# Horse head cane.



## CV3

This will be my next project. I will do it as one piece I have not decided whether to use walnut or mahogany. I am leaning toward the walnut because it grain pattern. The shank will be padauk. It has a rich reddish color when finished.


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## cobalt

nice project should be good to see progress


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## cobalt

Keith Pickering phot and advice on stick making on a face book site

worth rembering for those who are new to stick making

Keith Pickering Whichever way the grain runs is the strongest - so beaks, pricked ears or fish tails always follow the grain, you can see that from my pictures above. For crook-types the grain should run diagonally downward into the neck where it joins the shaft, see new picture.

Keith Pickering's photo.stck maker


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## Gloops

Nice project to start, the style -Cardigan stick with carving is one of the ones I keep thinking about doing but never get round to, maybe your project will give me a push. looking forward to it's progress.


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## CV3

Had some time to start on the topper today. I had a 2" X 5"x'8" block of Brazilian walnut left over from another project. Using a spray adhesive on the back of my pattern I mounted it onto the block of walnut. Then cut out the head that will be the front of the cane with the band saw. I then mounted a pattern of the front of the head on the to give me a prospective of how much to bring in the sides of the head. It is just general and I will have to be careful not to bring it in to much. this is a hard walnut and it will take some time to carve it. I will be using both power and palm tools. I will leave the rest of the handle uncut until I have the horses head roughed in it will be easier to clamp in place while I am carving. As always I am open to any suggestions, questions. or comments.


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## Gloops

Like the idea of the separation from the shank between the cheek and mouth area, keep posting progress.


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## Rodney

That should be a very classic and classy cane when you're done.

How brittle is that wood? The ears have a pretty severe short grain situation. You might consider reinforcing them somehow before something happens.

Rodney


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## alador

Good looking project. I love the fact that you are doing the handle as a one-piece carving.


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## CV3

alador said:


> Good looking project. I love the fact that you are doing the handle as a one-piece carving.


Yes alador. It is going to be one piece carving. I well not cutout the handle section until I have completed shaping of the horse head. It will allow me to clamp it in place while doing the carving.


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## CV3

Rodney said:


> You might consider reinforcing them somehow before something happens.
> Rodney


Walnut is a pretty strong wood but I will most likely harden he ears with supper glue. But it will be a week point that will have to be watched when in use.


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## Rodney

I don't know that Brazilian walnut has anything to do with English or black walnut. I think it's just a name the wood is marketed under and probably isn't in the walnut family at all. I have some very similar looking wood that I bought about 20 years ago under the name of raintree wood. That wood is pretty but brittle and prone to chipping. Your wood may not be that either.

Maybe test an offcut and see how it behaves?

Rodney


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## alador

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Brazilian Walnut)
Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Magnoliids

Order: Laurales

Family: Lauraceae

Genus: Ocotea

Species: O. porosa

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ocotea porosa.

Ocotea porosa is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family, often placed in the related genus Phoebe. It is commonly called Imbuia or Brazilian walnut[2] because its wood resembles that of some walnuts (to which it is not related). The tree is a major commercial timber species in Brazil, used for high-end furniture, mostly as decorative veneers, and as flooring.[3] The wood is fragrant[4] with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon (also a member of the Lauraceae). The tree is also a popular horticultural tree in subtropical regions of the world. In its native habitat it is a threatened species.
Portuguese common names (with variant spellings) include embuia, embúia, embuya, imbuia, imbúia, imbuya, canela-imbuia.


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## CV3

I have done a number of projects with this wood and have been very happy with the out come. In carving with, against and cross the grain I can tell you it is a hardwood and that I have not seen any notable chipping out as it was worked. These type of protrusions on any carvings are a potential problem if they take hard hit.. The ears are with the grain and will be less likely to brake off than if they were a cross grain protrusion.


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## Rodney

I must have looked at the blank wrong. I thought they were cross grain where they could shear off easily if they took a hit.

Thanks for clarifying.

Rodney


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## CV3

Got started today. Put in the all thread and began the shaping of the head. I did not have much time just got things going.


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## cobalt

looking good

I also have to trim some wood down to the right thickness its a tedious job

are you going to put a different wood for a end cap on handle end?


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## CV3

cobalt said:


> looking good
> 
> I also have to trim some wood down to the right thickness its a tedious job
> 
> are you going to put a different wood for a end cap on handle end?


I think so cobalt. I am planing a Padauk wood shank. I have some scrap padauk lumber from a box prodject. I think I will use as a cap on the back. Not sure about a collar yet.


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## CV3

I started shaping the horse today. I using a scrap piece of plywood. I drilled a hole for the all thread in the neck of the handle and secured the other end with a wood screw. I mounted the plywood on my ball carving vise. This will let me work on the carving from any angle and have both hands free.













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## MJC4

keep the progress pics coming Randy. a very interesting concept.


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## Rodney

That is going to be stunning when it's done.

Rodney


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## Stickie

I don't necessarily agree with statement cobalt 18th June grain Should run diagonally. Whichever way the grain runs there is a potential weakness somewhere & its upto the stickmakers to make provision for this.


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## Gloops

As crook makers strengthen a dowel joint using a masonry nail inserted into the dowel to below the stress area at the change in dia from shank to dowel I always err on the side of caution and insert a 1mm or 1/16 inch piano wire pin into areas that are likely to break if dropped.

The other and better alternative is to make the protruding parts from Horn bonded into position by using a mechanical joint to prevent twist/rotation.

This prevents somoeine bringing a stick back for repair to lost bits (speaking from experience )


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## cobalt

I totally agree its up to the stick maker to make his choice but Keith is a respected stick maker

I havnt made a crook yet but intend to . I would like to place a different coloured wood in the centre of a crook similar to your cardigan stick stickie. but get hold of these woods isn't easy and getting them the correct thickness is even harder .need someone to machine them down .

its easy enough to get lime wood but getting hold of other types somewhat thinner is difficult


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## CV3

Was able to get some shop time today. I cut the inside of the handle out and began to shape the front.


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## cobalt

It seems time is at a premium for evry one

looking forward to the next stage


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## CV3

Got some time in the shop. I roughed out the handle and working on shaping the head. I will get the main cut in and work on sizing and shaping all the head features net. I may have gotten the nose to short but I still need to thin out the head some and that ,hopefully, will help with the short look of the nose.


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## cobalt

it dosnt look to short at the moment .You will see when you get the basics done


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## Gloops

It's coming on, is it going to be mounted on the twisty reared up at the side ?


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## CV3

Gloops said:


> It's coming on, is it going to be mounted on the twisty reared up at the side ?


No Gloops . That twisted stick wifi be used for the elegant topper , I hope i have found some old bug damage deep in one of the twists I am not sure yet it will de usable. I plan to use padauk wood dowle for a shank on the horse.


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## CV3

I was able to spend a little time starting on shaping the head today I am going to try to give it a bit of a aggressive look.


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## Rodney

Your horse is coming along great!

Rodney


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## MJC4

Horse is looking like he might stomp you if you don't move out of the way!


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## Gloops

taking shape now, looks like he will need Red Eyes to go with his develish look, like the fringe,


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## CV3

Moving a long with the head. Shaping up well so far.


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## CV3

]Had a bit more time today.

[attachment=7242:IMG_3452.jpg


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## cobalt

getting there looking good


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## Rodney

That's going to be a really classic and classy cane when you're done.

Rodney


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## CV3

I attached the collar and butt plate and dry fitted the shank today. Handle walnut The shank is Canary wood The collar and butt plate is Padauk wood.


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## CV3

All the basic shaping done. Moving on the clean up and detail work on the horse.


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## Gloops

Taking shape, looking good.


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## Rodney

I can't wait to see the finished cane.

Rodney


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## CV3

Almost there. Still have some work to do on the mane. and final clean up and finish.


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## Gloops

Excellent progress, like the eye detail it's going to make a beautiful cane when finished.


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## CV3

Added Mane and now for alot of clean up and sanding.


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## Gloops

Great job, must try one of those


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