New Cane and Twisted Stick worker

[MoroCreek]

Hello folks,

As I introduced myself yesterday on the New Member forum, I am an extreme novice at working in any way with wood. So as I hope to hang out here from time to time, I'll accept any and all advice from you guys that have been doing this kind of stuff for a while. For the last 3 months or so, I have been walking the woods near my home looking for different sticks and staffs to work with..... those that appear to have some aesthetic form and functionality to them. Before I try my hand at much carving, I just want to get used to working with the wood in its natural form...... maybe with some minor straightening.

For the twisted sticks, it seems that most of them I find tend to be Sweet Gum saplings with Honeysuckle vines.... or, what locally is called Ironwood. These are the ones that seem most likely to "burl up" around the vine's strangle hold.

Here are a few of the "in-progress" sticks I am working on. Again, any advice is welcomed.

Thanks!

Kim Allen

[Merle Rice]

Great looking sticks. Merle

[torpidhummer]

Great looking sticks,are curls natural or did you carve them?
Oscar

[Dicky]

Welcome to the forum. You have a nice selection of sticks to work with and a good eye for picking them. I have been searching the woods for years and have come across 2 that could join your collection.

[Boydman]

Hi Kim,

I am doing the same thing here in Alaska! We have diamond willow up here.......I really liked the look of your sticks and think that you have something special. Most of my experience has been ivory scrimshaw, now I make resin repro's but, my carving skills are pretty rusty. I will follow your development and wish you the best! Merry Christmas from Santa land........

Greg

[Tom Ellis]

Great finds Kim. You have a great start for a very nice collection. That is some natural beauty, that just a little finish will make fantastic.

Tom

[MoroCreek]

Thanks folks!

Oscar, they have natural curls in them made by the sapling growing quickly with the vine wrapped around it tightly.

Boydman, I've seen that diamond willow stuff..... it's an amazing wood. In researching oils and waxes for treating these sticks, I ran across several sites showcasing the diamond willow..... a beautiful wood. Here in south Arkansas, we don't have anything to compare.

But, I'm gonna work with this sweet gum and ironwood.... along with the hackberry and different oak saplings and see what I can do with them..... so far just peeling them with a knife..... lots of sanding..... some tung oil and Minwax finishing wax. The hardest thing is waiting on them to dry! LOL

Thanks again folks for your comments.

Kim

[SimonLawton]

Ah Twisties! a real favourite! I much prefer natural shaped sticks, they dont have to be exactly straight either!

[Marvin Little]

Kim, it looks kike you have a good start. When i first started making sticks I too stripped the bark off of everything but then I found that I liked the looks of the bark better than the bland wood of a peeled stick. I do SCRAPE off the rough outer bark, if any, and sand the inner bark, usually on dogwood, sassafras, etc. Try to cut your twisties long enough so that the hand grip and the bottom tip are not twisted and they will finish out better and feel better in the hand. Ask questions and we will try to help you as you progress. Good luck.

Marvin

[MoroCreek]

Thanks Marvin..... and all you other folks..... for your guidance.

Marvin, How do you treat or seal the sticks you choose not to peel.... will the bark not try to break away from the stick eventually?

I have found a couple or three stick recently that were dead.... still standing and with good strength..... but dead. The bark just about flaked off of them with the fingernails, revealing some nice insect larva borings and tracks. What's the best way to bring out the grain in the wood with these..... and to seal them?

Thanks,

Kim