Introduction: Low Cost Walking Stick

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About: Retired Firefighter 1966 to 1986; Retired Wheat Farmer 1987 to 2003. Drapery Sales 1969 to 1987. 21 year Quintuple Heart Bypass Surgery Survivor; 18 year Melanoma Cancer Survivor. 86 years young.

MATERIALS

Old derelict post hole digger handle or suitable wooden shaft

Old Brass Candle stick from Salvation Army Thrift store

Sanding discs & sandpaper of various grits

1.5" pool ball

Stain

Clear Sealant, such as clear varnish or lacquer

3/8" X 4" bolt

TOOLS

Variable Speed 1.5" Electric Makita hand held Belt Sander .

HF Air 1/2" belt sander.

Electric high speed 4" disc sander

Drill Press

Tap & Die set

Bench Grinder

Bench 4" Belt Sander

or as they say, "Use what you brung."

Step 1: Fit Brass to Wooden Shaft

Cut wooden shaft to length.

Disassemble candlestick.

Grind off any unneeded part of candlestick and polish. In this case, there was an unwanted flange on the lower end of the piece I used.

Fit wood shaft tightly into candlestick piece.

Start reducing size of shaft slowly with bench belt sander.

Step 2: Prepare Pool Ball

Drill 1/8" hole, working up to 5/16" hole X 1" deep.

Tap hole with 3/8 NS thread and mount to top of brass piece

Step 3: Stain & Attach All 4 Pieces Together

I had planned on just staining the snake, leaving the round shaft unstained, but i didn't like the way it looked. I stained all the wood a heavy dark walnut and then sanded and polished off parts of the wood, making it look old & antique.

Step 4: Sealing the Wood

You can spray or brush on Spar Varnish or even a coat of wax. It's according to how big of a mess you want to make and how much you want to spend. There are some spray Rust Guard products available at automotive shops that work really well.

Here is what I did:

I am not suggesting that this is correct or even that you should try it. I am only reporting what I did with very good results.

SEALING WOOD WITH CA / ACETONE MIX

I tried mixing alcohol & CA (super glue), but they don't mix. I got back online and went to Wikipedia. They suggested acetone as solvent & cleanup. I put about 3 tablespoons of acetone in a little medicine bottle and added about 1/4 teaspoon of CA. It mixed up good. I wiped it on to the walking stick with small pieces of a Bounty paper towel. It goes on very smooth, but the paper dries out & must be discarded in about 30 seconds. get another piece of paper towel and continue. The coating dries to touch in about 1 minute. You have to do this in well ventilated area.

Wikipedia says, "Do not use cotton or wool or even cotton gloves. They will get hot & put off fumes." The mix will keep for a while in sealed bottle, but I cannot tell you how long, but at least 24 hours .

I put on 2 coats and it looks very good....like 20 coats of lacquer. I am well pleased.

You can buy 1 ounce of CA for $6.00 on eBay.

Step 5:

I bought a 1x1x2" solid resin skull on eBay and installed it in place of the 8 ball. I can always go back to the 8 ball if I want to.

I drilled a 5/16" hole and tapped it to 3/8" and bolted it on. It only cost a little less than $6.00 and is really nice. It doesn't show up as much as the 8 ball does, but when people see what it is, they are blown away. I hope you enjoyed seeing the cane.

Oh, by the way, you say, "I couldn't make anything like that." Well, let me tell you a secret, I am 78 going on 79, and if I can do it, you can too.

Vote for me in the "Wood Contest" at the top right of the first page of this. Thanks.

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