Bamboo Walking Stick

[Irish]

Well, this mornings task is to set a few cane toppers to their sticks. Not all of us are blessed to have a handy wood lot where we can cut and dry our own staffs nor do I always want to use a pre-made hardwood dowel as my stick.

For this set of cane toppers I decided I would raid my stand of bamboo as an alternative. Bamboo is extremely strong, is readily available in very long lengths, light weight when in use, and cheap! Bamboo is available at most large box store hardware stores (You know, Lowes and Home Depot), many landscape nurseries, and online fencing companies.

I cut quite a few pieces of bamboo this spring and trimmed the side branches to 1/2'. If you have your own stand chose canes that are at least three years old. Younger canes have not fully developed and will be soft and pithy. I stored the canes inside of the tractor shed over the summer ... usually that is long enough for a good drying for the smaller diameter canes, 3/4" to 1 1/4" at the thickest node.

This morning I chose a cane that whose largest node is slightly smaller than the base of my cane topper. I cut the narrow (top) end of the cane one full node length longer than the length of my final stick; that gives me some extra working length.

Supplies:
your carved cane topper - mine is worked from a 1" x 1" x 12" basswood practice stick
6' tall bamboo cane that measures at least 3/4" at the largest node
1/4" x 12" hardwood dowel
wood glue, epoxy glue, or Gorilla glue
1/4" drill bit - electric drill
v-gouge
green painter's tape

1. Be careful when working with bamboo that you have harvested. Over the drying time it can develop several types of fungus, black mold, and ... ants! If the cane is completely black or completely white with mold dispose of it.

2. Wash the cane with a dish washing detergent solution, rinse, and dry with a cloth.

3. Measure 1/2" above the largest node - joint space - of your cane and cut along that line to trim the excess cane. Hold the cane upside down on a piece of coarse sand paper and sand the cut line smooth.

4. Drill a 1/4"hole into the node space.

5. Drill a 1/4" hole into the bottom of the cane topper. Drill as deeply as your drill bit will allow. I rock my drill bit after I have made the first cuts to widen the hole slightly. This allows space inside the cane topper for both the hardwood dowel and the glue!

6. The spaces between the bamboo nodes are hollow air spaces. To allow the air to escape as I add the glue and the hardwood dowel I drill a small 1/8" hole into the side of the bamboo cane just under the side branch nobs. As you add glue and insert the dowel this holes lets any trapped air out of the node space.

7. Dry test your dowel into the cane topper, mark a pencil line on the dowel at the base of the topper. Remove the dowel and cut two v-gouge lines on either side of the dowel that will go inside of the topper. This v-gouge line, just as the drilled side hole in the bamboo, allows air and excess glue to escape when the dowel is set.

8. Add glue inside of the dowel hole in the topper. I use a bamboo kitchen screwier for this job. For this cane I chose wood glue. Insert the dowel into the topper, wipe away any excess glue at the base.

9. The node space for my bamboo stick is about 12" long. If I just add glue at the top node the remainder of the dowel will be suspended unattached in that air space. To secure the bottom section of the cane dowel I fill the node space with enough glue to cover at least the lower 1" length of the dowel. When the glue dries the bottom point of the dowel will be secure.

Now I can't see inside of this node section to know how much glue I have added. So I estimated how much glue from the bottle would be needed to fill my space ... for mine I figured on about 1/2" of glue in the bottle. I placed my finger one half inch under the glue level on the bottle, and added glue to the stick until that glue level reached my finger point.

By the time you have some glue in the bottom of your node space that top node hole will be well covered with glue.

10. Insert the dowel into the bamboo cane through the node hole.

11. Clamping is an important part of any gluing process. I used four strips of painter's tape. I cut two long strips for each side and laid them in place on the topper and cane. The third strip was wrapped around the topper to hold the top sections of the side tapes. The fourth secures the bottom section of these side pieces. I give the side pieces a firm tug as I add the bottom wrap.

12. Set the cane upright in the corner and walk away for about .... well at least one day ... since it's raining here today I probably won't work it again until the beginning of next week.

So Monday I will carve and trim the topper's bottom edge to form it to the bamboo cane, do my painting, maybe add some stain to the bamboo, and dress out the joint with a strip of leather.

Susan

[Mottles]

Well, this looks interesting, the cane toppers look really neat. I'll be following along...
Kathy

[Marvin Little]

For those who want to work with bamboo I might point out a few items that could help.

1. Bamboo has a natural wax imbedded in it. I have to heat each section and wipe the wax off when it liquifies. Do not overheat the closed sections as they will explode. After wiping off the wax and washing it with Acetone then a stain or other finish will stick to it.

2. I make hiking sticks out of bamboo. If I can not cut them ast a joint then I fill the open end with epoxy mixed with sawdust. I push a cork or other filler into the open end so that I only need one inch of epoxy to fill it.

3. If I am going to use a leather strap on it then I drill through the top end and insert a soda straw (sprayed with WD40) into the holes and fill around and over the straw. After the epoxy sets up you can easily pull the straw out and you have a neat hole for the strap.

Hope this helps someone.

Marvin

[Irish]

Marvin, thank you! Those are all great additions and great suggestions.

I have given my cane a light sanding using 220 grit paper. I can't tell you what species my particular bamboo is. It does have a strong, glossy finish when dry but not the wax type coating so sanding usually does well for me.

I love the idea of the end cork. I usually carve my stick at the bottom about 1/4" from the bottom node, using the node as the 'end cap'. But I love your suggestion and will go rooting through my drawers to see if I can track down a cork

Now, my stick will be a walking stick ... extra long ... and my Dad taught me years ago to wrap the topper and stick joint with a 2 yard long strip of leather or paracord. The knot is never pulled too tight. That way if while on a hike you have an emergency where you need string, cord or rope I know that I have at least that 2 yard length ...

Thanks again!!!!

Susan

Editing: Years and years ago a neighbor gave me a nice full shovel start of my bamboo. It was suppose to be miniature, under 6' tall. Last year the Power Company came through for it's annual tree trimming and took down about 3/4 of my stand as it had spread out of the patch under the lines. Some of those poles are over 40' tall ... it had stopped being miniature about 10 minutes after I planted it.

[Marvin Little]

If no cork is available you can stuff it with paper or fill it with sawdust. Anything to fill the void up to where you want the epoxy to start. Epoxy is too expensive to fill cavities with it. I try to keep a project on hand where I am filling a void, usually in a root cane. I use my excess epoxy to fill it and will eventually get it completed with epoxy that would have been wasted otherwise.

Marvin

[Northwest29]

Well, you both seem to have the wisdom of working with bamboo very well covered. I look forward to tracking this project and seeing the results.

To get the glue into the first section for the bottom of the hardwood dowel perhaps using a glue syringe and a piece of plastic tubing that you could push down to the bottom would make the control of glue easier? Just a thought.

Susan, what software did you use to do the graphic?

Ron

[Irish]

I use Adobe Photo Shop, my version is CS3. There are several very nice 'light' revision of similar graphics programs that I have played with but I always seem to come back to CS3.

For me what is important in any graphics program is the ability to work in layers. That way I can make one space or fill one area on one layer then adjust it and the others as needed. If the layer doesn't work I can delete it and simply make a new one without losing any previous work.

I had a chance to glue up two more sticks this morning. One of them I added a basswood plug by carving the node completely open. The staff area is fairly tall so the length to the next node is too far away for a glued bottom to the dowel. The basswood plug, several inches long should pick up the stress nicely as an alternative.

One stick did not glue well ... well, yes it did but ... my newest batch of miniature mouse catchers got into a fighting match and knocked it over and broke the seal. So I have reset it but will be doing a glued wrapped twine as I just don't want to trust the joint.

Susan

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Marvin Little

If no cork is available you can stuff it with paper or fill it with sawdust. Anything to fill the void up to where you want the epoxy to start. Epoxy is too expensive to fill cavities with it. I try to keep a project on hand where I am filling a void, usually in a root cane. I use my excess epoxy to fill it and will eventually get it completed with epoxy that would have been wasted otherwise.

Marvin

I took your idea, Marvin, and created a plug out of basswood, set with wood glue for my end. I think that it will prevent the end from cracking without having to wrap the bottom with cord.

Since I decided to plug it I made the length below the bottom node longer then usual. I filled the entire bottom length with basswood. As I use this stick and that tip become really nasty (a natural process) I will now be able to grab my knife, do a little whittling, and have a fresh clean end.

THANK YOU!

Susan

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Northwest29

To get the glue into the first section for the bottom of the hardwood dowel perhaps using a glue syringe and a piece of plastic tubing that you could push down to the bottom would make the control of glue easier? Just a thought.

Ron

See the light bulb going off over my head, Ron! I do have a syringe left over from one of my cat's medication and I have soda straws!!!!

OK ... I started this posting and I am the one that has already learned four new ideas ... love it.

Susan

[Claude]

Susan:
A soda straw might be a bit large...if you find it so, try one of the little hollow coffee stirrer straws from the fast food joints - about 1/8 inch in diameter...

Claude