A project that I like working on at home is a walking stick. Why do I like walking sticks? Because sometimes I can do something myself, I feel better about it. When I make myself walking sticks I can add my own touch to them. Anyone who has read my other articles will know that I love the Native Americans and Mountain People of the mid 1700s to mid 1800s, so naturally when I do something, that’s the kind of savvy that I give him and I can’t buy in a store.
When you go for a walk, the first step will be to go to the forest and find the branch you want. Now I will remind you that the dried branches that you find on the ground are usually not suitable for making walking sticks, because they are dry and brittle. It is necessary to see a limb or take an ax with you, because the limbs are too hard to break off. Take your time to find your branch, choose one that is big enough for your hand to hold comfortably, and then a little longer than what it will be when it is finished, because you want to cut it eventually. a few inches on each side to make it smooth.
The second step is to trim the branches with a walking stick and loosen all the bark you can. This operation works best if you use a sharp knife, although remember to be safe and don’t cut too much with your tip or put deep cuts in your wood. This will be difficult or impossible later in the arena. In the case of the Shaggy Juniper, that type of tree we have in our area. It will help a lot to remove the bark with a chisel when you cut the branches, try to get them as close as possible so that you don’t end up with sand much later. I prefer to do this in the woods so you don’t have so much mess at home.
The third step is the easiest if I use a band saw or a table saw. First carve a few inches from each end of your palm, the reason being that there are often cracks in the wood; It also helps to flatter the ends. At this point, you can decide to put it on hold and let it cure, which means you can go out and let the juice dry, or you can go ahead and work. If you decide to put an end and wait, according to the forest, it could heal up to 3 months.
The fourth step is to buy some heavy, medium and light sand paper and start sanding. Start with heavy sand paper; this will especially help to remove from the wood and nubs where the branches were. If you work on walking your stick before you start curing, be prepared to use more sand paper, since wet wood will clog your sand paper much faster. After you have taken the heavy material off switch to medium sand paper and continue sanding. It is important to remember that you should sand wood with the wood’s grain and never against it; if the wood scratches the sand against the grain. Next you’ll want to use a light sandpaper to keep it extra smooth and comfortable.
The fifth step is to decide what kind of end you want on your walking stick, for example are you looking for a sharp end or a flat end. If you want a sharp one, find a 16 penny steel nail and cut the head off. After drilling a hole, cut the head at the end of the walking stick the same size as the nail. It is important to drill the right hole because the nail will follow the same path as the hole. Sometimes a hole is drilled to insert the glue on the side of the nail and put the nail on heavy duty. My personal preference is to put a soft rubber tip on the end of the walking stick because I use mine in other places and not in the woods. The soft rubber tip is the kind you find in canes or clubs, these tips can be found in most drug stores or in the drugstore sections of stores like Wal-Mart.
The sixth step is to prepare, decorate and finish. I personally like to put three coats of wood on the walking sticks, the lacquer helps to seal it from rain and other elements. You can add whatever touch you want to the walking stick. Maybe you have a copy of what you came up with, if so picture it. One of my favorite additions is to drill a hole through a walking stick a few inches from the top and put a leather strap through it. It is also known to me to attach a medical bag that I can keep the items that I wanted for hiking, such as a match, a pocket knife, etc. How to decorate a walking stick is up to you.
It is important to remember that your walking staff thinks you are.
