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Walking Cane Plans

R

Rich Baginski

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Oct 9, 2011
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Location
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Our AAW Chapter is interested in making walking canes to be presented to military veterans/wounded warriors. This will be a chapter project.

We need plans/drawings and other info for how to turn and construct sturdy canes.

Does anyone have a plan, and/or other information (e.g. type of wood, joinery technique for attaching a handle to the cane, etc.), that they can share with us?
 
Rich,

I dont have experience turning canes, but for anything where strength is a concern, its best to have a nice straight grained piece of hardwood like maple, hickory, etc.

As for the cane head attachment, Lee Valley has an assortment of couplers for walking canes, as well as tips and the heads themselves.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,250&p=43243

I like your idea of making canes for veterans, good luck with your project
 
Rich,
Check out the wood carvers web sites, they do a lot of canes for themselves and for Vets. One site that has good info on canes in general http://www.woodcarvers.org/canes&walkingsticks.htm
The Florida Wood Carvers Roundup does canes every year. I make a lot of walking sticks, but don't use my lathe for the handles or shafts, just my carving toys.
Bill
 
you can use oak dowel rods, get the plans for a double barley twist and you are in business, wally world carries rubber tips

cane heads can be bought or fashioned yourself
 
Is the handle sturdy?

I am a large person that uses a cane for real support with every step. I am a possible twin to Bill Grumbine. I struggled with making a strong handle for months until I saw Bruce Lacey demo at Charlotte Woodturners, here is a link with a blueprint:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3057823/CharlotteWT.pdf
 
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i like that handle, i have a cane done except for the handle

thanks for posting Bill
 
Eagle Head Cane

I started making canes for our local troops about two months ago. I've been using the brass eagle head but recently decided to try carving my own Eagle Head handle. Below is a picture of my very first carved handle. The Eagle Head is Cherry Wood and the shaft is Cocobolo. I am already taking what I learned and began working a more detailed eagle head carving.

Image 4.jpg

Providing canes for Disabled Veterans is a very rewarding project. So far I've handed out about a 1/2 dozen canes.

Bob Fleege
Ames, IA
 
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Comgratulations on a worthy project for veterans. I've not turned any canes- yet. Let me mention that our neighbor has an umbrella with a horse's head on the curved handle. It looks like something you would see on a chess set. Thought I would pass it on to you cane makers.
 
Cane

I would be very careful in using "Dowel Rods" in the construction of a cane.
A lot of dowels are made from leftovers at the mill, and the grain run out can be terrible, and dangerous. I've had 1 1/2" x 4 foot hardwood dowels break with just a slight flexing of the shaft. They don't make them like they used to.
I've only made a couple of canes over the years, and have always split the blank from larger stock, using a riving knife or a fro. This way the grain will follow itself, and you do not get run out. Chair makers (boggers) prepared there stock this way for hundreds of years. Laminating the stock would be a great alternative.
This sounds like a great and worthwhile project.
My sawdust,
Jim
 
James E Gaydos said:
I would be very careful in using "Dowel Rods" in the construction of a cane.
A lot of dowels are made from leftovers at the mill, and the grain run out can be terrible, and dangerous. I've had 1 1/2" x 4 foot hardwood dowels break with just a slight flexing of the shaft. They don't make them like they used to.
I've only made a couple of canes over the years, and have always split the blank from larger stock, using a riving knife or a fro. This way the grain will follow itself, and you do not get run out. Chair makers (boggers) prepared there stock this way for hundreds of years. Laminating the stock would be a great alternative.
This sounds like a great and worthwhile project.
My sawdust,
Jim
Click to expand...

I've been experimenting with many different ways to attach the handle to the shaft. The best design I have found so far involves carving an oversize hand drawn on a large block of wood so as to the most out of the grain in the wood. I drill a 3/4" X 3" hole into the handle and then I drill two 3/8" holes; one front to back and the other side to side. So far this has proven to be a very strong combination. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.
 
Our club, North Florida Woodturners, in partnership with NF Woodcarvers, embarked on this project a few years ago. Our guidelines, with dimensions, are attached (*). I don't know how the different sizes were established. IIRC, at the time, the VA was forbidden to publish candidate recipients, and we solicited candidates through VFW and Vietnam Veterans of America local chapters.

A very worthwhile endeavor.

Google [eagle cane project] for more.

(*) doc file size exceeded forum limits. Screen shots used instead.
 

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Joe Greiner said:
Our club, North Florida Woodturners, in partnership with NF Woodcarvers, embarked on this project a few years ago. Our guidelines, with dimensions, are attached (*). I don't know how the different sizes were established. IIRC, at the time, the VA was forbidden to publish candidate recipients, and we solicited candidates through VFW and Vietnam Veterans of America local chapters.

A very worthwhile endeavor.

Google [eagle cane project] for more.

(*) doc file size exceeded forum limits. Screen shots used instead.
Click to expand...

This is a great project for clubs, especially if you have a carving club and a turning club it's a great opportunity to bring the two groups together for a common goal. Unfortunately, here in Iowa I have been unable to find others who want to work on this project so I decided to do it on my own.

This gave me the freedom to take a little different approach in the designs I create. I prefer a full size handle over the round handle, this allows me to create a very solid joint between the handle and the shaft as described in an earlier post.

If you cannot find a group to work with I highly encourage you to do it on your own. Just go to your local Veterans association and they'll be more than happy to find candidates. It is very much worth all the effort!
 
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