Thread: inerchangable carved toppers for hiking poles

Not able to help you with this cobalt32 but look forward to having a front row seat if you get some good info as I am interested in this also. How about a few photos of the existing toppers you are going to use.
cheers,
Ian

The above pictures are the blanks iwill be using for a start but looking to get patterns for a pygmy goose and a horned grebe which I suppose I will make my self but there a species I am not familiar with.
t present my drill has decided to pack up so a visit to get a new one is a must.
I get quite a lot of information on waterfowl from using decoy site which are useful but I don't hunt myself never even held a gun but am a admire of the decorative decoys so any of you guys have patterns would be useful
thanks

I'm afraid I'm unable to give any advice either because I have always used a dowel 3" to 6"long (you understand carved integrally to the head ! Yes very old school I know ! but I was getting my info from a top class stick maker with a couple of generations on me & he would accept nothing less.
Now very obviously this "wasted " a lot of some very fine & expensive wood as well as adding a load of time BUT he insisted that the bits of steel unbalanced the stick in practical use.
I doubt whether such concerns could be taken into account nowadays but I do believe it makes for a better /stronger/ & more balanced stick.
Recently Ive been inspired to do a couple of sticks but have them cut & drying with a T section natural to the tree - so hope to avoid this thorny problem. Sorry ! Mike.

screwjiont6.JPGLots of stick makers still think that way
But I love the idea to change the head as my mind takes me and I can make and carve as many toppers as I like so for me its as much about carving .It also helps me with wildlife as I look up all sorts of birds and animals as whims take me .And when you get a real nice outstanding shank that's comfortable in your hand and the right height I wouldn't change it
I drilled out a 10mm hole out of one of the toppers and fitted the screw thread in today and got a hairline crack when I screwed it into the wood in the wood so will get a 11mm drill bit to fit it. Found a 12mm bit slightly to large .I suppose a touch of epoxy resin would be okay in a 12mm hole but I`m just a bit fussy I suppose . As for balance most toppers are around the same dimensions just different shapes and its the visual appearance that's as important as well as balance I just hope I can give the the bird justice
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Hmm.. a different head for different moods ! excellent.
Not so good to hear about the hairline crack though - there's got to be a lot of tension involved there. I'm wondering if the hole could be tapped to relieve it a bit ? Even if it wasn't a clean tightly cut thread (as is most lightly) it would be tight & secure -I think ? !

beginning to fit the head of a female mallard the collar needs fitting the head needs texturing but nearly there
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started the drake just a hours work surprising what you can do with a saw gouge and a saw rasp
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Originally Posted by cobalt32

...
started the drake just a hours work surprising what you can do with a saw gouge and a saw rasp
...

I'm not familiar with these terms... what is a saw gouge and saw rasp, please (photo, maybe???)

it is my poor description sorry about that. The saw I refer to is a tennon saw, a 3/4inch carving gouge and a Japanese saw rasp. The Shinto saw rasp is one of my favourite tools its double sided never clogs ripe through wood like butter on the coarse side and virtually a planed finish on the other side well worth the money.
but to ensure there is no misunderstanding a pic.sawrasp.JPG

nearlyf inished the mallard drake and started a fulvous whistling duck head .I will paint them when the mood takes me after I have fixed the eyes
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very busy with hiking pole toppers /
The amount is steadily increasing but a few Aussie birds on the go as well as some water fowl from the northern hemisphere
A gentleman has requested a cockatoo and a kookaburra its a bit more of a challenge to carve things your not familiar with so quite a bit of research done , getting good photos isn't always easy as many photos don't give front views and many side views of them have been foreshortened when photographed. Also a king parrot
the cockatoo was challenging as the head feathers is very vulnerable to damage so decided to make it from rams horn and insert it to make it stronger.
the mallards are finished so I can quickly remove one topper and replace with another.
I have also in the process of modifying a few toppers so I can change them when the mood arises but here fun to do when I have time as most of my time is taken up playing croquet with friends .nothing like it on a nice summer evening with good company
A selection of photos constructive criticism welcome
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you've been busy ! That is a pretty cool idea you had, and it is nicely done.

Playing around with personalising a stick using some cow horn I have been given looking at illuminated letters
The horn is to thin to use as a market stick although would make a handle for a walking stick
so a few pictures of the process I used .not sure I can get the detail I am after but it will give me the option of simplifying the letter just a case of suck it and see if my eyes and hands are steady enough
just need to clean it up engrave the detail hoping to use a bit of scrimshaw ?


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Maaaaate what a talent you have!!!!!!!!
Your toppers are real works of art!!!! You have captured the subjects very well. If you were to carve.....say a Pelican.......in a crowd you could easily "peck" people out of your way

I'm tangled in semantics.

To me, a cane is a support for balanced walking, some 33 - 35" in overall length.
There's the expectation that the topper, whatever it may be, is held in the hand.

Our hiking sticks are exactly that, some 60-65" in length and held by the stem, some where near the top.
Meant primarily for balance on very uneven, rocky footing. Wrist thong, sharp metal tip.

Are you making toppers for canes?