The 'Crafting' Bit.... (Part 4)

I tend to take a bit of time studying the straightened sticks. Sometimes a design stands out right away - just crying out to be finished! More than often however I play around with ideas in my mind, imaging what the finished article could look like - where to cut, where to rasp and sand for the nicest effect etc. Once the sawing and rasping starts there is no turning back!!

Producing two-piece sticks (where the handle is fashioned seperatly from the shank ) allows more room for experimentation. As long as the shank is nicely straightened, the handle can be worked alone to produce the best effect before actually choosing which wooden handle best suits the shank. Granted there is more work involved in 'two-piece' sticks but the combinations are endless and worth the effort.
Whichever type of stick I aim to produce the basic method is generally the same however.

The handle /grip is worked down to a rough shape by means of rasps until I am happy with the basic design. Sometimes I will deliberately leave the under-bark on to produce a more rustic effect and then I move on to the finer work.
Sanding, using a rough grade paper takes the wood down further until the grain and style are to my satisfaction. From then on it's a matter of using increasingly finer grade paper to produce the final finish.
At this stage I have to decide whether or not to stain or colour the exosed wood. Generally I prefer to keep the natural look and grain of the particular piece though sometimes I lightly stain the wood using tannins (prepared from bark well in advance) or even try 'scorching' the wood for an antique effect. There are many tricks you can use to enhance the wood but often as not the original finish is the best.
The working end (tip) of the shank is then fashioned to take the correct size ferrule before continuing.
Once happy with the result then the next decision is to either treat the wood naturally with oils and wax or to apply varnishes for increased durability. Both have their advantages - natural oils (teak or linseed being my favourites) and good quality wax give a softer and semi-matt effect which is very pleasing to the eye. This works especially well on fruit woods - apple, pear, plum etc but does have the disadvantage of having to be re-applied at regular intervals to ensure that the wood remains waterproofed. I find that not too many people are too keen to do this unfortunately so invariably I use the latter technique of varnishing.

I've tried many different varnishes over the years but settled on a good quality high-gloss yacht varnish. After all, if it's good enough for boats it's got to be good enough for walking sticks!
The trick here is to build up the layers of varnish gradually, starting with a diluted coat to seal the wood (using white spirit..) then to gently rub the finish back with fine grade steel wool before applying the next coat. After a while you end up with a diamond hard and durable finish - just what you need for protecting your favourite stick! It is vitally important that the wood is well seasoned before using this method. Any moisture left in the wood may lead to rot. Thankfully I have never encountered this problem as I always season the wood really well.
Once the final coat is bone dry I then fit a brass ferrule to the tip and stamp the stick with it's own individual ID number. It helps me keep a track on each one and the new owner will be able to use it for identification if it gets lost! Hopefully that will never happen!

Well, that's it in a nutshell. Obviously there is a lot more to it than the little I have told you but at least it gives you an idea of how the basic sticks are produced. When it comes to the more complex things such as Shepherds crooks and two-piece stick construction,there is a lot more to it and certainly a lot more time spent at the workbench! Whatever type of stick I am working on however, I like to think the same care and attention goes into every single one.
If you would like to have a go at stickmaking then may I suggest a stunning little book by two masters of the craft.It's entitled 'The Stickmaking Handbook' by Andrew Jones and Clive George. and should be available on loan from most libraries. To purchase a copy (around £9 I think?) you could try your local bookshop or buy it online at Amazon.
However, if you just want to purchase a stick ready made there are many outlets, e-bay being the favourite (where I auction my own sticks) or stores dealing in country pursuits etc. Do beware though of some inferior quality sticks produced in totally unacceptable woods and usually made abroad.
I hope this 'blog' has been helpul and informative. I do plan to add to it every now and then with other bits of information about the craft of Stickmaking, so please do re-visit occasionally.
All the very best from
Shinwacker

Cleaning,straightening and preparation... (Part 3)

A bundle of old seasoned sticks is usually a pretty sorry sight! The wood shrinks slightly during the seasoning process and bark is usually pretty rough and unattractive. Along with  the odd curve or bends in the shanks it is now time to 'tidy things up' before the real work commences.

 The bark is given a good scrub down with a nail brush and soapy water to remove any old lichen; moss and flaking bits. Any rot or decay doesn't necessarily mean the stick is ready for the fire - often small areas, especially around the handle can be removed and give a really 'rustic' look to a knob stick. Any major faults however mean that I reject it completely.
Really straight and true shanks ( which unfortunately are rare - apart from Hazel) or ones that I wish to remain as crooked or knobby are put to one side ready for the crafting process. All others with slight bends are taken out for Steaming and Straightening.
Now I know that some stickmakers steer clear of this process - whether it's because they find it difficult or because they prefer the all-natural look but in most cases I prefer to see a nice straight and true shank to my sticks especially if they are destined to be shepherds crooks or walking staffs/thumbsticks.
The process isn't really difficult at all - all the steaming does is to open the fibres in the wood by moist heat, allowing the stick to be gently bent to the remove unsightly curves or kinks. Once the wood cools the fibres close up again and 'hey-presto!' one straight shank!

Many methods are used (including direct heat with a hot air gun!!) but I use an old steam wallpaper stripper which I find ideal. The shanks are laid across the steam outlet, covered with old towels to retain the heat and moisture and the machine set in operation. A typical shank takes about twenty minutes for the steam to penetrate though some denser woods take much longer. After this time the (very hot!) wood can be easily straightened either by bending across the knee or in a woodworking vice. I prefer the knee method as I can continually keep checking progress as I work. Gloves are essential for this part of the operation!

The hot sticks are left somewhere flat to cool for an hour or so before they are ready for the next stage - that of the actual crafting.

After all this hot work I am usually ready for a cup of tea anyway, so the sticks have ample time to cool down. !!

Gathering the raw material (Part 2)

Late Autumn and Winter are the best time to harvest shanks for stickmaking. There are many reasons,foremost being the simple fact that the 'sap' is not rising in the wood making it so much easier to ensure good seasoning.
It is also a great deal easier to select and cut good specimens when the foliage has died back - trying to fight your way through undergrowth is tiring and has the added disadvantage of disturbing nesting birds and other wildlife! So, whenever possible I harvest from October to February (unless there is a very good reason not too!).
The best wood shanks are usually found in copses and woodlands - especially older ones which may have been coppiced (cut back almost to the ground to promote new growth) in the past. Old and disused railway lines make good hunting grounds but I'm always on the lookout for unusual sites. Quite often friends or neighbours will be hard pruning, or even cutting down, some of the more unusual trees such as Laburnum, Laurel, Lilac, Pear etc and this gives me a great opportunity to experiment with new woods.

There are however three or four all time favourites which the majority of stick collectors still prefer. Hazel for it's light yet strong qualities and often unusual bark colorurations
Ash for it's strength and straightness (great for staffs!)
Blackthorn for it's heavy weight, sturdiness and knobbly appearance as well as beautiful colour. Lastly is the humble Sycamore which tends to produce some strange and interesting shapes for handles. (the bark isn't too exciting, but is often partially stripped for a pleasant effect).
I have (and still do..) use many other woods when I can - Holly, Wild Privet, Applewood and Hawthorn - all of them make superb knob sticks.

Collecting requires a certain amount of preparation as I never quite know what to expect. I tend to take the full range of tools in a haversack - the most important probably being my trusty pruning saw and I always take good stout leather gloves especially when attacking Blackthorn or Hawthorn spinneys!
I look for relatively straight and even shanks without 'doglegs' or poor quality bark. Like most people who work in wood I follow the old saying ' Measure twice and cut once' I have to be certain that the piece is suitable before commencing any sawing so as to reduce the damage to the parent tree or bush. I also try not to take more than one shank from each tree if at all possible.

Once cut and bundled I take the sticks back home for a bit of a clean up before sealing the cut end ends of the wood with an antifungal sealer. This helps in two ways - first it protects the raw wood from rot and decay and secondly it allows the wood to season in a more stable fashion without too much moisture loss in the early stages.
They are then stored in a cool and very dry and airy place for anything from 1 to 3 years depending on the thickness and type of wood. The average time is 18 months.
All I have to then is wait!!
Luckily enough I nearly always have suitably seasoned shanks waiting to be worked so there isn't a problem in that respect - I can get on with the next stage of the operation which is that of cleaning and straightening.

Just for starters....(Part 1)

Greetings from rural Somerset! 

As this is my very first 'blog' I thought I'd spend a little time introducing myself first - boring I know but at least you will get to know me a little better. As it says on the 'About Me' bit, I am now retired and filling in much of my time by producing my hand-crafted sticks from a shed at the bottom of our garden.Though I have been making sticks for many many years, this is the first time I have thought about selling them - they were usually produced for friends on request or for presents etc.
I thoroughly enjoy working with wood and stickmaking is one of those woodcraft hobbies which allows you to work closely with the raw material from the very start to the final finished article. It takes between one to two years of careful seasoning before the wood is even ready for further work, so overall it requires a deal of patience. The rewards however are many. There is nothing more satisfying (in my mind at least!) than a well balanced, strongly made and attractively finished stick, whether it be a shepherd's crook a fancy walking stick or a rustic knob stick.
So hopefully you can tell by now that I am passionate about my craft and all that it entails. I aim to produce only attractive, hard wearing and highly individual pieces which I feel will be of interest to buyers.

 Feel free to contact me - I love to talk 'sticks' and will attempt to answer any questions. In the next post I hope to show some of the processes I use in stick making and talk about how to choose suitable sticks in the wild.