[Carvity_Carve]

Thanks everybody for your kind reponses! Quite glad you like him.

I seem to be looking in the wrong area, I can't find any cane shafts on e-bay. Oh well, I kinda like the greenman being a shelf topper at the moment.

Actually, I'm afraid there ARE rules in wood carving: Rule 1, it must be wood. Rule 2, it must be carved. Rule 3, it must be carved now! Hmm, looks like I'm going to carvers' jail too on that last one.....

Speaking of “rules�, I think I've thought of something that breaks the “Greenman rules� even more than ferns: roses! That'd be an interesting sight! Afraid it's beyond me at the moment though.

Susan, I'm in the planning stages of another, in fact I'm using your dragon pattern book for reference. Yes, I'm afraid I just HAVE to try a dragon.

Thanks again!

[Callynne]

Very nice job, Carvity, I love the ferns, what a great idea!! Your idea about the roses is putting ideas in my head, maybe not roses but flowers, hmmmm, yep, the old imagination is kicking in. By the time I get these Santas all carved up I may have the idea fully fleshed out for my own walking stick....so much wood and so little time!

Again, great job, thanks for sharing him with us! Callynne

[Irish]

Hey Carvity!

Around the studio we usually order 6/4 or 8/4 wood boards in oak, ash, or maple. Those boards can easily be ripped on the table saw or band saw and you will get several sticks per board depending on the width. Then I use a hand plane to round them over. Mike likes the power tools for this step but for some really weird unexplainable reason ... I love the time spent planing In fact I had a delightful Sunday morning down in the shop with a butternut board that I was planing for a talking stick topper. After maybe an hours work I created this fantastic pile of curly shavings and a nicely rounded tapered staff.

By ordering boards I have more control over the length and width of the stick, fitting the topper to the stick, and if I want to add some extra width for a small carved accent.

Have fun with your dragon!!!!

Susan

[Irish]

Ooops, sorry, I had another thought!

Greenmen may be called greenmen but not all of them have leaves. Other common surrounding elements include flowers, grape clusters (the vineyards used this one for advertising), sea shells (that was for the fishermen), lion's fur and ears, scrolls and stylized acanthus leaves. the sunface with rays ...

And, And ... they aren't all men! Some were female, some were cats or lions. It's just the idea of the face, usually of a human, being superimposed upon some other living creature or plant.

So, which comes first the rose greengirl cane or the dragon ... ?

Susan

[Lightningbolt]

"Yes, I'm afraid I just HAVE to try a dragon." Carvity_Carve

It's great to see that you have been bitten deep & wide by the carving bug! And a dragon at that! I've done a few woodburnings of dragons as an extension accent to some of my woodworking projects, then when Bob posted his dragon cane a few weeks (month?) ago I finally felt inspired and confident enough to give this 3-D project my best shot. In the end I was really pleased and now know that woodburnt dragons will never be enough again!

Just last night I ordered Susan's Dragon pattern book too so I guess there's no end in sight. Dragons tend to be one of the most often chosen designs that kids choose for their own projects in my woodshop class, so I know that they'll be delighted also. Please do keep us posted on it's progress.


"By the time I get these Santas all carved up I may have the idea fully fleshed out for my own walking stick..." Callynne

Yes! Hot Dog! Another walking stick in the making. I love seeing the carving gears turning and it just might be roses. You go Callynne!

Thanks Susan for the additional information on greenmen... I mean greenwomen...errr....greenanimals. I guess this is what Bob meant about there being no rules when carving. Freedom of expression in wood is the greatest!

[BobD]

Shawn Cipa is working with us on a Wizard staff in the next issue of WCI...and with all this discussion, I'm going to put together an article on joints for walking sticks and canes!!! Thanks everyone



By the way CC...awsome work!

Bob

[Callynne]

Lets hear three cheer for Bob D!!! That's one terrific idea Bob, hope those people at Fox Chapel appreciate you, we all sure do!!

Susan, I was wondering if I had to go find a stick to fit to the topper I'm dreaming up..oh yes, Lightningbolt, I'll definitely be making one just as soon as time allows!! Anyhow, I really was wondering about the fitting of the topper to a stick I found, if I had a board ripped to size (hmmmm, that's something hubby could help with, he could rip and plane the sticks, I could make the toppers!) Everyone in the family would want one, no doubt about that....oh man, those wheels just keep turning, ideas in every little nook and cranny of my little old brain! Thanks for all the inspiration everyone!! Callynne

[Irish]

Hey Bob,
Great idea! I do hope that you are going to plug the WCI Forum heavily about the great fun everyone has in sharing their creativity, experiences, and expertise ... maybe an invitation to your subscribers taht are online to join!

Callynne,

I start a walking stick that is going to have a topper by first having the stick and topper wood choosen. If I have a nice natural stick I size the basswood topper block to the diameter of the stick plus at least a 1/2" extra for waste carving. That way I have added room for noses! Before any work begins drill the all-thread holes into the two pieces.

Then I use a short hardwood dowel to temperarily fit the two pieces together. You can take a pencil and draw around the diameter of the stick marking the stick's shape onto the bottom of your topper block. Hold the pencil so that the line marks a touch wider then the actual stick ... fussing room!

If the stick is cut from an 8/8 board then it's easiest to cut both to the same size ... 1 1/2" square up to 2" square.

Before the carving starts or the stick is rounded I drill the all-thread hole. I have several 3/8" hardwood dowels in my kit that let me do a quick check of the fit as I work ... pop the dowel into the stick, drop the topper in place, see how everthing is going together. I like carve the bottom section of the topper a little proud - a little larger than I think I will need when finished. That way once everything goes together I have fuss and fit room.

After the topper is done I dress down the stick board with a hand plane. I never try to do an "expert" rounding. I like that the plane leaves the same type of cut strokes that you find throughout the carving. Again, use the hardwood dowel to check your fit. When you get real close then it's time to do the glueing. Once the glue is dried you can add a finish with the belt sander.

I like the joint area just a little skinner than the areas above and below the joint. That way when I add the leather grip it doesn't stand out too far from the stick, not to prominent.

This talking stick is right in the dress down stage. The joint did not come out quite as clean as I would have liked but at least you can see the gentle taper down to the joint then away from the joint to create a little room for the width of the leather. The fuzzy feathers next to it will become an ornamentation laced into the leather grip.

Did I answer your question???

Susan

[squbrigg]

Great idea BobD. Canes and sticks appear to becoming quite popular.

Beautiful stick Susan, love the idea of the "fuzzy feather" grip decoration. It "fits" with the carving so well. Keep those great ideas and the wonderful work, rolling!

Bob

[Lightningbolt]

Wow! This is really great news Bob and a great idea for a WCI article... especially on making good strong joints for canes & sticks. Now, if you could just get that snake stick carving fellow to let y'all put one of his powerful carvings on the cover!

Irish,

Thanks for the detailed directions on how you attach the toppers to the sticks AND how you so enjoy shaving those boards down into a stick. I understand exactly that exact same feeling when using the hand plane and especially when sitting on the porch on the shaving horse amid the early morning sun, while the fog is lifting off the creek and carefully shaping another walking stick with the drawblade. Oh Man, are we in heaven or what!?! OK, enough poetry and on with the thread....

"The joint did not come out quite as clean as I would have liked but at least you can see the gentle taper down to the joint then away from the joint to create a little room for the width of the leather." Irish

From the above description it sounds like you begin the leather grip directly at the joint and that the leather doesn't hide the joint. Is that correct or is my brain just too foggy to "get it"?

While I haven't yet carved a topper I have carved a few sticks where I added a seude leather handle. From the attached photos I first carved a grip groove into the stick about 1/16" deep. I then cut a piece of black suede leather so that when placed in the grip area it would sew together very tightly. After applying a thin layer of Industrial Strength E-6000 Craft Adhesive I put the leather in place then use tough nylon saddle thread to sew it together in the rear. Anyhow, that's how I usually do it but greatly appreciate any other ideas... since you usually have some darn good ones!