carving a eagle for a walking stick how to make project

How to carve a walking stick eagle head

Carving designs onto a walking stick does not need to become a major project. Some of the simpler designed such as a carve eagle head  creates a great hiking stick making project. The image attached to this post is the top of the walking stick and the carving was created using just a pocket knife. Yes, most wlakgin sticks are thicker but the concept is the same. The image does not show the completed eagle head wood carving for the walking stick about it is 90% completed. 

It's a simple design and when finished it adds a rustic look to the stick. Beyond the image the carving needs to be sanded and finished with a few coats of clear shellac or other wood finish. Yes, you can paint the eyes black or drill a hole to give it a more depth. This is a great project to do while at a camp site or a quick hiking stick and staff making project in the evening.

One aspect not covered here is the shape of the walking stick top. When you collect your walking stick material to make a hiking staff  think about the finished project. I prefer curved tops to give movement to the eagle head or other animal that I plant to carve. May times I leave branches on the collected walking stick until I determine the final design stick making design. Also, the hardness of the wood needs to be check before starting your hiking stick making project.  The walking stick guides gives good details on wood selection, what to collect, carving, staining, deigning and other aspect of walking and hiking stick making.

Hand make your own wood walking and hiking sticks

When walking or hiking trails with a single walking stick, hiking staff or pole can give you an extra point of stability. If you are in the desert it even gives you added protection against snakes. Many people travel with their walking sticks so a two part stick is convenient. When creating your own wood walking stick or hiking staff think about making a comfortable grip, use strong light wood, and even mount a compass. Inserting a compass into a walking stick you make is easy!

If you hike in wet climates you should consider the type of finish you use on your walking stick project. When making your hiking stick put several layers of shellac (natural resin) or other clear coating on the wood to protect it from the elements. If possible stay with natural resin finishes instead of marine poly based ones which add weight to your walking and hiking stick projects. In between coats lightly sand the stick with fine steel wool when making your walking stick.

When you cross streams rubber bottom walking sticks are a hazard due to slippage. It's much better to have a pointed metal tip for better support on slippery rocks and on loose gravel areas. Rubber bottoms walking sticks are good for cement trails and level dirt trails. Just like football players, spikes give you traction when you need it while hiking with your own made wood walking sticks.

Scout hiking stick making project

     Creating your own hiking stick is a scout tradition. Here is an another idea of a possible new tradition for hiking stick making for your scout troupe or competition between states. Why not have a group hiking stick making pass around walking stick project.  Many wood carvers create projects where each persons puts their own individual style on the project.

    This is how it works when doing a hiking stick making group project. First, select around 3 to 10 people who want to make a scout hiking stick. Each person is assigned a portion of the hiking stick to add their own personal touch. The catch is that you will need one hiking stick blank for each member who contributes to the project.

    If you have 5 scouts making a hiking stick then you need 5 hiking sticks. Each person is assigned one section on EACH of the 5 walking sticks. If you are doing the hiking stick making project between 3..5 troupes then assign each troop one section and the put the EXACT same design on each of the walking sticks. This way after  all the sticks are passed around they will all have the same design on each stick.  This way each troupe or person who participates in the project will have a group made walking stick to call their own. In the end, each troupe or individual scout will enjoy a group walking stick making project and get design ideas from others for other walking stick making scouts areas.

   We recommend starting with simple designed and progress with more complicated walking stick making techniques. Start a project with troupe emblem. Get a group of scout masters from your state to commit to adding their emblem suing the same techniques (paint, stain, drawer, or wood carve). Each troupe is assigned a section and a completion date. Each group gets one stick of the same type and does the design. Then mail/pass the stick to the next group until the walking stick making project is completed.

How to making hiking sticks and walking staffs

Proper and staining of your walking stick making project is a critical step. When making a walking stick or hiking staff you need to protect the wood from the elements such as water, snow and dirt. However, once you stain and coat the stick are you finished making your hiking stick?  have you considered other techniques of sanding off stain for contract or making images on you walking stick by sanding off stain? these are just a few methods shown in the walking stick making guides.

First before you do any staining make sure you walking stock wood is very smooth. I recommend to sand the wood in three steps starting with 80 grit, 220 and finish with either 400 to 600 grit.  I always go to 600 grit on my project to give me a better surface foe staining and painting. Yes, you can use an electric sander in the first rough step. However, I recommend hand sanding 220 and higher so you have better control on your walking stick making project.  After you sand the wood use your bare hands to feel the wood surface for imperfections in the are you plant to carve, paint or other aspect to make your walking stick project unique.

The image on this post uses a method of  blocking stain from certain areas of  walking stick to make a design on the wood. There is a trick to this method of preventing stain from adhering to some areas of the wood and not other areas. Beyond circles you can create whole images on your walking stick making project and create great shading effects.  Combine this method with other stain colors or paints to recreate scenes and add more personalized touches to your walking stick project.

How to make walking sick and hiking stick scout wood burning project

This is a follow-up on last months post concerning when to put on your walking stick making project.  Wood burning images on your hiking stick and walking stick project is a great way to add uniqueness to your project. You do not need to be an artist to learn how to make a hiking stick with wood burnt images. What you will need is a wood burning tool which can be purchased from as low as $15 or a professional grade wood burning tool for over $150.

The first step is to get he wood ready by sanding it to very smooth finish. You need to sand in steps from rough to very fine paper. The how to making walking sticks guides is a great reference and how to guide for all steps of wood preparation, staining, wood burning, carving and much more. Next determine the image you plan to create and transfer it onto the wood using transfer paper if you are not an natural artist like me or free-hand wood burn the image. Yes, I do free hand simple images but for more complicated images I always use the template method to create my walking stick project image.

The above image I did using a template transfer method.  The wood burnt area is approximately 1.5" x 2.5" which is a typical walking stick making project image.  I did not use any wood burning shading or other fine details you see on larger wood burning projects due to the size of this image. Also, this was done using a very simple low cost ($12 on Ebay) wood burning kit. Learning how to make walking sticks is a great hobby hat you can do on a very low budget. Yes, some tools can be very expensive but you do not need them as a beginner. However, the walking stick guide makes it a point to demonstrate all aspect of walking stick making using very low costs tools just as a beginner would own.

Scout decorating ideas fro hiking stick and walking staff making

      We get many requests from scout leaders concerning ideas for walking stick making projects. Some of the best ideas how to decorate walking sticks for scout comes from badges received, individual personality of the scouts and utilities added to the hiking sick or walking staff project end result more useful in the wild.

    Scouts earn badges that symbolize certain achievements. One great way is to add the badges to the walking stick or wood burning badge achievement. For example for hiker burn a mountain image or forester wood burn trees. Wood burning is a great way to accent walking stick projects. You can even carve or wood burn the entire Boy Scout oath on the walking stick.  Remember to put your scout troop number too!

     I’m not a great painter so I usually do not paint on walking sticks. However, if you have some artist skills paint scout images on the walking stick project. Remember to put a clear coat on the walking stick first or the paint will soak into the wood and spread out as you paint destroying the image. In previous articles we discussed adding a compass, rope and other useful tools to your walking stick project adding outdoor items that you may need in an emergency.

   Adding a compass to the top of the walking stick or to the lanyard gives you an added outdoor tool. Also, weaving rope onto your hiking stick making project is a great way to carry extra rope when need. If you need instructions on these ideas and much more get the walking stick making guides. Other useful walking stick making add on include whistles, small knife and cutting wire.

Making hiking stick scouts how to make handle

One thing that makes a walking stick more unique hand is the actual weaved hand hold area. When making a walking stick you can use the standard drill a hole through the walking stick, slide a rope or leather through the hole and then tie it off or you can make a truly unique hiking staff or stick using rope weaving techniques. 

What you need for cord working and weaving:

        Para cord           Matches or Lighter       Knife
        Clear Tape         Needle                       Dental Floss (not the plastic type)

                          

         Before you start making your walking or hiking staff handle use a match or lighter to melt the end of the cord. We do this to prevent rope frays and unraveling.  Yes, it can catch on fire and drip if you are not careful. The end of the cord is hot. Do not touch it until it cools when working on your hiking stick making project.  Now using rope working weaving techniques for your walking stick making scout project to create various patterns.  If you are scout or you need instructions on how to weave a walking stick  or hiking staff handle you may consider obtaining the walking stick making guides that walks you through weaving a handle such as the one below. Weaving rope on your hiking stick project adds uniqueness. 

          The first image shows just a few of the rope colors (para-cord) available for just a few dollars. The above image and below are two different weaves. Weaving is not hard once and most people can master at least one weave in 30 minutes with proper instructions. Have fun making your walking stick and hiking staffs!

How to make scout walking sticks and hiking staffs unique

Boy Scout walking sticks ideas and projects.

Walking sticks give hikers advantages and a great project for Boy scouts is making their own unique walking stick. Beyond the basic walking stick making method of just sanding, drill a hole for a cord and coating the wood you have many unique options to make your hiking stick a real work of art.

First, you do not need extensive training and years of work to make a remarkable walking stick.  Simple decorations add much to your wood walking stick scout making project such as adding a metal scout badge to the wood, or using a wood burning tool to create images of eagles, trees or other nature item. Drill a hole on the top and add a compass.

Use rope knot techniques to make a woven hand hold rope. Learn simple wood carvings to your scout walking stick making project.  Even using different staining techniques makes an ordinary walking stick to a work of art.  Many scout masters and leaders have obtained the walking stick making guides for ideas for their scout group. Making walking sticks unique give your scouts more pride and desire to create more elaborate wood walking and high sticks.

Making walking staff, cane or hiking sticks: which one?

    There are countless number of walking sticks, hiking staffs and gentleman canes styles. The majority of articles on the internet are on hiking sticks or walking staffs usage and basic making.  Gentleman canes used for support or more elaborate evenings out are rarely covered when making sticks. Which one is best for you depends upon the usage of your wood hiking stick. The main techniques to make a hiking sticks, walking staff, gentleman cane or wizard staff are the same when working with wood.

    If you plan to use bamboo freshly cut then you will need to know how to properly heat the cane to bend it to the right shape for a gentleman cane. If you plan to make a hiking stick or staff our of the bamboo then it works similar to regular wood sticks when making your walking stick. What's the difference between a walking stick and a hiking staff? Very little. Walking sticks usually uses in-town, not on trails, usually have rubber ferrules verses metal ones for trail dirt usage. The lengths, type of wood and how to make the walking stick or hiking staff is the same.

   One option usually reserved foe hiking sticks and staffs is the need to make then portable if you plant to travel. Most people use metal screw inserts in the middle of the hand made walking sticks and staffs so you can unscrew then into two parts for packing into luggage. Store purchased metal walking sticks are collapsible.

Make your own hand made walking stick holder

Create a Walking Stick Holder

        What do your do with all your walking sticks you made? How do you display or store them? This section will give you a couple of ideas on how to display your walking sticks or staffs with a bit of class.

Step 1: The idea is simple idea of how to store your hand made walking sticks and you have two ways to do it. Find a log slice that is at least 10” thick and 20” in circumference. If you have many walking sticks you will need to get slices with larger circumferences.     

      The thickness is needed to give it some weight. When the log section dries it looses 40% or more if it’s weight due to water loss. yes, you can add weight to your walking stick and hiking staff holder to keep if from tipping over.

Step 2: If the bark is interesting then do not remove it. If it is damaged or you like to see the wood grains then strip the bark and sand the wood.

Step 3: Get a wood drill bit that is larger than the measurement of each sticks circumference. You are going to drill holes into the top of the wood section to hold the walking sticks made by you upright. Placement of the holes is critical so all your sticks fit in place and provide a pleasant arrangement. Make each hole location with a pencil.

        Do not overcrowd the holder or it will be an eye-sore. The best holders hold odd number of sticks. Create a circular pattern with the hole marks and then place 1 or 3 in the center.

Step 4: Now drill the holes 7” to 8” deep. Then test each hiking stick or walking staff to make sure it fit in the holes. Making walking sticks presentation holders is a get add-on to your hobby,

 

Step 5: Finish the wood with stain or other finish. Now you have a completed walking stick holder for the wood staffs you made by hand.

How to make hiking sicks self collected wood

    Spring is here now and its time to check your walking sticks that you are curing from the wood collected in the fall. Depending upon your location and wood type you need to cure wood self collected for making walking and hiking sticks. Curing properly greatly limits wood splitting and cracks than can destroy a walking stick making project. Most people collect walking sticks wood when the sap is not flowing because it decreases the time it takes for the wood to cure and the chances of cracks as the hiking staff dries out.

    Wood should be cured in a climate controlled environment that is low in moisture. Here in south Florida this means inside a home with A/C. We are in a tropical environment and curing walking sticks outside is not an option with our high humidity.  If you are in an arid area you can cure the wood for your hiking stick making project in a garage out of extreme heat that can cause warping of the walking stick wood. The walking stick guides give more details on how to cure wood including methods to prevent wood warping.

     Yes, depending upon the variety of the wood you are collecting you can collect during other times of the year. Collecting wood to make walking sticks is half the fun with this hobby. Whether you want to make a hiking staff, walking stick, wizard stick or walking cane it better to prevent hobby frustration and problems before they happen.

Hand made walking sticks

Walking sticks and hiking staffs are an great asset when ascending or descending hills during back pack trips. What even better is using your own hand made walking sticks and hiking staffs from wood collected during your hiking adventures.

I live in South Florida but venture to all areas of the USA exploring the national parks and state parks. Hand made hiking sticks and staffs are tolls and in many areas a fashion statement. People continually ask where they can buy hiking sticks like ones I made. I tell them its hand made.

Using the walking sticks will save you energy and possibly from injury when traveling in the back country
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With airlines travel restrictions and so forth a hand made walking stick may be to long However, there are ways to make a hand made walking stick or staff to fit into your luggage. Look for an article soon on how to split your handmade walking sticks and adding connectors in the middle of them so you can pack then in normal luggage.

How to make hiking sticks and staffs: hole placement for strap

      Am enjoying the walking stick guides guides. They are helpful and I am sure saving me some steps. I have a question...how do you determine how far from the top of the stick to place the strap / wrist hold when making  the hiking stick?  I have a guess but hate to drill out my first stick and put it in the wrong place.  thanks, Aaron 

     There are several methods of determining the correct placement of your walking and hiking stick strap hole. Stand up straight in the shoes you normally wear when hiking. Bend you elbow slightly more than 90 degree angle (slight angle up) and hold the walking stick you are are making. Where you hand rests is where the bottom of hiking sick staff strap should reach than you slide you hand through. In other words, when you hand is in the strap your elbow should be at a very slight angle up. Depending upon how long your strap will be will determine how far above this point you drill the hole.  Remember comfort and push off when using you stick.  It’s easier to push off with your stick if you elbow starts at a slight angle up.  If you snow ski it’s the same method used when selecting your poles sizes.

     The walking sticks guides will teach you how to make a variety of walking stick straps including rope weaving, strap making and more. Thank you for your question concerning the placement of your walking stick making project hand strap.

How to make wizard staffs and walking sticks differences

   What's the difference between making a walking staff, Wizard stick or septor? The actual way you work the wood is not different at all. The designs are different and what you do with the walking stick or wizard staff once its made. I do not know all the details about wizard stick magical properties and so forth. I know its base on the fact that wood is a living thing and even when cut it still holds some properties according to wizards. Beyond that the techniques to make a wizard staff and walking stick are the same. You put designs on the woods, wood burn images and even carve figures. if you are into wizard staffs please post some information here to inform other bloggers.

    Yes, even how you inlay stones, crystals and other objects are the same. There are several ways to inlay objects into the ends and sizes of walking sticks and staffs. Recently, I finished several wizard wands for some friends which I inlayed quartz crystals on the end and wired wrapped portions of the wand with copper wire. they turned out great. I used the same techniques as described in the how to make walking sticks and staff guides.

Wire wrapping adds  uniqueness to any walking stick making project. You can combine it with walking stick carvings, wood burning images and even rope work. Again, making magic wands, wizard sticks and other similar projects all use the same techniques. So branch out you walking stick making and try making a magic wand for your children or as a gift.

Walking stick making tools and hardware

One of the basic questions I always receive is "Do you need special tools or do most people already have what they need? when making hiking sticks and walking staffs?"  The answer is no and usually yes. First of all 90% of all the walking I make involve wood  bark peeling, sanding, painting, rope weaving and/or wood carving. Over the years I have purchased a few special tools (on Ebay) because the price was right. Once of the first walking stick making tools I purchased was a wood burning tool fro $20 on Ebay.

Yes, there are fancy wood burning set ups that cost $100 and more, but I have not purchased on yet. The small inexpensive one works fine for all my hiking stick making projects. Now, if you consider yourself a true detailed artist you may want to eventually purchase a higher end unit for intricate work but it's not necessary. I do not use special paint brushes or airguns when staining I use a old lint free rag. When painting I just use an inexpensive small detail brush that cost in packages of 10 about $3.00 (small model airplane type brushes).

Rope working is all done by hand so the only tools you may need to buy are tools to carve your walking sticks. If you have a good pocket knife with a few blades you may not even need to buy a wood working knife. The knife does need to be sharp and strong, and fit you hand comfortably. Wood carving walking sticks is the last part of learning how to make walking sticks. Not all your walking stick projects will include wood carving. In fact, may people never carve anything on their walking staffs and hiking sticks. If you do not have a good carving knifes or set check out Ebay for "Warren wood carving" set and you will fine one I use all the time for approximately $30. Yes, they have higher end sets but the $30 works great with its interchangeable blades. It's American made and they are strong.

Hwo to Make hiking sticks wood selections do's and do nots!

     This is an portion from the how to easily make unique hiking and walking stick guides that discussed the right and wrong woods to collect to make you won walking and hiking sticks or staffs. The actual how to make hiking sticks and walking staff guides has more information on this subject and other aspects of wood carving, wood burning, rope working, ferrule making, staining and other making walking sticks and staffs.

      Try to find Aspen, Basswood, and Butternut as your first walking stick making project. If you live in Canada Sumac would be a good choice too. I have carved various and unusual wood for hiking sticks and walking staffs. Most areas of the USA have various Pines and Firs that would work great. Aspen and willow from Colorado, Utah and other states are among my favorites.

      There is no exact guide to what wood is best for walking stick making. There are pros and cons to all wood types. If you find something interesting not on the above list - try it. Do not use heavy woods unless the end product is for decoration.

       Stay away from porous woods (cypress and other trees common to marsh areas) at first when making your hiking sticks if you plan to carve the wood. These woods are harder to work with and tend to chip when carving. I have a couple of great cypress walking sticks which are extremely light and strong.

Walking stick making proper height and wood collecting instructions

When collecting your walking stick wood to make your own hiking staffs consider the style and the height of the end product. The walking stick or hiking staff should measure, when the walking stick making project is completed, from the ground to a bit under the height of your chin. If you are making power walking hiking sticks then the height should be at a 5” to 8” higher than the level of your hand when you elbow is at a 90 degree angle.

It always better to collect wood from recent fallen wood or from an area being cleared. Usually you will need to cure the wood for 6 to 12 months before you start making the walking stick. Unless you like the look of the bark peel the wood as soon as you collect it (within 1..2 days). Otherwise if you try to remove the bark from your walking stick making wood it will take much more time and effort.

When stripping the wood try to peel not pry of the bard if possible to prevent damaging the wood you plant o use to make you hiking staff.  Do not start to sand the wood until it cured otherwise the moisture in the wood will clog up the sanding paper. The how to make unique walking stick guides is a great resource of information and instructions in all phases of walking stick making.  Whether you need to know what type of wood to collect, how to cure the wood, carving wood, staining, wood burning images, creating you own ferrules, and other custom walking stick making instructions.

Self collecting walking stick making wood

Once you select the wood you want to harvest fro your walking sick making project be careful to prevent damage to you and your future walking stick.

       How to cut: First remove any branches on sticking out from the limb you plan to harvest to make your walking stick. Start with the small branches and then tackle the larger ones. Support (hold) the branches you are cutting off to prevent splinting of the main limb. Use your saw blade to slow cut the branches. Do not rush through the branches which may cause damage to the area you plan to use for a walking stick or staff making.

       Once all the branches are removed, measure how much of the limb you need and mark it with your knife. If the walking stick project sapling or branch is large you may get two sticks out of it or use the thinner parts for a different project.

       Now, hold the limb you are harvesting above and away from the cut mark firmly. Use your saw blade to start a cut straight across it - do not cut all the way through. Now, score all around the trunk (cut through the bark).  
Flamboyant Tree Limb with a cut all around the limb.
  
          Once you score the complete trunk then continue to cut through the limb. You score the limb first to prevent bark/wood ripping. The straighter you cut across the less likely the wood will splinter. When selecting the wood for your walking stick making project make sure it the right type. Not all wood is good for a quality hand made walking stick or staff. Use the how to make unique walking stick guides for reference when collecting your wood.

         Always cut away from your body!  Remember you are in the woods and a deep cut could be costly!