How To Make A Custom Fancy Walking Cane

Step 6 Cutting & Shaping the Handle.

The wood for the handle should be strong enough to hold up under the weight of the average person (150-200 lbs.). The denser the wood you can support a heavier weight. The shaft can be of a fancier wood, such as figured maple, cherry or black walnut. The grain of the wood should extend the length of the handle for strength. If you use a short grain along the length, then you must have a very dense variety of wood otherwise it could snap off under the weight of the user.

The size of wood needed for the handle is 6" L x 2" W x 1.5" Thick. First make sure the top and bottom sides are square so that when you drill the hole to connect to the shaft, the dowel will fit squarely, otherwise it will angle and your joinery connections will be off. Draw your design on the large surface of the wood. Mark where the handle joins the shaft. Mark the area where the hole is to be drilled with the "X" as shown for the shaft. Drill the hole 1.5" deep with the 5/8" Forstner bit, same as done with the shaft.

You can use the Belt & Disk sander to remove the excess wood to start shaping the handle, then use hand tools to get more subtle shaping. Error on the side of removing less than more as you will do your final shaping once the cane is assembled.