I'm glad I happened upon your video. Your "little bit abut sticks" is a plethora of information about preparing sticks for use. I've just fallen into the rabbit hole of walking sticks and your video is so helpful. Thank you.
This was so helpful, Thank you! I went hiking and found a stick perfect for grounding. It’s my official hiking staff, all I need to do is carve and seal it. Loved this video. Don’t have any of the tools though 🤣. Will go shop for some.
Honestly this video became helpful..i appreciate the info..you answered my curious questions, I like jumping into my hobbies for self learning, I feel the best way to learn is to figure it out, especially if there's no one around to teach or to do a walkthrough, my moral is this video saved me a long time of failed attempts, i just picked up the craft of carving, i liked the idea of keeping the cut off ends for the creative aspect, it's and art form I enjoy
I found an old , wood handled Machete at a local flea market , I use it instead of a drawknife to peel the bark from Greenwood and dry my sticks for up to a year , the old machete is an amazing tool , especially when it has a really sharp edge , the bark comes off so easily
Great video. I have a More Bushcraft w/ a nice 90° spine. It shaved that bark residue beautifully. Thanks for making the video! Looking forward to more!
I've been making walking sticks for years and you can cut them green you put them in a closet for about a month and let them dry and then take the bark off it comes off easy leave them in the closet for another 3 months and they're ready to work with easy to work also use broken glass as scrapers they work the best I have taken a green sapling scripted in the woods and treated this way and it did not split the trick is the way the tree grows the way you stand it in the closet if you do it upside down it will split every time
well done vid. like the concept of wax. I store my new sticks laying flat in the attic for drying. I agree, my best results are with sticks dried @ a year an inch. i'm just an amateur "whittler", but it's something you can do anytime & almost any where with just a few tools.
You can also use just plain old yellow glue for the ends to slow down the drying. That is what us wood turners use to prevent excessive water loss of the end grain cracking our bowl blanks and the principle is the same. :)
I used to make canes like that. Then slipped on an icy step, fell on my cane, and when I got up found out my cane had snapped like a twig, but I didn't even know it. That is when I changed my cane making method, and now make much stronger canes. My shaft had air dried for around 10 years, inside, by the way.
great video, I just had major lower back surgery 3 days ago. I'm in need of a walking stick, I have a friend in a group called "Lean on Me" they are making one for me. I'm thinking of starting making Canes and walking sticks for this group...any and all advice would be helpful,,,
Good ideas Master I've been carving since I was 10 years old I'm 60 now I carve hiking sticks icard Birds on the top Birds down the side baby birds down the side squirrels rabbits bunnies I mean squirrel that I use a Stanley knife I use the back side of the blade to skin after I take the bark off Stanley knife is all I used to do the whole thing I don't use sandpaper I use a stainless steel rod and rub it up and down the stick in between the carvings and it closes the pores up you don't need to sand glad to see somebody still Beth it but I haven't seen your work yet all I seen you do a skin bark
Excellent info, good photography & well said!! Here's another tool tip...in place of the Flex Cut tool shown, have found that a standard painter's "9 and 1" tool will work as well. (the half circle part)...and it can be sharpened if you want.
This video was made 5 years ago. I don't do as much of this work as I did then, but I have since starting using a spokeshave as the main tool for the job.
Thank you so much for this vid, even though it's really old. I wanna try making a staff/walking stick sorta like this, so this vid is very informative. I also think your work is very lovely!!
FIRST TIME seeing your video, glad i did. As i was watching and you showed the pieces you had cut off that were longer than others would work very well as a so called RABBIT stick, they were, and still used in some parts of the world to stop a rabbit or anything else from running away from you if a stick was the only weapon you had and hunger was gnawing away from lack of food. I carry one when camping just in case needed in troubled times. I felt the explanation was needed for folks who may not of heard of such a thing. Thanks and will be searching for more of your video's and learning some tricks of the trade. Oh in closing I'll add i recently found an old dried tool handle from shovel i think and in the process of making a walking stick of my own .
Really enjoyed the video. I am trying to figure out how to make a slot in the middle for either a fixed blade or for a "kubaton" just in case this senior needs a little help while walking.
I did mine with a divers knife. You can smooth it out with the knife as well. It's difficult but fun at the same time. Besides the blistering that comes with it
Hi, thanks for your video. May i know, should i wait until it fully dried before I peel the bark off or can i just peel it green? Sorry for my english.
I tried to work on a few walking sticks today but soon realized I was wasting my time & effort . The Temp. here in SE Massachusetts was almost 90 Deg. F. and humidity was nearly 95% -- I was attempting to Stain a piece of Swamp Maple I cut from a fallen tree in Rhode Island some time ago . -- The Stain / Poly was drying far too fast --I'll have to start all over as soon as the temps cool down
Hi, Don. I have a stick that I cut down last June. I didn't debark it then, because I didn't know then how I was going to finish it. It has a few natural twists to it and I'm thinking of leaving the bark on the outside portion of the twist, yet debarking the inside of the twist. But now I wonder what will keep the left on bark from flaking off later. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I have a small separate space where the fridge is kept the size of two phone boots thats where I dry my sticks as the temperature is constant all the year around
what is your opinion on the practice of cutting wood for walking sticks only during the waning phase of the moon , supposedly because the wood is not as succeptible to rot and wear??? Thank you
If you waited longer to take the bark off, wouldn't that prevent the stick from checking/cracking? I just started this hobby, mainly because I've got a small orchard of cherry trees that make excellent hiking sticks. :)
Does it matter how you store the sticks? Like whether or not to leave the bark on; and can the be stored outside in a shed that isn’t climate controlled; and does it matter if they are laying down flat or standing in a corner? I’m sorry if I’m asking too many questions.
I don't really care for the flat paint scraper... What I did was take a five way put it in a table vice and honed the curve and the opposing point and the scaler end with a dremel then sharpened it with a stone and a ceramic sharpener... Has always worked well for me...
I used a hook & loop pad with my four inch hand grinder that I was able to attach a sanding disk or a 3m Scotch-Brite pad that comes in different grids that do a Very clean and smooth as you want finish, where all you have to do is finish your stick to the degree you want. Very easy and a super smooth finish, just by working it up and down. Easy and faster than by hand scraping.
Thanks for the good tutorial! :) the moisture really seems to be the key to treat properly. I was wondering, is it possible to use some kind of heating like industries do to quick dry the core, or does it damage the wood and risk it of breaking if you don't let it sit in a room temperature for a longer time?
Can I leave the bark on my stick? I noticed that you said you are saving the bark on one of them. Every video I have watched about making a walking stick shows them removing the bark. I like the natural look of the bark. Are there any disadvantages to leaving the bark on?
I just started debarking my first stick. Under the bark it looks like honeycomb or a sponge (it's hard to describe). Is this part of the wood or part of the bark? Thank you! PS. It's a new cut stick.
Some good info and dialog here. Yes, I should have done some research and known the name of the Cambium layer. My videos, at least when I did this one, are just me showing my learning curve and what I didn't know about the process then I know now. I don't profess to be an expert, rather my intent is to try a lot of different things and get other interested. I appreciate the feedback. BTW, I now use Anchorseal 2 on the ends of sticks and logs. Seems quite similar to Elmer's glue.
Jesus was 3000 years old when he was crucified according to the solar system and universe, the Bethlehem star event is a recorded in history as being 5000years ago, check with a planetarium, yep Roman's made the bible up with stories from various sources including zorastians Egyptian Indians Greek and Roman folklore, wake up it's all been a lie to control you
Get you some box hedge bush they're really need a carveand there's a lot of and they're a lot easier to peel off the bar use exacto knife that will feel your bark off real fast after you peel the bark wait a few days and then making sure you got all the stuff off of it send it thoroughly make sure you get all the knobs the little imperfections in it and then latest setting for like 2 days after you have sand in it and then go back to it and look over it again and send it with a smoother grithagrid middle and then keep going down to get your satisfied we're doing it and it'll turn out beautiful I make Cane's myself and make it really really really smooth you take a deer antler and you rub it real fast on it it'll make the would look like glass
Out of curiosity, have you tried a simple veggie peeler? I saw a vid here that did that, and I gave it a shot on I believe were a couple of maple limbs, and it seems to work pretty good. Granted, you only get a few shots out of it, but maybe it'd be something to try out on the various different limbs you've got in your shop. :D
I use an angle grinder with a rough sanding pad to get the bark and shave the stick down in 5 minutes. No thanks on all those hand tools. I’d rather work smarter not harder !!!!
I'm glad I happened upon your video. Your "little bit abut sticks" is a plethora of information about preparing sticks for use. I've just fallen into the rabbit hole of walking sticks and your video is so helpful. Thank you.
I'm glad it was helpful
A lot of walking stick videos but this one is what I was looking for. No1 else is talking about the drying process. Thanks dude! 👍
Glad it was helpful!
enjoyed your video well done
This was so helpful, Thank you! I went hiking and found a stick perfect for grounding. It’s my official hiking staff, all I need to do is carve and seal it. Loved this video. Don’t have any of the tools though 🤣. Will go shop for some.
Honestly this video became helpful..i appreciate the info..you answered my curious questions, I like jumping into my hobbies for self learning, I feel the best way to learn is to figure it out, especially if there's no one around to teach or to do a walkthrough, my moral is this video saved me a long time of failed attempts, i just picked up the craft of carving, i liked the idea of keeping the cut off ends for the creative aspect, it's and art form I enjoy
I'm happy to hear that
I found an old , wood handled Machete at a local flea market , I use it instead of a drawknife to peel the bark from Greenwood and dry my sticks for up to a year , the old machete is an amazing tool , especially when it has a really sharp edge , the bark comes off so easily
South America, Mexico, Indonesia they use them to do pretty delicate carving.
Great video With helpful tips. Been making sticks for years and never tried the paint scraper. I've used broken coke bottles with good results.
Great video. I have a More Bushcraft w/ a nice 90° spine. It shaved that bark residue beautifully. Thanks for making the video! Looking forward to more!
Thank you for this. The wax idea and also the contribution from the comments has helped
I've been making walking sticks for years and you can cut them green you put them in a closet for about a month and let them dry and then take the bark off it comes off easy leave them in the closet for another 3 months and they're ready to work with easy to work also use broken glass as scrapers they work the best I have taken a green sapling scripted in the woods and treated this way and it did not split the trick is the way the tree grows the way you stand it in the closet if you do it upside down it will split every time
You don't believe in Punctuation, do you? Makes it hard to read.
well done vid. like the concept of wax. I store my new sticks laying flat in the attic for drying. I agree, my best results are with sticks dried @ a year an inch. i'm just an amateur "whittler", but it's something you can do anytime & almost any where with just a few tools.
You can also use just plain old yellow glue for the ends to slow down the drying. That is what us wood turners use to prevent excessive water loss of the end grain cracking our bowl blanks and the principle is the same. :)
good suggestion. Thx
Thank you for the scraper and wax tips.. I’m new at making walking sticks
Great tips, thank you. Like dipping ends in wax plus revision on scraper.
I used to make canes like that. Then slipped on an icy step, fell on my
cane, and when I got up found out my cane had snapped like a twig, but I
didn't even know it. That is when I changed my cane making method, and
now make much stronger canes. My shaft had air dried for around 10
years, inside, by the way.
Theo, Sorry to hear about that fall. My walking sticks are just that. Not really for supporting full weight.
I use a fruit/veggie peeler. They work much better/hold up amazingly well to the abuse than you would think.
Oh that's a great idea
Removing fresh bark is the best part of making a walking stick, I usually use hazel freshly cut and let it dry on the move
Cool carving it turned out really nice , loving your channel.
Cheers
Tim from Wood 4 Nothing
Thank you
Don very well done informative easy to follow will see what else u have done thanks for the tips keep on keeping on
thanks for that ..cant wait the start on my next hiking sticks...
loved the video! daughter and I are trying to make a walking stick for her but she wants glitter on it :)
I've never meet a stick expert,,,till now!! 😁
great video, I just had major lower back surgery 3 days ago. I'm in need of a walking stick, I have a friend in a group called "Lean on Me" they are making one for me. I'm thinking of starting making Canes and walking sticks for this group...any and all advice would be helpful,,,
Good ideas Master I've been carving since I was 10 years old I'm 60 now I carve hiking sticks icard Birds on the top Birds down the side baby birds down the side squirrels rabbits bunnies I mean squirrel that I use a Stanley knife I use the back side of the blade to skin after I take the bark off Stanley knife is all I used to do the whole thing I don't use sandpaper I use a stainless steel rod and rub it up and down the stick in between the carvings and it closes the pores up you don't need to sand glad to see somebody still Beth it but I haven't seen your work yet all I seen you do a skin bark
Good to know. Thank you.
great video, really enjoyed it. yes on the bark remover, great idea, thanks.
Excellent info, good photography & well said!! Here's another tool tip...in place of the Flex Cut tool shown, have found that a standard painter's "9 and 1" tool will work as well. (the half circle part)...and it can be sharpened if you want.
This video was made 5 years ago. I don't do as much of this work as I did then, but I have since starting using a spokeshave as the main tool for the job.
Don Dailey
Thank you so much for this vid, even though it's really old. I wanna try making a staff/walking stick sorta like this, so this vid is very informative. I also think your work is very lovely!!
Thanks. I do need to update this one. ha ha
@@UltraD52 9 years and my guy still responds, what a legend.
Great video. I use the same mill knife
Great info. Enjoyed this a lot
FIRST TIME seeing your video, glad i did.
As i was watching and you showed the pieces you had cut off that were longer than others would work very well as a so called RABBIT stick, they were, and still used in some parts of the world to stop a rabbit or anything else from running away from you if a stick was the only weapon you had and hunger was gnawing away from lack of food. I carry one when camping just in case needed in troubled times. I felt the explanation was needed for folks who may not of heard of such a thing. Thanks and will be searching for more of your video's and learning some tricks of the trade. Oh in closing I'll add i recently found an old dried tool handle from shovel i think and in the process of making a walking stick of my own .
Leave the bark,when ready to make,sand the bark smooth and apply polyurethane satin.comes out butiful.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
This really helped me to survive once, just dry wood and make fire.
13 years ago is crazy
Really enjoyed the video. I am trying to figure out how to make a slot in the middle for either a fixed blade or for a "kubaton" just in case this senior needs a little help while walking.
Sticks preparation need jazz flute playing in the background to imbue it with soul.
i never peel the bark and seal them with the sap still in and it makes the very strong happy trails
Great idea, thanks for sharing
Great video sir, i got a lot of useful information from it. Now i really want to start wood carving and making stuff.
BEWARE AS HUMIDITY FLATTENS OUT THE GLOSSY POLYEURETHANE TOP COAT. THERE4 KEEP WOOD IN DRY CLIMATE; EXPERIENCE LEARNED👍✌
Nice and interesting video. You made a good job. Thanks for the information. Maybe there comes part two.
I did mine with a divers knife. You can smooth it out with the knife as well. It's difficult but fun at the same time. Besides the blistering that comes with it
Claim you're not an expert, but seem quite knowledgeable. Thanks for the vid to get me started on my own
Wax on the end was a great tip as well.
Thanks
Hi, thanks for your video.
May i know, should i wait until it fully dried before I peel the bark off or can i just peel it green?
Sorry for my english.
lol. spoken like a true wood-man. great ideas.wax huh. cool. gonna do it. thanks my friend
no, the tip of the day was the wax idea!
The part just under the bark is called the cambium layer.
I tried to work on a few walking sticks today but soon realized I was wasting my time & effort . The Temp. here in SE Massachusetts was almost 90 Deg. F. and humidity was nearly 95% -- I was attempting to Stain a piece of Swamp Maple I cut from a fallen tree in Rhode Island some time ago . -- The Stain / Poly was drying far too fast --I'll have to start all over as soon as the temps cool down
I appreciate your help. Thank you
Hi, Don. I have a stick that I cut down last June. I didn't debark it then, because I didn't know then how I was going to finish it. It has a few natural twists to it and I'm thinking of leaving the bark on the outside portion of the twist, yet debarking the inside of the twist. But now I wonder what will keep the left on bark from flaking off later. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I have a small separate space where the fridge is kept the size of two phone boots thats where I dry my sticks as the temperature is constant all the year around
what is your opinion on the practice of cutting wood for walking sticks only during the waning phase of the moon , supposedly because the wood is not as succeptible to rot and wear??? Thank you
I've never really considered that.
Great information in your video! Was wondering can you seal with wax after it has started checking ? 😊
good job
Yes PolyU will absolutely protect and preserve the stick and the bark should hold up if it hasn't come loose at this point.
If you waited longer to take the bark off, wouldn't that prevent the stick from checking/cracking? I just started this hobby, mainly because I've got a small orchard of cherry trees that make excellent hiking sticks. :)
Thank you for this!
Does it matter how you store the sticks? Like whether or not to leave the bark on; and can the be stored outside in a shed that isn’t climate controlled; and does it matter if they are laying down flat or standing in a corner? I’m sorry if I’m asking too many questions.
some place dry
@@UltraD52 Is freezing temperatures an issue?
Great video Don thanks.
Omg I don't have the patience or time to let a stick dry for a few years . I use a hand held grinder to get the bark off
I don't really care for the flat paint scraper... What I did was take a five way put it in a table vice and honed the curve and the opposing point and the scaler end with a dremel then sharpened it with a stone and a ceramic sharpener... Has always worked well for me...
How long should my walking stick be? I'm 5'9. Waist length? Shoulder length? Thanks
Ive found the back of the knife to work great for getting that green sticky bark not bark off fresh sticks
I can see how that would work very well
If you cut the stick after the sap is up they peel down to the wood very easy
what wood are you using? i find hazel does not crack.
In this case, it was maple. Haven't used hazel.
Thank you for sharing your AWESOME
Great video ! awesome background Song ! 🎧🎺🎷
Different people, different tastes.
I used a hook & loop pad with my four inch hand grinder that I was able to attach a sanding disk or a 3m Scotch-Brite pad that comes in different grids that do a Very clean and smooth as you want finish, where all you have to do is finish your stick to the degree you want. Very easy and a super smooth finish, just by working it up and down. Easy and faster than by hand scraping.
That's a great idea.
Thanks for this video. Have you tried using a spoke shave? It's designed for round surfaces.
How do you keep them from spliting ? Can you take off the bark after sealing the ends? Will the piece split on the sides if the ends are sealed?
sealing the ends should slow drying and lessen splitting.
Thanks for the good tutorial! :) the moisture really seems to be the key to treat properly. I was wondering, is it possible to use some kind of heating like industries do to quick dry the core, or does it damage the wood and risk it of breaking if you don't let it sit in a room temperature for a longer time?
great information....thanks, i need all the tips i can get
Can I leave the bark on my stick? I noticed that you said you are saving the bark on one of them. Every video I have watched about making a walking stick shows them removing the bark. I like the natural look of the bark. Are there any disadvantages to leaving the bark on?
I just started debarking my first stick. Under the bark it looks like honeycomb or a sponge (it's hard to describe). Is this part of the wood or part of the bark? Thank you! PS. It's a new cut stick.
It's under the bark. It should be removed IMO
Some good info and dialog here. Yes, I should have done some research and known the name of the Cambium layer. My videos, at least when I did this one, are just me showing my learning curve and what I didn't know about the process then I know now. I don't profess to be an expert, rather my intent is to try a lot of different things and get other interested. I appreciate the feedback. BTW, I now use Anchorseal 2 on the ends of sticks and logs. Seems quite similar to Elmer's glue.
Do you use Anchorseal on the ones you remove the bark or just the ones you leave the bark on and do you just seal the ends?
Also, do you have a link for the skokeshave that you use? I am starting on my first walking stick and been looking for as much info that i can find.
@@dino0489 Just the ends.
@@dino0489 Just added the link for the spokeshave in description.
Thanks for replying; I was also wondering if it matters whether or not to leave the bark on; does it matter or is it a personal preference?
Jesus loves each and every one of you very much!!!
Jesus was 3000 years old when he was crucified according to the solar system and universe, the Bethlehem star event is a recorded in history as being 5000years ago, check with a planetarium, yep Roman's made the bible up with stories from various sources including zorastians Egyptian Indians Greek and Roman folklore, wake up it's all been a lie to control you
if wood is harvested in the winter time the bark is like iron to get off, If harvested in the summer the bark will fall off
what's the model of the flexcut tool you used?
important thing ..scraper with some leverage to it .. to obtain a desired effect or result...
What type of wood are you working with? Crepe Myrtle?
maple
Slow drying seems to be less likely to produce major cracks.
what if the wood already has large cracks?
so i cut a branch and pilled it the wood is slippery. Should i have left the bark on till it dried and how long should I let it dry
a few months in a dry space should do it.
Get you some box hedge bush they're really need a carveand there's a lot of and they're a lot easier to peel off the bar use exacto knife that will feel your bark off real fast after you peel the bark wait a few days and then making sure you got all the stuff off of it send it thoroughly make sure you get all the knobs the little imperfections in it and then latest setting for like 2 days after you have sand in it and then go back to it and look over it again and send it with a smoother grithagrid middle and then keep going down to get your satisfied we're doing it and it'll turn out beautiful I make Cane's myself and make it really really really smooth you take a deer antler and you rub it real fast on it it'll make the would look like glass
Nice!
Thank you
I will wax thank you. I debarked green I am a bit worried. Thank you for all the information.
Great video, thanks!
🎉🎉
what b kind of wood is this? the really light whitish stick I like. I make walking sticks with Diamond willow, but want to try something different.
Don Douglas
Youpons are very light almost white... They look and tell almost identical to this video.
Loved you video but the music was a little loud to hear you.
What kind of wax do you dip the ends of your sticks in?
The was is just parrafin or old candles.
How do u avoid the nuts when ur scraping the wood
It depends on the tree and how it is dried or will be dried. If it dries too slow, the bark might come off.
Out of curiosity, have you tried a simple veggie peeler? I saw a vid here that did that, and I gave it a shot on I believe were a couple of maple limbs, and it seems to work pretty good. Granted, you only get a few shots out of it, but maybe it'd be something to try out on the various different limbs you've got in your shop. :D
good idea
I use an angle grinder with a rough sanding pad to get the bark and shave the stick down in 5 minutes. No thanks on all those hand tools. I’d rather work smarter not harder !!!!
I enjoy sitting around taking my time while enjoying being outside, maybe around a fire
Wire wheel rips fresh bark very easily
Interesting