My Winter Project

[TW]

As y'all know I recently had a serious medical issue from which I am still recovering. I have decided that in the spring, when the weather becomes nice again, that I will start a walking regiment. To aid me in walking I am now hand carving a "walking stick," or "walking pole," which ever you prefer. I went to my neighborhood hardware store and bought an 8' X 1 1/4" wooden closet rod. After taking careful measurements I determined that my stick needed to be at least 48" in length. I then added another 6" to allow for carving a decorative top. I have been working on it about a week now and here are some pics to give you an idea of how things have gone so far.

Picture #1 shows my initial "test cut" line. I used this to refine my technique.




Picture #2 shows how I "scored" a line around the rod using my miter box and back saw.




Picture #3 shows the entire top "roughed in."




Yes, that is an acorn on top. The rod is oak and I felt that the acorn would be an appropriate adornment. Also, I have located a company in Texas that sell brass tips (with an interchangeable rubber pad or ice & snow spike) that I plan on using on the other end of the stick. I'll keep y'all posted on the progress.


TW

[MacUser]

Awesome, it looks great. You know I love a good project.
Keep the photos coming.

[Pastor Gary]

You amaze and impress me.

[Shellie]

Ditto to Pastor Gary!

[MacUser]

Hey, btw.. curious.. that looks like a pine varity instead of oak? But I could be wrong with your exact breed.

I have a few of my grandfathers and grandmothers walking sticks as well.

[TW]

Hey, btw.. curious.. that looks like a pine varity instead of oak? But I could be wrong with your exact breed.

Mac, While I agree that it "looks" more like pine than oak, I have to go with it being oak for several reasons. First, the hardness of the wood. The only pine that I have ever seen that was this hard was "Heart Pine." Modern forestry does not allow pine to reach an age where it develops heart wood any longer. The trees are harvested at a much younger age. Second, the arc of the growth rings indicate that the tree was at least 48" in diameter. That's larger than commercially harvested pine normally is. Third, there are over 600 varieties of oak. So just because I cannot identify the grain as bring an oak variety that I am familiar with does not preclude it from being oak. And last, cost. If this rod is "Heart Pine," remember the hardness, then I would have expected to pay between $45 and $60 for my 8' rod, which I did not. The going price for Heart Pine, when you can find it, is $12.50 to $15.00 a board foot.

What ever the exact variety of wood, I'm glad that I have it. It's hard, strong, and stable. All the attributes that I need in my walking stick.


TW

p.s. When I'm carving I wish that it was pine. It would make the carving sooooo much easier.

[Susie Hamilton]

Looking good!!! I am impressed!!

[MacUser]

Hey, btw.. curious.. that looks like a pine varity instead of oak? But I could be wrong with your exact breed.

Mac, While I agree that it "looks" more like pine than oak, I have to go with it being oak for several reasons. First, the hardness of the wood. The only pine that I have ever seen that was this hard was "Heart Pine." Modern forestry does not allow pine to reach an age where it develops heart wood any longer. The trees are harvested at a much younger age. Second, the arc of the growth rings indicate that the tree was at least 48" in diameter. That's larger than commercially harvested pine normally is. Third, there are over 600 varieties of oak. So just because I cannot identify the grain as bring an oak variety that I am familiar with does not preclude it from being oak. And last, cost. If this rod is "Heart Pine," remember the hardness, then I would have expected to pay between $45 and $60 for my 8' rod, which I did not. The going price for Heart Pine, when you can find it, is $12.50 to $15.00 a board foot.

What ever the exact variety of wood, I'm glad that I have it. It's hard, strong, and stable. All the attributes that I need in my walking stick.


TW

p.s. When I'm carving I wish that it was pine. It would make the carving sooooo much easier.

Yes, hardness is going to tell truth! Pine is extremely soft. Oak is super hard and typically much smaller grain pattern.. But variations exist etc

I was going to mention that in my first post but was on my iOS device. I've used oak to beat steel car bumpers out. A few days ago, I used a block of oak under my 3 ton floor jack to press open a front loaders top scoop. It was slightly pressed under and the oak easily took the pressure from the steel and pressed it back into shape with just one pressure jack point.

But.. I did't mean to side track you... Keep posting that progress. Always enjoy a good project.

[Gerald]

So will I stir up trouble if I ask what happened to the CHess set?

[oletimer]

Just for the record season pine can be pretty hard and it don't have to heart pine. Have worked with wood all my life and different areas. I would have said pine too but what ever, you will do agreat job with it.

[beckrl]

TW I like the acorn concept, keep the pics coming.