Woodworking Question

cracked · 12-30-2002, 02:43 PM

for all of you woodworkers, which would be stronger to make a walking stick out of, oak or hickory? or is there something even stronger that i can find on the eastern part of the usa?

drew

Wizzard~Of~Ozz · 12-30-2002, 02:55 PM

Ash is pretty strong (used for some baseball bats) not familiar with the strength of hickory but oak is reasonable provided you don't get some wierd grain thing going.

Maybe knot will see this thread

Knothead · 12-30-2002, 03:18 PM

HOT DIGGITY!! A question for ME! Everybody get away!! AWAY!!

j/k

Anyway, I would tend to shy away from Ash or Oak (as a wood for a cane) as they are both very "open grain" woods, and might not be strong enough...Hickory would be pretty good, although my experience with it is limited...

May I suggest Maple... it's a very dense, very heavy wood (rock maple is aptly named! Your saw blade will NOT thank you!

) I would definitely trust Maple, and if you can get your hands on a good piece of "Tiger" Maple, OOH LA LA!!

There's a guy in Harrison, Tennessee, who makes walking sticks (about 2,000 over the last 20 years) name of Bige Newman. He's made 'em out of Snakewood (the cane maker's wood of choice) Ebony, Pink Ivory, and others. Sometimes he'll bandsaw several woods into 1/16" thicknesses then laminate them up into a turning blank, then spin it on the lathe. Very strong and beautiful!

Hope this helps.

12-30-2002, 03:22 PM

You still want that lumber, Knot?

Knothead · 12-30-2002, 03:25 PM

If you like, here's a good supplier of any "exotics" you might want to try (including Snakewood, Ebony, and Brazilian Rosewood):

Berea Hardwoods Co.
in Berea, Ohio
(440) 243-4452

cracked · 12-30-2002, 03:26 PM

thanks knot! this snakewood sounds interesting. i am not a very skilled wood worker but i do have basic skills/tools. i go hiking a lot and i want a stick that will last and put up with abuse. my dad had one he made out of a hickory sapling and it lasted a long time. i was just gonna see if there was another easily obtained wood that would be even better. ive heard that dogwood(the NC state flower/tree) is very strong but i can never find a dogwood tree that is straight enough for a cane. thanks again!

drew

edit: i dont want to spend any money b/c i dont have any!

thanks anyway though 4 the supplier...

Knothead · 12-30-2002, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whir
You still want that lumber, Knot?

Whir! I thought you was gonna sell it locally!

Yeah! That 8' x 9" plank (in the 4th picture) is one I'd sure like...Also the 6th and 7th pictures showed some real beauts, too! Still available? Please PM!

Knothead · 12-30-2002, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cracked

i dont want to spend any money b/c i dont have any! thanks anyway though 4 the supplier...

LOL, Cracked, don't call that supplier then, because you won't BELIEVE how much those woods go for!

But, yeah, if you can find a good stick of hickory, properly DRIED, it should make an excellent walking stick for you! Good luck!

Wizzard~Of~Ozz · 12-30-2002, 03:32 PM

Canes have to be straight?

Hey knot, this is me not touching your thread

NeoStarO1 · 12-30-2002, 06:10 PM

kinda on topic but off topic.
My favorite wood is PurpleHeart, I made a picture frame out of that stuff for a freind of mine and i tell that that was tough! my second favorite of exotics is zebra wood, talk about pretty.

Ebony is really nice too.

My folks used to have a public retail in selling woods from oak to the most exotic but they are private company now and don't sell to public anymore just mainly big corporations like Beaver now.

Stuff is not cheep either them exotics. wow.