How to Polish and work Black Coral

Hi I need to understand some of the restrictions on black coral, I am a shell artist I have found black coral just laying on the beach and decided to create, not knowing the laws I have used it for Art does that make a difference. I have sold a piece, will I be able to send it by mail? I also need to understand the pricing of black coral. I have to put the price on the art piece that will incorporate the value of the coral. Also please tell me the best way to polish it

thanks so much Spirit M.

This is a willow stick collected in a manner to create an unusual shape at top. Willow is great to collect and make into walking sticks do to their tendency to grow great long straight branches.

You will notice that I cut the hiking stick above the "Y" of the branch. This was done to give me several options in finishing the stick. The bend makes a great place to carve an eagle head and the twig can be tail feathers. Another option is to use the twigg as an elephants' long trunk in a carving. In addition, I can use the curve as a mount for a brass hand.

The point is that when you self collect walking sticks look at the branches in various ways to get an idea of what to create. You can use rope to weave patterns on the stick (great way to store energency line), use a wood burning tool to draw an image on the walking stick and even carve teh wood walking sticks.

Have a great week!

The flanboyant limbs collected last week were completely striped. The wood if fibrous and it will need some extra time when sanded. After a week the wood is still heavy so I expect it to take 4..5 weeks to cure (dry out) before working on the limbs. In the meantime I started to work on the Willow walking sticks and aspens hiking staffs again.

I failed to stripe the willows right away so the bark/skin would not come off easily. I ended up soaking the limbs in my pool for two days to soften up the bark. What a difference. The water soaking works and the bark was off the two stick within 45 minutes.

Trick: Soaking wood already dried is a great way to software the wood to get bark off. If you have a pool test a portion of the limb fist the make sure the chemicals cause no harm. Then just drop them in and wait 1..2 days. The other method is using a tub to float the sticks. The wood ends need time to soak up the wood and saturate the bark to make it soft. There are many other tricks that make you life easier when making hiking sticks and walking staffs.

Back to the hiking sticks. I plan to use the willow as a wood burning hiking stick project. I believe I will wood burn willow leaves onto the staffs upper portion and then inlay a stone at the base of each leaf on the walking stick. I believe in true inlay where the end item is almost flush with the surface of the wood instead of sticking out of the wood as I've seen on some commercial sticks. When they are flush they are less likely to fall out of the stick.

Any way. If you have any photos of stick you make please fell free to add them to this blog.

Have a great weekend.

I just finished a walk/jog with my dog and I came across a pile of tree trimmings a few blocks away.

In south Florida trees are trimmed just about all year around due to our climate. I usually see ficus, oak, palms, umbrella trees, fruit, citrus and other tropicaltrees. However, this time I noticed something different.

We are home to some great tropical trees. Many of the popular tropicals were once imported from the caribbean and Central America. Some are great for stick making and others due very poor. One tree that has always been hard to collect because nobody wants to trim them areflanboyant rees. These are fantastic very large canopy trees that put on a show every year with thousands of 4" red flowers. The bigger they are the more brilliant the bloom.

We have sections of streets, many blocks long covered, with these trees and people from all around the world spending good money to take tours to see Flamboyants with they are in full bloom.

Anyway, this is the first time I saw trimmings form the Flamboyant tree with lengths of limbs in the right shape that would be great for walking sick, hiking staffs and even even wizard staffs.

I have never work this wood for hiking sticks yet. Now I will get a chance to see if it works well and proved great material for making a walking stick. I collected 2 limbs about 13 feet long (two trips). Tomorrow I will go back from some more if the pile is still there.

The first image is of the tree in bloom (yes they are blooming now). The tree in the image is just a young one about 30 feet high and a canopy of about 50 feet round. It is not the one that was trimmed. The one that was trimmed was about the same height but three times the size around (still not full grow) and the limbs I plan to use for a walking stick ranged 11' to 15' feet long with a 1" to 3" girth (thickness of the limb).

I plan to strip of the bark and start to let them cure tomorrow. I will let you know how it turns out!

Aspens are Great

Wow, I just started to create a unique hiking sticks from the Aspens collected last month in Colorado. This is the second time I work on this type of wood. The color of the wood is white with some yellow and light brown streaks. It is used by carvers and turners.

I actuall y stripped the aspen before I left Colorado and place the sticks in a fishing pole bag for transport home (checked-in luggage). I forgot my ski bag so I was limited to collecting one 9 walking sticks wood while on my trips (5 Aspen, 3 Willows and one Fir)

While in Steamboat I picked up a turned vase about 20" in height and 8" round with an area that had area with a dressed look along one side. After looking at the vase I decided to search the area for saplings (I took a 7 mile hike). The saplings were dense in the 8,000 to 9,000 feet range. there were some higher stands too.

I collected 5 saplings of various lengths. Most were straight but I was able to collect a couple snow pressed ones where the root ball will make a great handle.

The current stick of Aspen has a natural "Y" as the top. I plain to wood burn on the walking staff image. Afterwards to make it a trail walking sticks I will put a brass collar and spike on the bottom. I usually use metal for collars/spike for trail sticks and rubber for one used to walk on pavement. I create the spike it using a copper or brass brass end cap that fits the diameter of the end of the stick. Then I use shaped bolt to create the spike for the walking stick.

Then I use a electric grinder to shape the bolt into a point. I use two or three pins to connect the end cap to the stick (sometimes I harden the wood first). This is a great way to make custom walking stick ends.

I will post the final stick once completed.

Self Collected Willow Branches and Tool Used.

I just collected this willow branch while in Colorado last week. Willows branches come in various shades from rust color to a brown or brown/purple color. I collected 5 of these and each one was a bit different in shade. My son started to strip the skin/bark before I told him to wear gloves. As a result, when he finished his hands were stained with the sap - light rust brown. It took 3 days to wash off.

Some portions of the stick was stained with his hands and it turned out great.

In addition, I collected several great Aspen branches which were harder to find because aspen does not tend to grow straight.

Aspen is great to work with because it not too hard (the wood)and carves well. Once the skin is off is shows white wood. However, once you start to work with Aspen (sand/carve/cut out bad areas) areas of brown show up and creates a great look. Many times the brown is in streaks or lines.

Aspen is highly prized by the local people in Steamboat Springs for its white skin/bark and great fall colors. Many artists use Aspen to create fantastic walking sticks, turn bowls and flower vases.

You will notice the knife I use all the time to self collect sticks. It comes with a 3.5" blade and 3.5" saw blade. The saw blade cuts extremely fast and easy. People are surprised how easy it cuts (keep it sharp). The image shows the saw blade extended.

Remember to always to cut away from you. Control the pressure applied and make sure you keep safety in mind whenever you use the tool. Learning the correct woods to collect and how to work them is half the battle when making a walking stick. This is an active hobby from hiking to collect the wood, striping or not the bark, working the wood and then show off the finished project. Many people have made a business from this hobby.

P.S. I was able to collect a fir sapling while on a hike - very straight and light weight once it ages!

Five more days until Colorado bound. I'm still looking for good hiking spots in the Steamboat Springs and Estes Park area. Anybody have any suggestions? Also, does anybody know the hiking stick wood or wood staff collecting rules in the Rockies National Park? I know that I can collect wood for walking sticks in areas outside of the park and on private land if given permission. But what about in the national park.

Also, we will be fishing along the river behind the lodge we are staying in. Any suggestions of what to use as bait or fly?

Does anybody want to trade bamboo to make staffs and walking sticks for woods in their areas? I have a few neighbors who do cut back their bamboo a few times a year and I always go through the piles to get hiking staff making materials. I mostly make staffs and hiking poles not walking canes with curved handles. I usually add a good hiking compass, weaved rope handles, metal tips for traction and so forth on the cane staffs and walking sticks.

Have a great Friday!

Self Collecting Wood

Self collecting wood while on trips is a great way to bring wood hiking sticks projects home. However, you need to know your wood types and colelcting laws. Not all national forst or state parks allow collecting of saplings or even dead wood. Many times you can collect one type but not another.

Private land is a different story. If you own you own land its up to you. In fact, I have grown my ceder on land I own in Tennessee and even used ficus aeral roots in my area in Miami. Ficus tends to be heavy so I mostly use it for short walking stick that need great strength (I made one for my neighbor who has a bad leg).

Either way learn the walking sticks and hiking staff wood types and how to work them. Also, you need to check the wood of insects and wood boring worms. There are methods to get rid of worms inside of wood. In Montana, there is a carver outside of Bozeman that has made a business of making things from wood with worm holes. The holes and bores give the wood a great look (he collects old fence posts and turns them on a lathe).

How to Size Sticks - Llano Gorman

Sizing a Hiking Stick
Using a walking or hiking stick, as opposed to a walking cane with handle, is very subjective and just to remind you what Llano Gorman states, there are as many ways to measure a hiking stick as there are stairs so*** it's really what feels good to you.
Here are some guidelines, that might be helpful.
First, realize that a walking or hiking stick is moved with your wrist. In order to move it easily, your forearm needs to bend upwards from your elbow, at least slightly. For walking on flat surfaces, you could bend it up a couple of inches.
If you are hiking in the hills, the top of the stick probably needs to come up near to the top of your shoulder, which means you should grip the stick between 2" to 4" below the top of your shoulder. Having a longer stick should help when hiking, especially when you are descending.
How serious is the adventure? Remember a natural hiking stick is better that most aluminum hiking sticks in my opinion. Why?
A) Its Natural .. when you think of it.. it is kind of an oxymoron using a aluminum stick that hurts the environment when disposing of it. When Natural at leased you can burn it. Use it as a stick for your garden plants. The wood can be made into many things, like pens. (If you have a lathe) these are just a few examples.
B) Very strong, and can handle being either the center piece or cross piece for a lean-to if your caught in bad weather. If you remember in the Olympics one of Canada’s athletes aluminum ski poles just could not handle it and broke under the pressure.
C) Can be used as a spear / weapon. As long as you brought your knife.
D) Can be used as a splint for your arm or leg if you get hurt out on your adventure.

Check out Hiking canes at canescanada.com for more information on cane sizing and other helpful information

Based on our experience the following chart shows suggested lengths of staffs corresponding to individual’s heights. These are only suggestions remember, it depends on how you feel.
· 41" - child up to 4'6"
· 48" - 4'6" to 5'4"
· 55" - 5'4" to 5'11"
· 58" - above 5'11"
As always, Remember to “Hike with a Smile, and Hike with Style with CanesCanada.com®”

Wood working tools

Over the past couple months I have purchased a few tools on EBay. They were inexpensive but they work well.

However, does anybody else buy from email carving tools and can they recommend which ones they see on a regular basis are good verses just plain junk? I'm looking for some more tools that will keep a good edge and has handles that are comfortable while working on a project. I need some detail tools for non-turning work.

No I'm not looking for the best of the best tools that cost a small fortune to acquire. I'm looking for a good set for a hobbyist to use on various projects such as carving wood spirits and other things. I have tools I use to carve areas to inlay metal bands, polished stones (cabachons), compasses and tools for based wood carving needs. What I'm looking for are brands of hihger quality ones that I might see on EBay from time to time.


Please let me know.

Driftwood stick found - what to do with it?

Just collected another stick at the beach two weeks ago. It was drift wood. I cleaned out the dead wood to open a space on the top of the stick. I will need to treat for wood worms before I do more work on it. It's looks like it will become either a short walking stick, wizard stick or just a decorative. I will post an image when I finish working with it. Its well weathered and has the typical silver/gray color of cedar that has aged in the sun. Making hiking stick is a great hobby and well worth your time. Please add you comments and if you have a favorite stick, hiking location, vaction spot - please add a post.

P.S. : I'm going to Colorado in a couple weeks (Rockies and Steamboat). Anyone know of any good hiking trails in the Esta Parks area? What about fishing around Steamboat Springs.