sell little walking stick plaques that are
ready-curved to attach to a stick. If your stick is of a sufficient
diameter, have you considered setting a compass in it? Small diameter (3/4
inch for example) compasses are readily available; they look great set into
sticks and are genuinely useful especially if, like me, you don't have the
greatest sense of direction. I have also set small diameter watch movements
into sticks, in fact the millennium stick I made for my wife this year has
both a clock and a compass. My next stickmaking project is to be a
stickmaker's stick, containing a small saw for cutting likely sticks while
out walking, and a small knife for trimming side shoots off such sticks.
Stickmaking can become addictive - luckily, though, it is not expensive!
Christopher W.
>
> John and Chris, thanks for the advice. A further question: I plan to
> route the names of the parks and trails and dates we do them on the
> stick. I had thought to simply sand the area first, route in the
> lettering, then reapply the oil/urethane in that area. Yes? No?
> Would the oil/wax finish lend itself to this more readily? How does
> the wax finish hold up to water/hand contact?
>
> Thanks again,
Dell*Phinus
> > * *
> > *
> > *
> >
> >
> > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > Before you buy.
>
Christopher,
Thanks for the info. I think I'll stop by the ww shop tonight and
check out the wax. I may have to borrow that compass idea... What do
you use, if anything, for a tip? I am a little concerned about it
splitting near the ground end from impact/flexing. Or is it not a
problem. Been looking at a copper ring...
Yea, my girls are already bugging me to make them one each...
Joe Gorman
with a copper plumbing reducer to protect the tip and a thong for the
hand, but having a built-in stick gathering kit is very intriguing.
Joe
Christopher Wigdor wrote:
>
Snip of stick details
My next stick making project is to be a
> stickmaker's stick, containing a small saw for cutting likely sticks while
> out walking, and a small knife for trimming side shoots off such sticks.
> Stickmaking can become addictive - luckily, though, it is not expensive!
>
> Christopher W.
> >
> > John and Chris, thanks for the advice. A further question: I plan to
> > route the names of the parks and trails and dates we do them on the
> > stick. I had thought to simply sand the area first, route in the
> > lettering, then reapply the oil/urethane in that area. Yes? No?
> > Would the oil/wax finish lend itself to this more readily? How does
> > the wax finish hold up to water/hand contact?
> >
> > Thanks again,
John Milton
fiberglass tape saturated with epoxy prior to varnishing will reinforce
the end against splitting. Drill the end and insert a 14 gauge wood screw
part way, then cut off the head. This will form a steel stud in the stick
which will prevent it from wearing down at the tip.
: Thanks for the info. I think I'll stop by the ww shop tonight and
: check out the wax. I may have to borrow that compass idea... What do
: you use, if anything, for a tip? I am a little concerned about it
: splitting near the ground end from impact/flexing. Or is it not a
: problem. Been looking at a copper ring...
: Yea, my girls are already bugging me to make them one each...
: Dell*Phinus
eisc...@my-deja.com
There is a product called Dorland's Wax Medium that is intended for art
works of wood. I haven't seen it in years. A paste, comes in small
jar.
I do wood sculpture (mostly mahogany and walnut) which I finish with
boiled linseed, cut 1:1 with mineral spirits. Many coats - 4 minimum.
Easy to rework and refinish a small area when it gets a scratch or nick.
You can color linseed with artist's oil colors. Colors like Burnt
Sienna, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber and other earth colors are candidates.
Artists oils are ground in linseed. Experiment here - a lot. Earth
colors are particle pigments and they settle in the grain, not on the
surface. They shouldn't react too much with the wood's chemicals.
Colors that use an iron compound pigment may be another story. All top
notch oil colors, e.g. Windsor and Newton, list the pigment on the
label.
Tom Eischeid
In article <8qrqdn$1qi$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
Dell*Phinus <dellp...@my-deja.com> wrote:
Christopher Wigdor
I make (walking staffs, as tall as your armpit) for people around here, I
tend to use rubber ferrules (stick caps) with an outside diameter up to 1/2
greater than the stick, which contain a steel washer, and which are epoxied
onto the tip. These ferrules are readily available in the UK; I imagine the
same holds true in the USA. Sometimes I use steel or brass ferrules,
sometimes a short section of copper plumbing tube, sometimes even the cap of
a spent shotgun cartridge - 4:10, 12 gauge or greater - good idea to make
sure it is a spent cap, otherwise when you tap it on it becomes the fastest
stick you've ever seen! If you look around there are all sorts of things
that make great tips for sticks. If you are going to use your stick on
rocky or icy ground, you may wish to consider asking your local machinist
(unless you have your own lathe) to machine a piece of steel or brass with a
pointed tip; for some sticks I have made steel tips together with a rubber
cap.
I absolutely love John Milton's suggestion in this thread for epoxy-soaked
tape, drilling the tip and inserting a hard metal rod. I am going to try
this at the next opportunity.
Christopher W.
Dell*Phinus <dellp...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8qtbrd$9b6$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> In article <8qt8bi$55q$1...@uranium.btinternet.com>,
> "Christopher Wigdor" <Maxim....@btinternet.com> wrote:
> > Wax finishes hold well with regard to water and hand contact, however
> you do
> > need to re-wax from time-to-time. On the instruction sheets that
> come with
> > the sticks that I make for folks here, I recommend wax polishing as
> > frequently as they wish. The fact is, if you like your stick, you'll
> keep
> > it well polished! Sounds like your stick is going to be
> well-travelled;
> > quite a lot of places sell little walking stick plaques that are
> > ready-curved to attach to a stick. If your stick is of a sufficient
> > diameter, have you considered setting a compass in it? Small
> diameter (3/4
> > inch for example) compasses are readily available; they look great
> set into
> > sticks and are genuinely useful especially if, like me, you don't
> have the
> > greatest sense of direction. I have also set small diameter watch
> movements
> > into sticks, in fact the millennium stick I made for my wife this
> year has
> > both a clock and a compass. My next stickmaking project is to be a
> > stickmaker's stick, containing a small saw for cutting likely sticks
> while
> > out walking, and a small knife for trimming side shoots off such
> sticks.
> > Stickmaking can become addictive - luckily, though, it is not
> expensive!
> >
> > Christopher W.
> > >
> > > John and Chris, thanks for the advice. A further question: I plan
> to
> > > route the names of the parks and trails and dates we do them on the
> > > stick. I had thought to simply sand the area first, route in the
> > > lettering, then reapply the oil/urethane in that area. Yes? No?
> > > Would the oil/wax finish lend itself to this more readily? How
> does
> > > the wax finish hold up to water/hand contact?
> > >
> > > Thanks again,
> > > Dell*Phinus
> > > * *
> > > *
> > > *
> > >
> > >
> > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > > Before you buy.
> >
> --
>
> Christopher,
>
> Thanks for the info. I think I'll stop by the ww shop tonight and
> check out the wax. I may have to borrow that compass idea... What do
> you use, if anything, for a tip? I am a little concerned about it
> splitting near the ground end from impact/flexing. Or is it not a
> problem. Been looking at a copper ring...
>
> Yea, my girls are already bugging me to make them one each...
>
Christopher Wigdor
you suggest. However, it wasn't until after the first time I did it (I put
a small glass tube for containing alcohol in the top of the stick and had to
set the compass in the side) that I realised you could use the stick to
sight the compass. Until then, it never occurred to me.
Christopher W.
Mike Patterson <mikepatt...@SPAMmindspring.com> wrote in message
news:ote4tsosqj347du64...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2000 17:48:34 +0100, "Christopher Wigdor"
> <Maxim....@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> <SNIP>>
> > If your stick is of a sufficient
> >diameter, have you considered setting a compass in it? Small diameter
(3/4
> >inch for example) compasses are readily available; they look great set
into
> >sticks and are genuinely useful especially if, like me, you don't have
the
> >greatest sense of direction.
>
> <<SNIP>>
> >
> >Christopher W.
> >>
>
> <<SNIP>>
>
> Chris, do you set the compass in the end or along one side? I haven't
> done one yet, but I think mounting it in the side would allow the user
> to use the stick itself as a "sight" for the compass.
>
> Mike
Christopher Wigdor
thumb stick with a sufficiently large diameter shaft at the top, drill out a
slot down the stick to take the saw blade; set a sabre saw blade or a
gardener's pruning saw blade into the bottom of the Y piece, and use a piece
of brass tube with a catch on its side, to slide the Y handled saw into/onto
the stick. The small knife can be set into one branch of the Y - it only
needs to be a 2.5 or 3-inch blade at most; there is a great range of
modifiable pocket knives made by the French firm Opinel, which will be
suitable.
Do you think this sounds practical?
Christopher W.
Joe Gorman <gor...@musc.edu> wrote in message
news:39D23D56...@musc.edu...
> How will you be inserting the saw? My sticks tend to be neatly trimmed
> with a copper plumbing reducer to protect the tip and a thong for the
> hand, but having a built-in stick gathering kit is very intriguing.
>
> Joe
>
> Christopher Wigdor wrote:
> >
> Snip of stick details
>
> My next stick making project is to be a
> > stickmaker's stick, containing a small saw for cutting likely sticks
while
> > out walking, and a small knife for trimming side shoots off such sticks.
> > Stickmaking can become addictive - luckily, though, it is not expensive!
> >
> > Christopher W.
> > >
> > > John and Chris, thanks for the advice. A further question: I plan to
> > > route the names of the parks and trails and dates we do them on the
> > > stick. I had thought to simply sand the area first, route in the
> > > lettering, then reapply the oil/urethane in that area. Yes? No?
> > > Would the oil/wax finish lend itself to this more readily? How does
> > > the wax finish hold up to water/hand contact?
> > >
> > > Thanks again,
Joe Gorman
seem to remember seeing one. That would be a perfect way to add it to a
walking stick. With that at the topof the stick you could harvest
branches normally out of reach.
Joe
snip
