Far from being a dying art, as I'm often told, the
craft of stickmaking is, in fact, one of the fastest growing
pastimes in the country! In sheds, garages and purpose
-built workshops, men and women, young and old, can be found
working on sticks for themselves, for friends and relatives
or to sell in shops or at Craft Fairs and Country
Shows.
Many people ar a bit reluctant to admit to being a
"Stickie", because the general reaction from the uninformed
public can be a bit derogatory: "You make sticks - why would
you want to do that?". I'll tell you why - it's a
fascinating, absorbing hobby that almost anyone can try. It
can be gentle and relaxing - it can also be quite energetic
at times (try rasping down a hefty piece of wood or horn).
However you do it you can get great satisfaction from making
something that is both useful and attractive.The variety of
subjects, patterns and materials is endless and you never
stop learning.
Stickmaking is the sort of thing you can do when you
have a whole day to spend at it, or just few minutes when
you have spare moments. Expensive tools are not necessary -
though you can always spend money on them if you want to! If
you are able to get out and cut your own sticks then it can
take you into scenic countryside, often into hidden places
not seen by the 'normal' visitors. You don't need to be
artistic to make sticks either - the only things I can draw
are curtains - and my wife says I do that badly!
So if you fancy having a go at it, why not get a book
on the subject, enrol for a stickmaking class or just get
some bits and pieces and have a go - half the fun is in
learning for yourself.
The following are all real
questions I have been asked - either in person or by using
the email link at the bottom of the page. You can ask what
you like and I will reply to you in person - if I think it
(and the answer) will be of use to others I may put it up
here! You can also now
join in with the
New Forum
- ask questions or
post answers yourself!
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Q.What is the best time to cut a
stick?
A. The old answer is "when you see it", and it still holds
true. If you find a really good stick growing somewhere and
you have permission to cut it, it's probably best to cut it
then and there, before someone else finds it or you forget
where it is! The best time of year for cutting is
undoubtedly during the winter, but it is possible to cut
sticks all year round. The problem with cutting in summer is
that the sticks will be full of sap. As the liquid
evaporates after cutting, the sticks shrink over a period of
months/years. The more they shrink, the more likely the wood
is to crack or split and the more likely the bark is to
wrinkle and come loose. Having said that, you can often get
away with it!
In winter the sticks are dormant and have low sap levels, so
less shrinkage occurrs as they dry. In the UK, November
through to February are probably the better months for
cutting - though I often start in October and do most of my
cutting in March, when the days are longer and the weather
is often better.
Q. How long should sticks be
left to dry out?
A. I find that between one and two years is best - earlier
than that and the sticks may still have too much moisture in
them. If you use them for stick shanks with separate handles
attached the sticks can shrink a bit and make the joints
open up. I don't like leaving sticks over three years to dry
as I find that woodworm are likely to be present inside
after that time - though they may not emerge for another
year or two.
Q. What types of sticks should I
cut?
A. Basically anything you like - but in the UK we tend to
use mostly Hazel, Ash, Blackthorn and Holly. This is partly
due to fashion and partly because the woods are particularly
suited to making strong, straight stick shanks. Other woods
I use are Elder (corky bark must be removed), Hawthorn,
Sycamore, Apple, Cherry, Chestnut, and a few others if they
are really interesting.
Q. Should I take the bark off my
sticks or leave it on?
A. That is a difficult one to answer! In the UK we normally
leave the bark on - but that's because we tend to use wood
types that have attractive, hard and durable bark. If you
are unable to get the kinds of sticks I mentioned above you
may find the bark is soft, or wrinkled or simply flakes off
after drying. In these cases you are probably better to
remove the bark anyway. Some people advise stripping it
while still fresh - it is certainly a lot easier at that
stage. The trouble with stripping bark from "green" wood
(the term means freshly cut and does not necessarily refer
to the colour) is that by removing it you take away the
layer that controlls water loss. A peeled stick will loose
water much faster than one with bark left on and the stick
may crack or split. It may be better to allow the sticks to
dry for several months then shave and sand off the bark.
I've heard that in America some stick carvers soak their
seasoned sticks and use a pressure washer to blast off the
softened bark. I've not tried it but it sounds worth a
go!
Q. Can I use dead wood that I
find?
A. I wouldn't advise it. I have tried using dead (or
"found") wood and it has invariably let me down. It may
appear to be strong, solid wood but it will often have
woodworm or fungi alive inside it. These can seriously
weaken the wood over several months or years and I would
hate to give or sell a stick, only for the new owner to
complain sometime later that the stick had snapped for no
good reason or that it was now full of little holes!
Q. How do I straighten my
sticks?
A. Now that is a good question - one which could get 20
different answers from 20 different stickmakers! The most
common way is to heat up the stick - either the whole thing
at once or just individual sections - and put enough
pressure on each bend to 'reverse' them, so making them
'straight'. This only works well with seasoned sticks -
those that have been dried for a year or two. If you try
this too early you will find that if you have left the bark
on it will become soft with the heat and will probably come
off in patches where you apply pressure. The other big
problem with using sticks that are too fresh is that after
you have straightened them they tend to 'creep' back to
their original shapes - they rarely go all the way but will
almost always creep back to some extent. You can
re-straighten them at a later date, but if you have
varnished or oiled the sticks by then you may have problems
heating them up again.
Q. How do I heat up the
sticks?
A. The two most common ways are to use 'dry heat' from an
electric paint stripper (often called a "heat gun") or 'wet
heat' in the form of boiling water or steam. I use both
methods and they both have advantages and disadvantages. Dry
heat is easier to use and you can use your sticks as soon as
they cool down after straightening. Unfortunately it is very
easy to scorch a stick with dry heat and that can cause the
bark to crack and lift away from the underlying wood. If you
use steam you need to buy or make something that will
produce your steam and feed it into a container that will
hold it and your stick(s) for about 30 to 60 minutes to heat
them up. Once hot, you only have a few minutes to work on
them before they cool down and once straightened they must
be left for several days to dry out and become stable - use
them too soon and they can creep back to their old
shapes.
Q. How do I apply the
pressure?
A. The simple way is to bend the stick over your knee - but
bend it so you reverse the bend. It takes practice and
patience to learn how much pressure to apply. There are many
types of jig or press that have been designed to do this job
more efficiently and my own is to be found on the Shanks DIY
page. My stick
press is fixed in a vice and when the vice is
wound up the jaws force the heated stick into a reverse
bend. This need only be done for a few seconds on each
separate bend but it still takes me around 15 to 20 minutes
on average to straighten a 54" shank.
Q. Can I use fresh wood for
carving?
A. Yes - but just be aware of the shrinkage problems
outlined above, regarding freshly cut sticks. If you must
carve 'green' wood it is advisable to slow down the moisture
loss - either by finishing your carving in one day and then
painting or sealing it or by wrapping your carving in
polythene to reduce evaporation. Rapid evaporation can cause
severe splitting of your wood and the problem is always
worse in hot, try conditions.
Q. Where can I get carving
tools?
A. There are many outlets for knives, chisels, power-carvers
and so on. I get most of my tools in the UK from
Axminster Power
Tools and find their service excellent (I am not
on commission for promoting them - I just think they deserve
a mention).
Q. Where can I cut my own
sticks?
A. All woodland in the UK is owned by someone - so you
shouldn't just go and cut sticks without permission. One of
my customers phoned me to say he had been caught cutting
sticks in a municipal park in a town. The park keeper had
been really abusive at first, but when it was explained to
him what the sticks were for, he became quite interested and
said that it would be OK to cut a few more as long as he
asked what he could and could not cut!
An approach to landowners, farmers, gamekeepers and others
involved with the upkeep of woodland and hedges may prove
fruitfull if you go about it in the right way - always be
polite, explain what you are doing and possibly promise to
make the person a stick in return for permission to cut. You
may have to pay real money - but avoid it if you can!
In the USA I believe it is possible to buy a permit to cut
'firewood' in some of the forest parks. As far as I am aware
these permits are not expensive and Park Rangers may be very
flexible if you expalin that you do not actually want wagon
loads of the stuff for burning - just a few sticks for
carving. Fruit orchards are also likely to produce a few
useful branches when pruning takes place.
Q. I want to make a two-part
stick, with the handle and shank made from separate pieces
of wood - how do I join them together?
A. The traditional way - which I use - is to drill a
'socket' in the handle, about 5/8ths of an inch (15 mm) in
diameter and 2 to 3 inches (50 to 75mm) deep and to carve or
rasp the top of the stick into a 'peg' that fits tightly
into the socket and is firmly attached using an epoxy glue.
Many people use threaded rod (studding) but I believe it to
be a weaker joint than the peg and socket. Unless the
studding is aligned perfectly down the centre of the shank
it must, by definition, be off-center - which causes a weak
spot in the shank that is likely to break sooner or later.
Q. What sort of glue would you
recommend?
A. Epoxy resin - I don't use anything else! It fills any
small gaps, can be sanded, smoothed, painted etc. You can
mix wood dust with it to make a paste and then use that for
filling bigger gaps or holes. Don't use any kind of glue
that sets 'soft' - it needs to go really hard.
Q. Is it possible to purchase a
tool that is designed to give a completely flat joint
between shank and handle? It can be time consuming to say
the least to try squaring off the ends of the shank and
handle with a rasp/file.
A. Not that I know of! "Practice makes perfect", as they say
and the more you practice the better you will get. You can
practice on your stick off-cuts in between making real
joints. Sorry I can't be more helpful on this one!
Q. I was looking at your stick
press. Can you tell me how long you need to leave the stick
in to straighten it, say 25mm blackthorn?
A. That's all covered in the instruction leaflet that comes
with it. Each bend is only left for a few seconds (after
heating) but a 48" shank with take anything from 10 to 60
minutes to straighten depending on how straight you want it
and how crooked it is to begin with. It normally takes me an
average of 15 minutes per stick.
Q. I want to try and make a
plaited wrist strap for a stick I'm making for my sister
using the leather supplied by you, but it seems a bit stiff.
Is there any way you know of to soften it
up?
A. The way I soften it is to hold the end of one piece in
the vice, wrap some fine abrasive cloth/tape (sandpaper will
do) round the leather and pull it right through, gripping
quite tightly as you go. Do this half a dozen times and the
leather becomes much more pliable - it stretches a bit and
the sharp edges are rubbed smooth. Do it with three strands
and they should plait much more easily if you've got it
right. The only problem is that you loose the nice shiny
brown surface - but you can work it much better when it's
softer.
Q. I'm going up to my local
woods on Tuesday, having obtained farmers permission to cut
some sticks. I hope to get about twenty. After trimming off
the foliage, should I simply lash them all together in a
sort of bundle, store them in my dry shed and forget them
for a year or so? Your kind advice and guidance is
appreciated.
A. Basically - yes! I fasten mine together with large rubber
bands while I'm in the woods then, when I have ten together,
use brown sticky packing tape to fasten them tightly, top,
middle and bottom. Make sure they are as straight as
possible within the bundle because they will set in whatever
position you leave them - if they are twisted round each
other they may come out much worse than when you cut them!
Bundles of ten are easier to carry - four tens are much
easier than one bundle of forty - and you can quickly count
them. I cut anything between 40 and 200 in a day, so
counting and carrying them to the car are important!
If you don't want to tape them (the stickyness will
have gone after a year or two and doesn't pull off the bark)
then use soft string or cloth tapes. Baler twine will do but
don't use anything hard that will spoil the bark while it's
soft.
Q. I purchased a stick from you
early 2006 with a screw joint which is now failing to
tighten. Is it possible to replace the offending item. If so
is it a DIY job and can I get the necessary parts?
A. It sounds as though
you've had the threads crossed at some point. Being brass,
it's possible to force the threads together but you will
wear out one or both halves of the joint. You could
undertake a replacement yourself if you are quite 'handy' -
the joints are for sale on my DIY page but you'd first have
to remove the old ones - not an easy job! If you would
rather let me do it then the charge is £20 plus
postage.
Email me with your own
question
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More to come..........................
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