# work inprogress



## cobalt

Now the winter is here have to complete the remaining hiking pole toppers.

Have decided to use fixture that allow the carved toppers to be interchangable so to save room, and also sell them quicker.much easyer just to srew one on and change it ,it allows people a wider range of choice.This will allow me to customize the lengh of the shank for people

Storage is a bit of a pain but the working rack is useful but need one of a better quality for shop display purposes

This is where i am at at the mow.


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## Rad

Interesting -- you've got quite the Gaggle there!


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## JJireh

Looks great! What process do you go through when someone wants to buy a stick? Do they pick their topper then shank? Do you let them pick their spacers as well? Do you epoxy them in place and send them home with it, or do you have them come back?


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## cobalt

1st i offer a stick already made,but if they want a custom built stick they have to tell what they want, i explain to them that i would have to research the subject.time consuming.but if i like the idea i would do it.

Sometimes asked to do a dog if i want they have to send me pictures of the dog .this must in clude both sides front and top

make templates up.let them choose a shank ask what colour eyes the animal has,ask what type of collar they want the topper fitted to then insert a steel rod into the shank and topper fixing it with epxoy resin,or offer the a screw in top so they can change the topper if they wish..

It depends who asks me sometimes there so fussy i wont do it,for me it has to be fun to make without any hassle


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## cobalt

during some of my recent travelsi have seen some stone carving . We went on a cruise down the nile visting some amazing temples which provide some stunning carving,. Also vistited Florence, Rome and Pompa and Barcelona cathedral is amazing in barcelona its a great building its not finished yet but inspirational .So i went a bit mad on on modern and ancient sculpture .

All provides future ideas for stick making but getting time to follow them up is not so easy.Mayby now that winter has come it will allow me to design some of the image have photographed

I already have some designs done from a trip to greece and the ancient gods are interesting images.

Also have a couple of books on ships figure heads i want to follow up but one step at a time

So not yet in progress but when i get some templates designed i can do what i like best carving


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## cobalt

Following up the carving gargoyles havnt even tried to fish existing jobs , just a bit more tidying up to do on it, not sure how i am going to finish it yet.


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## gdenby

The gargoyle is looking good. One of the problems I'm having adapting to stick carving is the small size of the work. I see the layout sketches, but don't know the scale. Is the green grid centimeters?

The only gargoyle representations I've seen have been in blackened limestone. I read that the gargoyle figure is of the class "grotesque." So maybe blackened base w. greenish smears, or vice versa?


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## cobalt

Yes size is a problem when carving.

I cannot claim credit for this design ,i just saw it in a book, and have made modifications to the design for it to fit better on the staff The origanl design is 14" x 6"x 4" The one i am carving is 5" x2.5" x 1.75" approx

I have removed the feet and base of it to sit better on the shank.Allso being smaller i just see what i could do but keep the basic shape

the book it came from i s carving gargoylese by Shawn Ciipa,. A 1st rate book with great photos

it gives some history of folk lore with 12 designs

I usually carve in the traditional manner 1st then use rotary tools and knifes,, burrs are very good for helping with detail,then i oftern use ceramic cutters to sharpen up the image .They oftern clog ,just brush them with a very stiff brush

Yes the cutting mat is in centimeters, but the book is imperial mesurements. Most people use metric

The topper is carved from lime( bass wood you know it as)'

Although i oftern use historical figures for design i usually find my own finsh its up to you.

Like stickmaking there is no perfect desgin, everyone has a different idea thats the advantage of carving your own

Most americans carve the the wood sprit it probable came from the European version the green man but it is found all over the world in diffrent forms .The green man was a Druidic god-form of tree worship representing the unseen power of nature

The gargoyle i am carving is traditionally a water spout


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## cobalt

If you want a lot of small detail in a carving use a woodburning pen ,then brush it with a stiff brush before you paint it.

Most decoy makers ues this way for feathers /wings etc


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## cobalt

Got some more done on the gargoyle decided to do some woodburnimg on ,it havnt been doing any carving been busy with other things .Need to varnsh it yet will post some pics when complete


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## cobalt

about complete just to fix it to shank

Although lime is a nice wood to carve it dosnt have the character of a lot of woods oftenr very bland and needs some embelishment


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## cobalt

To market to market not to buy a fat pig but hopefully get rid of some hiking poles.

Attending a art and craft fair organised by my daughter she makes and sells jewellry .The fair is being held in a 700year old church in the town and should attract some attention.

good job my daughter is selling her wares there i am not a sales man just taking all the poles there for her to sell

as this would be a market day traditionally one would take there best stick and not the working one its like getting dressed for church on sunday.

The stic


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## cobalt

new project started a couple of days ago .

based on images from Shawn Cipa ,had to reduce size and change position of the wingss to make a hiking pole topper but getting there

Griiffin templtes








griffin woodburnt








dragon design


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## cobalt

Reworked the template for the dragon felt it to small.

textured the griffon breast friend criticism was that it is more like a ceremonial staff than a hiking pole in other words he thougt it to big mm perhaps hes right.still i will finish it and clean it up and have another look as to i mount it on a shaft it is still in a crude form but that will change


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## JJireh

Looking good Dennis! Can't wait to see it atop a some hazel. Ceremonial or hiking...does it really matter


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## cobalt

Think your right

.It is the biggest one i made apart from a toucan`s head.

Hows the nut going? interested to see what you did with it,

Going a bit mad on drawings at the moment every time i sit down usually grab a pencil and old note book and doodle, Have started carrying a small note book around all the time now so when a idea pops into my head just sketch it out quickly.

for a referance


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## cobalt

A couple of hours work this afternoon ,getting reay to mount it on a hazel shank with a silver collar , just need to clean t up and paint ,considering putting glass eyes in?mayby that of a eagleyellw with black pupil or red ones?

Basic shape cut out









spade drill allows me to cut back wood to where it will sit on shank drilled a 8mm hole for threaded bar ready for attachment









about in the round









adding detail


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## cobalt

just about finished the dragon head ,but not sure to texture the neck yet , been looking at different animals for in inspiration ,birds feathers, snake skin, crocs,and the komo dragon or mayby leave it plain with a tint of colour?

Have to look at harry potters dragons and look at some paintings of dragons


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## cobalt

New project under way things have to finish will have to take a back seat

Have to get the horse complete for a friend he has given me some glass eyes to insert in it .He wanted this as a market stick i am just going to finsh the topper the rest he will do.He is going to put the black buffalo horn spacer in when he mounts the peice on the shank

The wood pictured is from a 800year old yew tree that had fallen in the storms its one of the branches so hoping to get a nice topper out of it proving its sound. The rest of the tree had gone when i foud out about it some one had cut it up for firewood .A tree like that used for firewood disgraceful


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## MoroCreek

Wonderful grain in that slab.... It's gonna make a pretty carving!


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## cobalt

Finally got into the wokshop,had a busy week.

The three images are of the collar thinking of fitting to the head

one is silvel nickel

one is white camel bone

the last is buffalo horn .this looks the job just a little more polishing to do on the horn collar but it sets the piece of

The glass eyes is some i had for a bird i am supposed to be doing there 6mm

The shank is hazel with some nice colour on it i was saving it for that special thing ,but think i will get a good return on the dragon so a little more effort is worthile.Just have to straighten the shank fit a ferule .then just decorate the head with stain or paint and a good polish on the shank to lift the natural colour out


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## gdenby

I see you decided on scales. Personally, I always think of dragons w. scales.

I like the look of the buffalo horn collar, but that may in part be because that pic has the dragon with a glaring eye, which is also striking,


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## cobalt

It was my thought to just got it primed with a very thin gouche .Trouble is water based paints tend to lift the grain so will needa light sanding when dry then give a very thin coat ot it again


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## CV3

Very nice carving cobalt. With that hazel it will be a very unique stick. Look forward to seeing when your done.


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## cobalt

Your carvings look pretty dam good .I like the low relief work ,see you have painted some powerful image with the paint work. post some more

I do like to see work in progress ,seeing different style of work, different approach with tools , you can oftern pick something up and incorporate it into your own style,So any more planned?


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## CV3

Thanks for the kind words cobalt. I posted some more painted sticks in the gallery.


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## cobalt

put some washes on the dragon and griiffin .like to build up the colour in stages it seems to give a better effect .Will have to give a antique look when finished or the colours will be to strong


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## gdenby

cobalt said:


> put some washes on the dragon and griiffin .like to build up the colour in stages it seems to give a better effect .Will have to give a antique look when finished or the colours will be to strong
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Here's a link to a video that you may find interesting.






Among other things, it shows how to recreate classic European style painted wood sculpture.


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## gdenby

Ooops, I didn't realize posting the link would embed the video. Hope this doesn't cause a problem w. the forum. Moderators, please delete if need be.


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## cobalt

excellent video its a area which im not very strong in but keep trying.Have treid the manufacturing of form in blocks keeps the cost down.His construction was well planned and executed .i was amazed both with the detail and finish of the work .

I am going to see if any of this painting could be adapted to fit in with me .I have used gold leaf before and was pretty satisfied but after seeing that i see i have a long way to go.His tone of the skin is something i have always struggled with so i will watch it a few times .


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## cobalt

a selection of thumb sticks advertised for sale by a stickmaker in the area all about 50£ think thats about 60$.Made from buffalo horn with bone collars on hazel shanks


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## cobalt

also came across this nice piece of work and a 6 mnth waiting list for them costs about $ 440 buffalo horn with pheasant crook


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## JJireh

Hard to see, is the pheasant horn too or is it added? Judging by the form of the horn, it would have to be separate. If so, I wonder what material it is....

You could buy his 50 dollar crooks and add pheasants to them and make a nice profit


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## cobalt

I dont know i assume its added at that price. A good 1st class stickmaker would do it all in one piece Then it would be pricey

He is a good stickmaker but to carve a one piece stick like that would take a great deal of time and would need a very large horn to do it but because it is buffalo horn doubt if it could be done


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## cobalt

Have to tidy the garage theres about 60 hazel shanks here already 30 hanging from the garage roof ,thats next years hazel taken care of.mayby?

All need seassoning then straigtening and cutting to size.havnt sealed the of the shanks there all oversize.Mostly a rich brown colour the green in the pic is reflection from a platic sheet a roll them in to carry,need to improve my photos.

Not the most tidy person so i have been told

The price of these are getting crazy to buy 5 seasoned shanks 2 years seasoned fetch £54 it seems to be getting more popular thats on ebay. So lucky have found a source of hazel i can help my self to.

Whats the price over the pond?


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## cobalt

I have been given a piece of flatterned rams horn and seeing how well RADS scrimshaw worked thought i may have a go at it .It needs shaping a bit and a lot of polishing and if there is enough material on it it i will egrav eand colour it with some celtic design down the piece and mount it on a hiking pole .

There are some amazing illuminated celtic boarders and script out there .

The other piece of rams horn i have ben given is a flat piece abou t6"*x 3*about 1/4 thick hoping to cut and shape it to put the wifes intials on and then mount it on the shank.Dont know how i will get on using the engraver but have painted illuminated script before so it will be slow

Its pretty easdy to shape using the heat gun or may boil it but you can bend it with your hands when warm so it shouldnt be to difficult to bend it to the shape of a shank for attachment


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## CV3

Nice group of sticks cobalt. All the time I have been doing this I have never used antlers or horn. I need to try that.


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## cobalt

Threw together some ideas for the piece of rams horn.last night .trying to decide what i will do with it,Mayby put a celtic boarder down each side of the horn. Its about 7.5" long 1nd about 1.5 inchs thick ,but not sure how much i will have to reduce the thickness to get a good polished surface on it.yet still keep its shape.It should polish up like your finger nail.So a good celtic design done in the scrinshaw style should stand out well.?The danger is if i have to file it to much it will be difficult to insert a threaded bar in for mounting?

The flat piece of horn i also need filing and does need a high polished surface to get my wifes intials on it again in a celtic illuminated script ,as not sure what will happen when i engrave the design on as i was hoping to put the design on flat.when its polished ,then bend it to fit into the hazel shank ..

Its something i will take my time over and pin the design board up in the workshop as it feeds me both for design ides and tackeling it pratically,so will leave it for a few weeks.


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## cobalt

I am sure these machines have a mind of there own cant edit the pics


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## cobalt

Had to start the albertross today the guy wants it ..Not to happy with it but he has seen the blank and says it s fine ?.

Its just a off cut of wood ,Iwould have rather given it a bit longer neck but they say the customer is always right !!!

should finish it tommorow so here it is to date

the blank burnt ready to texture















Strated a mute swan today for my wife extended the neck .Made it in two parts for ease of carving it keeps the grain in the direction i want ,much easier to carve and uses of cuts of material

Hoping to insert a bone plate on the shank with her inials highlighted in illuminated celtic script and then put a celtic boarder around it on the shank


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## MJC4

Cobalt, The mute swan pic just lit the light bulb in my head. I have been tinkering with an eagle and struggling with it. The 2 pcs. has given me an idea. TX.


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## CV3

Nice head cobalt. Look forward to seeing it done.


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## cobalt

The swan is begingi to take shape mostly in the round

The albertross is being textured lightly used a burr to give the head feathers a bit more shape then burnt it and brused it with a small wire brush to get rid of any carbon


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## cobalt

Hope to see your pic on line more pics the better

Running out of seasoned shanks plenty in the green need to shop round for supply

Stiil shall only mount them when sold at least this way i can cut the shank to the correct height and it will save on fixtures



MJC4 said:


> Cobalt, The mute swan pic just lit the light bulb in my head. I have been tinkering with an eagle and struggling with it. The 2 pcs. has given me an idea. TX.


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## cobalt

As it has been raining today excuse to get into the workshop and do some more to the mute swan.its in the round now so just a bit of burning berfore texturing for a guide


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## MJC4

Cobalt you had mentioned in another post that some of the ferrules you used were acquired at a hardware/plumbing supply. Is the ferrule on your mute swan from such and if so what plumbing part is it?

I have ordered some brass ferrules from a walking stick/cane distributer but the problem is, as usual with internet purchases, the shipping cost. Shipping takes a $3 part and adds another $5-$7 to an order. I am trying to find an alternative ferrule that can be purchased locally.


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## cobalt

I am not the peson you need info of about this wrong side of the pond

But CAS Rad or JJireh could help you more

Cas has posted some info in fixture and fitments which should be of help to you and worth looking at

As you are in the process of carving a bear you may be interested in this .They are from a book called "carving animal canes &walking sticks with power" by Frank C Russel,

It gives some useful info on texturing feathers /fur etc and explans how to carve wooden and insert glass eyes .

It also expluans how to carve from a wood block

Hope its helps























MJC4 said:


> Cobalt you had mentioned in another post that some of the ferrules you used were acquired at a hardware/plumbing supply. Is the ferrule on your mute swan from such and if so what plumbing part is it?
> 
> I have ordered some brass ferrules from a walking stick/cane distributer but the problem is, as usual with internet purchases, the shipping cost. Shipping takes a $3 part and adds another $5-$7 to an order. I am trying to find an alternative ferrule that can be purchased locally.


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## cobalt

some of my jobs done given rain so no outdoor work to do giving the chance to get back to do what i want

started to texture swan proportions seem okay ready to set the eyes in after another coat of gouche,

1 is a light cut using the round burr to give imperssion of feathers

2 is a bit of wood burnung starting to highlight the feathers

3 cleaning cuts using a cylindical stone to get rid of any loose carbon and to emphsise very fine feahers then brushed with a wire brush

4 a very thin coat of gouche to prevent filling in of the feather cuts and will need another coat after light sanding then undercoating building up the colour with very thin coats of paint mixed with some pearlised tint


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## cobalt

Planning another long winded project when i can get the drawings done based on nordic art.not so much a carving as a engraving,

I didnt know thaat most nordic art was brightly painted but seeing the viking exhibitionon tv got me interested in it.

So it will be a challenge to engrave a hazel shank from top to bottom when i work out how to transfer the design onto the shank


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## cobalt

got the mute swan painted ,not sure what collar to use yet and needs some satin varnish on. trying out the new camera .not used this camera much picture quality not very clever need to change settings?


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## MJC4

Just a slight bit out of focus, is that a threaded rod for attachment?


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## cobalt

Yes it is a threaded rod, i attach all my toppers with it there imposable to get of once the epoxy is set

The camera had to return it its faulty it keeps turning its self of so no camera at the moment


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## cobalt

bent the horn to fit the hazel shank.made a jig from some pine, boiled the horn then forced the horn into the jig with a piece of hazel..Its quite soft when boiled , used a hot air gun to tweek it .

Trouble was wife caught me using her saucepans ? in the doghouse now .

looking for some celtic script to cut out her initials from it .The piece is about 2.25 inches long and wraps about halfway round the shank,just neeed to cut the shape out before i embed it into the shank.

Its suprising easy to polish and cut .It does need a high polish on it 1st .it grips the shank well when pushed on it snaps into position.So shouldnt be to much trouble to cut the letter out then engrave it before i embed it.


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## CV3

Swan looks very nice cobalt. Why is it the wives all get upset when you put their cookware to good use?


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## cobalt

Dont mention the saucepan, she came home a wee bit early

Hard to get good photos of the swan , i like to get both side views and also the top view of the head to ensure the bird is correct in its features .this particular swann is a juvenile you can tell by the black above its bill a older one is much moe pronounced. Hate it when the drawings arnt right,

Its a bit of a problem getting the top view of any bird but it tells you so much information, which you need to scale it to fit the shank correctly.

No work today been busy got to get back in good books somehow


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## cobalt

Finally got to cut the rams horn,reduced its thickness to about 1/8 inch, used the cardboard cut out to use as a guide

thinking about sivering the back of it to use reflective light, dont know if it will work?

have yet to engrave the intial to help it stand out more use the remains of the horn to practise on

Going to highlight the letter in enamal then polish it back, time consuming

The piece snaps in to position as have moulded it to fit the shank so it will need a contact adhesive to secure it .

It will be mounted on the shank when the swan is fixed ,then a little bit of illuminated boarder will be added .

Never spent so much time on a peice of work


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## cobalt

painted the out line of the font with pearlised enamuls then buffedit up on a buffing wheel it certainly gets rid of any paint on the body of the font and gives a very smooth finish, just got to apply second colour yet, then get rid of any unwanted paint the buffing wheel reduces the thickness of the horn so to much will undo all the painting at this stage


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## cobalt

Got over the virus i think so back up and running,so poliished up the horn again ,which removed the paint work wasnt happy with it ,used a buffing compound which reduced the thickness quite a lot so have to re-engrave it again .Its come up much lighter wasnt happy with the colour used so used gold it didnt work for me so removed it so will stick with black to highlight the letter.

still without a camera ,its difficult to find one that has a old fashioned view finder,these led screens are usless in sunshine cant see a dam thing on the screen


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## cobalt

playing around with inter changeable toppers

they consist of two brass fitments and a threaded bar.Although with fiting a threaded bar to the topper can get away with one.they fit inside a nickel silver collar well .

A bit difficult to align the brass fitments exactly but seem to have managed it .the shanks need a 12mm hole 50mm deep drilling in them, to fit the fitment.

pics of the fitment with a few ideas

1 dragon with brass fitment 2 picture brass fitment with a nickel silver collar 3&4 dragon with fitment


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## MJC4

Put that dragon head on anything and its going to be cool! B) I especially like the look of the nickel silver collar.


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## cobalt

All the chat about the doormouse and reading alice in wonderland to my grandaufgter is making me consider making interchangable toppers of the mad hatter, a thumb stick of tweedledee and tweedle dum and the white rabbit ,but where woulkd we be without the queen of harts ?

No sensible person would be seen with them but we are not all that sensible????


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## gdenby

cobalt said:


> All the chat about the doormouse and reading alice in wonderland to my grandaufgter is making me consider making interchangable toppers of the mad hatter, a thumb stick of tweedledee and tweedle dum and the white rabbit ,but where woulkd we be without the queen of harts ?
> 
> No sensible person would be seen with them but we are not all that sensible????


I think a tweedledee and tweedledum thumb stick would be the first "toppered" thumb stick I've seen. Hmm. Homes and Watson. Laurel and Hardy. Jekyll and Hyde. Many possibilities.


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## cobalt

This seems like a chalenge mm mayby a fun one? one for a interchangable topper?

Wonder who could come up with the wackiest one ?

Has the gauntlet been thrown?

what about yogi bear ,dickdastardly mm batman and robin? who else is there


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## cobalt

yogi bear was a popular cartoon over here so for anyone sellig there wares around yellowstone park it must be a fun stick to do? and surely must prove to be popular as it must have been big in the states?

like the idea of laruel and hardy and sherlock holmes.

Went by the sherlock holes shop in baker street the other day seems to be very popular fun place to look in, had to get my grandson in the south of france a deer stalker maginfier glass and the pipe for his birthday hes mad on him.


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## cobalt

getting nearer to finishing my wifes mute swan hiking pole, decided to do fleur de lee above where i will fix the horn initial on

tried to give one side some tone by painting half on the fluer de lee in a deep cadmium yellow and the other half in raw sienna hasnt worked

the white undercoat coat was gouche mixed with wood glue ,top coat gold enamel paint

The colour of the shank hasnt given enough contrast so will out line the thing in black to try to lift the colour


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## cobalt

had a look atfiting the carving of a kingfisher as a inter changeable topper ,still havnt decided whether to paint it in the kingfishers colours or just leave it as it is


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## Rad

cobalt said:


> had a look atfiting the carving of a kingfisher as a inter changeable topper ,still havnt decided whether to paint it in the kingfishers colours or just leave it as it is
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I'd leave it as is!


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## cobalt

Thats what i like straight to the point

thanks Rad


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## cobalt

more possabilitys for a interchangeable toppers

The shank choice is unusually straight at the moment its 52"long 1inch at the top tappering down to 0.9of a inch at the bottom .

it will give more choice for carving fo myself and will have a standard size to work from as the shank will always mesure 1inch where the topper sits

I usually make the neck of the toppers to fit the shank i am working on.


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## JJireh

King fisher colors are very vibrant and beautiful, which species did you use for reference?


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## cobalt

Your right very bright colour and a very fast bird quite small,

the carving is life size its a common british kingfisher.If your lucky enought to see one its just usually a flash of blue there so fast they nest in burrows st the side of streams.very rare do you see them fishing.


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## cobalt

Griffin ,interchangable topper

Pick up a small lump of cherry wood a friend was going to use it as fifewoodand still may if not stisfied ,looks a bit suspect but hoping to get a griifins head out of it?the wood measures2.25x5.75x4.25

Not planning to paint it hoping to enhance the grain with woodburning and polishing,

Think theres enogh to cut it out .But dont know what it carves like the design is about 6 x3.5 x2 inches a few pics with the design


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## MJC4

Black cherry has a Janka hardness of 950. As a comparison Basswood is rated @ 410. I like carving cherry, though it does require a good bit of tool stropping. IMHO cherry looks great with an oil finish. I also like poly over the oil to protect the stick from dings and dents.


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## cobalt

intial cutting griffin

wondering if its worth carrying on with it the barks deep?


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## CV3

Nice job on the kingfisher. I like the your whole group of toppers. Were do you get the brass hardware you use for your inter changeable tops?


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## cobalt

The screw joints are used for making a two piece snooker or pool cue.you should be able to get them over there .

Here is the address i get mine from www.The Stick Man.co.uk you may be interested at his site? if its only for curiosity

just got the griffin in the round didnt think it would be any good but managed it .Just a bit of trimming to do then add detail

The knots hasnt made it easdy to carve buy hopefully they will enhance it when i polish it up


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## cobalt

added the eyes just the ears to sort out then final polishing mayby change the eye line ?

used the web cam to take the photo not to good but until i get a camera it will have to do


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## cobalt

fished griffin 1st coat varnish on hope the photos are better cant get worse


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## MJC4

Very nice piece Cobalt! Are the eyes glass or painted?


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## cobalt

There glass,normally would use that colour eyes for heron or eagle.

I have painted some then dropped a small drop of super glue over the painted area it gives the eye a glass finish, not as good as glass eyes.


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## cobalt

someone may find this useful dont know if its loaded pics>

*Learn the Basic Rules of Stickmaking*

Wednesday 20 July 2011

*Stick maker Dave Wilkins, introduces readers to the techniques involved with making a basic stick*

*1.*The majority of homemade sticks comprise of a handle and a shaft - which is also called a shank. The shaft, and the handle if made of wood, will need to be seasoned, which means that the wood must be left to dry. The rule of thumb for drying wood is one year for 1in (25mm) of thickness (PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE WILKINS)

Next

The majority of homemade sticks comprise of a handle and a shaft - which is also called a shank. The shaft, and the handle if made of wood, will need to be seasoned, which means that the wood must be left to dry. The rule of thumb for drying wood is one year for 1in (25mm) of thickness.

The traditional woods for the shaft are (see gallery photo 1, left to right):

*1.* Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

*2.* Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

*3.* Hazel (Corylus avellana)

*4.* Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

*5.* Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)

*Cutting shafts*

Shafts of all these woods if grown in a coppice, will have a tendency to be reasonably straight and therefore will reduce the need for straightening at a later stage. From a conservation viewpoint, try not to cut proposed stick shafts which you later have to discard as unsuitable.

The ideal time for cutting shafts is when the wood sap is down i.e. when the tree is hibernating for winter - this is generally indicated by the leaves having fallen from the branches, and is usually between November and February of each year. Holly, an evergreen tree, does not shed its leaves but can also be cut at this time of year. Look for shafts that are about 1.5m (5ft) in length, and about 25-30mm (1-1/4in) at the thick end, tapering to about 15mm (9/16in) at the thin end. After cutting, store them in a cool, dry, airy place for 12 months to season.

*Straightening after seasoning*

After seasoning your shaft, inspect the shaft for any sections that require straightening.

To straighten, start at the fat end and working your way down in stages, apply heat using a hot air gun to any sections that require straightening. Fan the heat over a 150mm (6in) length all around the circumference of the shaft at the point that needs to be straightened. Apply only sufficient heat so that the shaft is just too hot to hold at the heated area with an ungloved hand, then straighten and allow to cool before straightening the next 150mm length. Straighten across your knee or the corner of a bench (see gallery photo 2).

*Type of joint*

There are two types of joints used for joining the handle to the shaft:

*1.* Dowel joint - where the end of the shaft is made into a dowel, and the handle is drilled to accept the dowel.

*2.* Studding joint - where a single threaded metal rod is glued into both the handle and the shaft.

I will only be dealing with the studding joint since this is easier, and an almost perfect joint made every time.

A dowel joint once made, cannot be adjusted to be made perfect. Only experienced stickmakers can successfully make dowel joints that are perfect.

*The handle*

Regardless of whether the handle is carved (dog or bird head etc) or plain, the process for a studding joint is the same. Here I am using what is known as a 'cardigan' style handle, the shape being very similar to that of a carved handle.

Square the base of the neck (see gallery photo 3). Mark the centreline on all sides of the handle blank, then a centreline in each half of the handle - this will help with the shaping up later (see gallery photo 4).

Mark the centre of the base of the handle. Put the handle in a vice upside down with the neck vertical - check and confirm by using a spirit level (see gallery photo 5).

*The threaded rod*

At the central point of the base, drill a vertical hole using an 8mm drill bit (see gallery photo 6) to the depth of 60mm (2 3/8in), or 55mm (2 1/4in) if you intend using a spacer with the threaded rod - the threaded rod is 125mm (5in) long.

The threaded rod can be glued in place either now or later in the making process, depending on your preference. When gluing the rod in the hole, it must be held by pressure while the glue dries.

A pocket of air can sometimes get trapped at the bottom of the hole and if pressure is not applied, the air that is compressed in the hole will cause the rod to come out slightly. Remove any excess glue before it dries.

If you are fitting a spacer, drill the centre with an 8mm drill bit and glue it to the handle when the glue holding the threaded rod has dried. Remove any excess glue before it dries. You can apply pressure by using a large washer and a wing nut screwed down on the threaded rod.

When the glue has dried, remove any excess spacer material back to the original size of the handle neck (see gallery photo 7).

Now you can carve/shape the handle. You must leave the neck squared, so do not reduce the neck part at this stage (see gallery photo 8).

*Drilling the hole*

Ensure that the thicker end of the shaft is flat and at 90 degrees to the shaft. Ensure that the shaft is vertical in the vice using a spirit level (see gallery photo 9).

Find and mark the centre of the thick end of the shaft using a metal washer of smaller diameter than the shaft, since it is round and has a central hole - the smaller the hole space the easier it is to find the centre (see gallery photo 10).

Drill a hole using the 8mm drill bit to a depth of 60mm (2 3/8in). Drill a small way and then move 90° round the shaft to the side and drill another small way, then move back 90°. Continue drilling, moving 90° back and forth until the hole has been drilled. The reason for moving 90° is to ensure that the hole is as upright as possible from both the front and the side (see gallery photo 11).

Now is the time to glue the threaded rod into the handle if you have not previously done so, and the spacer if one is being used. Check that the hole is deep enough for the threaded rod protruding from the bottom of the handle. About 25mm (1in) from the top of the shaft, put a strip of masking tape completely around the circumference of the shaft.

*Handle alignment*

Viewing from the back, insert the handle into the shaft. Looking down the full length of the shaft from the thin end, slowly rotate the shaft while keeping the handle still. Keep the back of the handle uppermost on the end of the shaft while rotating the shaft. When the shaft and the handle are in a straight line, draw a vertical pencil line on the masking tape that follows down from the centreline on the back of the handle (see gallery photo 12).

If you cannot get the handle and shaft in a straight line, then place the neck of the handle in a vice and using a hammer, tap

the threaded rod to adjust its position, and then try again to get the handle and shaft in a straight line. Always ensure that the direction you are tapping the threaded rod is against the jaws of the vice.

With the view from the back in line, and the pencil lines lined up, view from the side (see gallery photo 13). If the handle is leaning forwards or backwards, repeat the process of tapping the threaded rod in the vice so that from the side, the handle is vertical (see gallery photo 14).

When you have completed the view from the back and the side, hold the handle in its lined-up position on the shaft - there may be a small gap between the handle and

shaft surfaces. Where this occurs, remove any wood from the top of the shaft that is preventing a complete touching surface to be achieved.

When you have a complete touching surface, the handle will need to be glued to the shaft.

*Gluing handle and shaft*

At the very top of the shaft, put a strip of masking tape completely around the circumference, but do not cover up the 'jointing line' pencil mark - if you do, re-mark the line down the shaft. The masking tape is to prevent the glue from damaging the bark.

Using a sharp knife, slightly dish the top of the shaft around the hole drilled for the threaded rod. It is important not to cut the dish out from the whole so that it reaches the bark (see gallery photo 15).

Remove the wood between the outside lines, thereby changing the four sides of the neck into eight sides (see gallery photo 16).

Using the two-part epoxy, mix enough glue to cover the threaded rod, and insert the handle into the top of the shaft. Line up the jointing marks on the handle and shaft, and apply pressure to the joint until the glue is set.

Take note - it is possible to get a small pocket of air trapped in the joint which if pressure is not applied, will push the joint apart.

*Reducing the handle to shaft*

Using a 'bastard cut' file, smooth down the corners of the neck of the handle so that the neck becomes round in circumference.

There are rules that need to be applied when looking at the appearance of the handle and shaft:

*1.* The inside line of the handle needs to be a straight continuous line up from the shaft, which must not fall forwards or backwards.

*2.* The back line can be either straight or slightly backwards, but must not fall forwards.

*3.* The two sides can be straight or slightly flared out from the joint but must not fatten.

Use the bastard file to reduce the sides of the handle to get to this stage. Remember to cut with the grain or across, but never against it.

Now use cloth-backed abrasive from 125 grit in stages down to 400 grit to sand the neck down to the shaft circumference. Sand the handle until the masking tape at the top of the shaft starts to rough up. This is a signal to be careful since you are now only a paper thickness away from the bark. Continue carefully using the fine grit abrasive until all the masking paper has been removed, then gently rub the joint with 000 grade wire wool to remove any trace of the masking tape.

Use the wire wool down the whole length of the shaft to ensure that it is smooth. Now cut the shaft to the length required, remembering the old saying "measure twice, cut once". If you are fitting a metal ferrule, make sure that it is the correct size, not bigger or smaller in circumference than the shaft.

So there you have it. Follow these basic rules and you will be able to make and adapt your wn walking sticks to your carved heads.


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## cobalt

sorry no pics ,didnt load them .but only pics of shanks

its from a article in woodworkers magazine

Sorry folks should have put it in different cat but unable to delete it or move it


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