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easy wood projects
A client approached me recently about making a walking stick from a piece of wood she and her husband picked up on a hike. I thought, how difficult could it be to take a large piece of wood and make it into a smaller piece of wood?
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When I saw the wood at first, I didnt recognize the species. I thought it could be anything from ash to oak to cherry to walnut. I got out my new hatchet and started removing the bark. When I got down to the heartwood, I realized the species was hickory. It felt like I was trying to cut marble.![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-yh1MTO4n8gs/VaBCyljEmgI/AAAAAAAABVE/4PmP9ylqn-M/s320/20150613_095741%255B1%255D.jpg)
I fretted about how I was going to remove enough wood to make this stick functional and attractive, considering using a chainsaw or a grinder. But I realized it was kind of fun hacking away at it with the hatchet, so I kept going. Im new to using a hatchet, so this was the perfect way for me to learn about its capabilities and how to use it. I found that the hatchet was great for doing a kind of hewing. I would chop perpendicular to the grain in a long row, then go back through with glancing chops to remove the wood. It worked really well and removed material much faster than I imagined.
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After taking the piece down to a thickness of 2 or so, I used a drawknife to refine the shape a bit more. I dont have a shaving horse, so it was a challenge to secure the wood. I managed to lean it against the house or hold it down with my foot at an angle against a chair. It wasnt pretty, but I made progress.
With the wood down to the approximate thickness I was going for and basically round, I used a spokeshave to do more refining. I love using a spokeshave. Its an incredibly versatile tool that I am incorporating more and more into my work.
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The stick is quite rustic on purpose. There are some knots here and there, some worm channels and even holes that go straight through. I chopped off the bottom and the top, drilled a hole for a strap and sanded it. The hickory is amazingly strong. This stick will outlast anyone who owns it. Once I apply a few coats of finish -- Im using boiled linseed oil, polyurethane and some mineral spirits. Ill post a photo once the finish is on, but for now, here it is.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nZ8vuKwYnUc/VaBFwQVfPaI/AAAAAAAABVY/gJTQgq0MiFU/s320/20150704_131736%255B1%255D.jpg)
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