If you like hiking, or just walking on rough terrain, a walking stick can be a very useful accessory. A good stick improves your balance, allows you to train your arms, and can be used to move bushes or other obstacles, as well as provide you with other benefits. If you build one yourself, this handy tool can become an object to proudly display. If the Boy Scouts can do it, you can too!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Choosing and Cutting Wood
Step 1. Find a good club
Of course, a good walking stick starts with a good piece of wood. The size, shape, strength and age of the wood all contribute to the quality of the walking stick.
- A good walking stick is made from a fairly straight piece of wood, 2.5-5 cm in diameter. Look for a piece of wood up to your armpit (usually between 140 and 165 cm); you can adjust the height later.
- Hardwoods are the most resistant and best suited to become walking sticks. Among the various types of wood, the best options are maple, cherry, poplar and sassafras.
- Look for fresh hardwoods, but never cut a part of a live tree to make a stick. Enjoy nature without harming it. If you search a little, you will find a suitable stick, still fresh but no longer alive.
- Avoid sticks with holes or other signs of insect activity. The wood could be weakened by the tunnels dug by them and you could also carry pets around the house without realizing it.
Step 2. Cut the wood to your height
If you are making a walking stick for personal use, place the piece of wood on the ground vertically and hold it in front of you as you would for walking, with your arm bent comfortably at elbow (about 90 degrees). Mark the stick about 5cm above your hand (or even higher if you plan to add a decorative carving) and cut it there with a saw (note: children or adults who are inexperienced in using a saw should seek help from an expert; chainsaws can cut a finger in an instant, and hand saws can also cause serious injuries.)
- If you want to make a cane for another person, ask them to hold a broom in front of them, as described above. Measure the height from the ground up to about 5 cm above his hand. When searching for the right piece of wood, bring a tape measure or string cut to the ideal size of the club you want to make.
- If you make walking sticks to sell or want to give one to an unknown recipient, remember that 140-165cm is a reasonable height for a cane.
Step 3. Remove the bark
You can leave the bark on the wood if you wish, but most people prefer the look and softness of the smooth wood underneath it. Regardless of your preferences, you should probably still remove knots and bumps.
- You can use a Swiss army knife, a larger knife, or even a plane to file the bark. Use the tool you know best.
- Start by cutting off the twigs and bumps, then file the bark. Make short, quick, shallow movements. Don't dig into the wood. It takes time to debark a branch.
- Always move the knife away from the body, with the legs away from the area crossed by the blade. A knot in the wood could cause the knife to pop out and injure you. If you don't know how to carve wood, ask an expert for help.
- Continue carving the wood until light wood becomes visible under the bark. Some trees have multiple layers of bark, so keep carving until you see the lightest wood.
Step 4. Let the stick dry
Fresh wood is easier to carve and saw, but dry wood is stiffer and stronger. Time and patience are needed for this project.
- The drying time depends on many factors, such as the type of wood, environmental conditions and personal preferences. Some people recommend waiting for two weeks, others for a month.
- Let the stick dry until it is stiff but not brittle. You may have to rotate it or even secure it in place (for example, holding it against a flat piece of wood with metal clamps) to keep it from warping.
- Wood can become brittle by drying out too quickly, so if your home is extremely dry, leave the cane outside, but under a cover, such as in a garage or tool shed.
Part 2 of 2: Customizing Your Stick
Step 1. Add creative touches
You may have seen walking sticks with sophisticated inlaid knobs; the face of a bearded and long-haired man seems to be one of the most popular choices. If you are skilled with a knife and other woodworking tools, you can try decorating the knob of the stick yourself. Remember, if you make a mistake, just cut the top of the wood!
- If you prefer a simpler decoration, you can carve your name or initials on the stick. You can use a tool to brand the wood to get those effects. Be careful, however, whichever method you choose to use.
- You may find it helpful to make notches in the area where you will be holding the stick with your hand. The wavy grooves you can find on the steering wheels of many cars can serve as inspiration, but a spiral notch that wraps around the stick can also become a comfortable grip.
Step 2. Treat the wood
When you've finished cutting, debarking, drying and decorating the wood, it's time to protect your creation so it can last for years. Applying a sealant to the wood and, in particular, painting it are optional, but recommended actions to make your stick more resistant and beautiful.
- Even if you decide not to apply a sealer to the wood, sand it using coarse-grained and then fine-grained sandpaper to make it more comfortable. Remove all sawdust with a sticky cloth or solvent-soaked rag.
- Apply the stain according to the instructions on the package. You will need to let each coat dry for a full day before grinding and cleaning the stick between one application and the next. The more coats of stain you apply, the darker the wood will become.
- Apply three coats (or the number recommended on the package) of clear urethane-based lacquer. Gently sand the wood with ultra-fine grit sandpaper and wipe it well between each coat.
- Treat the wood in a well-ventilated area. Always wear gloves, as well as safety glasses and a face mask.
Step 3. Get a grip
If you have not carved a handle into your walking stick (read the previous step on decorative carving), you can apply one after the wood treatment. Again, this is an optional step.
- There are comfortable and beautiful handles made of leather, wicker, nylon or braided rope, which are wrapped in the area where you will hold the stick with your hand and fixed with small nails. If you prefer, you can also use the duct tape used for the grips of golf racquets and clubs, or even the one found on hockey sticks.
- To better hold your walking stick, you can also add a wrist strap. Pierce the stick (best done before treating the wood), just above the handle area. Thread a strip of leather or any other material of your choice through the hole and tie it, forming a lace that you can comfortably tighten around your wrist.
Step 4. Protect the base of the club
The underside of a walking stick is where it wears the most and can break, chip, crack and rot. You can leave the tip in its natural state and clean, sand or cut it if necessary, or add additional protection.
- The rubber stoppers used for crutches and walkers are simple and inexpensive solutions, which you can find at the pharmacy. You can also use large rubber doorstops. Pierce the doorstop and the bottom of the stick, slide a wooden pin through the holes and glue everything in place.
- Even a short copper tube can become an elegant protection for the base of your walking stick. Take 2.5 cm of 2.5 cm diameter copper tube and carve the base of the stick until the tip fits perfectly into the tube. Secure the tube in place with a quick-drying epoxy glue.
Advice
You can use a wood marking tool to decorate your walking stick with custom designs
Warnings
- When carving the stick with a sharp knife, always cut away from the body. Otherwise, the blade could slip and seriously injure you. When you are in a forest, the emergency room is never very close.
- Don't kill a tree just to make a walking stick out of one of its branches. Always use pieces of wood found on the ground.
- If you are a child, only work on your cane under the supervision of an adult.
