Making a walking stick

In wood shop I’m making myself a walking stick as part of my most recent outfit. The walking stick will have a walnut shaft with a padauk handle and a silver ring around the joint between the shaft and handle.

I began by making the shaft. Used the bandsaw to cut my walnut blank to size. The blank was mounted on the lathe and turned down to about an inch then I tapered one end to 5/8 of an inch. I sanded the shaft smooth and applied a finish of oil and bees wax. Then I turned a small shelf for the silver ring to sit on. I got a nice tight fit. I then drilled a hole in the top end of the shaft to accept the corresponding tenon from the handle.

walking stick shaft

 

Then I turned a small shelf for the silver ring to sit on. I got a nice tight fit. I then drilled a hole in the top end of the shaft to accept the corresponding tenon from the handle.

Notice the small shelf at top

 

The ring has a nice tight fit

 

For the handle I started by turning the tenon, then I made another small shelf like the one on the shaft. The two shelves will hold the ring in place. I finished shaping the handle and applied oil and bees wax to bring out the colour.

Here’s the tenon and the two shelves

 

The two shelves hold the ring in place

 

Here’s the almost finished stick I still need to make a some more pieces of hardware. I would also like to give it a few coats of lacquer or clear shellac. I would like it if the padauk handle was darker than it is so I will see if I can make it darker.

Here’s the nearly finished walking stick

 

–Parker