Question about Diamond Willow

[watereerat]

I purchased a couple of "in the raw" diamond willow sticks but I'm clueless as to how to remove the bark to achieve that gorgeous diamond effect. I experimented with my draw knife close to the end of one stick and found nothing but white wood so I stopped and raced to the computer to ask this question. From the photos I've seen, it looks like I should remove all the bark in the "no-diamond" areas of the sticks, and remove only some of the bark (the gray outer portion?) in the diamonds? Or are the diamonds naturally darker even with all the barkwood removed? Will someone, anyone and/or everyone please share how to work with diamond willow to achieve the beautiful diamond patterns?
THANKS!

[BillinO]

Hope this helps, I strip all the bark off of the diamond willows down to the white wood. Also clean out the diamonds to solid wood , sand the stick down to smooth, and you will find a very nice distenctive colors. I usually use a clear poly to finish my sticks.

Bill in Omaha

[Ron T]

Hi Jacki,

Diamond Willow has white outer wood and a red core. The diamonds are also a darker color. When you remove the bark from the diamonds, they will be dark and usually red.

Take a look at my video and you will see that I cut an outline around the figures to reveal the red wood below and also did the same thing around the diamonds to accent them. You can send me a pm if you need more help.

Diamond Willow Walking Stick.flv - YouTube

[Boydman]

Hi Jacki,

Let me know if you could use any more help with the diamond willow. I use a Foredom with the stump cutter bit for the diamonds. Sometimes you have to go deep to get to the wood grain look but, it's worth it for a fully finished look.

Boydman

[Robson Valley]

"Out-Of-Square" Construction normally processes 200 hiking sticks and 200 canes per year from diamond willow. The queen-size beds and tables are "in-betweens." 5 year wood rotation. All the wood is harvested in the spring when the bark slips most easily. The diamonds are left intact. In finishing, the bark in each diamond is simply sanded back to get the concentric diamonds of different colors. Believe me, he does hundreds of hours sanding.

[watereerat]

I removed the outer bark down to white wood on one of the Diamond Willow Sticks. There apparently is very little "red" inner center in this stick, but the diamonds have the reddish color (hope I didn't go too deep in them). I keep meaning to post a couple of pics so you experts can tell me where I've gone wrong, but 'tis the season and life just speeds up this time of year. Maybe by the end of the week, I can post a pic or two for y'all to see.

Besides being the Christmas season and having grandchildren hopping hither thither and yon, I "had" to take off Saturday to scout for sticks on a friend's 200- acre stand of hardwoods (nearly impossible to find in central SC!). Hit the motherlode on curly sticks! YAY!!!

Thanks for the feedback, will post pics for critiquing as soon as I can find time.

[Robson Valley]

Was just over at Out-Of-Square. He's sanding the prefitted parts for another queen-sized bed head & foot boards. He sands back down into the diamonds, no chisel/knife work at all.