Advice on Cane Making

I’ve enjoyed posting my work on Lumberjocks and have grown quite a bit through the exposure here and I’m flattered that my work has stimulated others to make their own canes. I’ve even received a few inquires on “How to make/design a cane”, but unfortunately time does not allow me to go into much detail as I could spend hours trying to give advice to all the inquiries which would take me away from my chores and workshop time.

I do have an Instructables posted through one of my projects and you are welcome to follow the instructions http://lumberjocks.com/projects/12742. There are other ways to make a cane and this is only one of them, but hopefully it will help. There are issues of strength and design that you will need to figure out and many of them are common sense issues, but using the Janka hardness scale will help you decide if your wood is strong enough or not.

The design of a cane should be comfortable, sturdy and aesthetically appealing. Think of your needs and design around them. Take in structural concepts and use some of the wood techniques that are incorporated in heavier pieces such as furniture. Remember a cane is going to be used to assist a person who may weigh 150-350 lbs. Take in consideration of that person’s needs. Is a person using their left or right hand or both? Create a comfortable handle that works for this. Start with a soft wood and create the shape until it feels good, then redo this in a harder wood. You may even try using a polymer clay to play with shapes. Take an old design and add to it. Just make sure you add your own interpretation to an idea and make it YOURS! Be creative and push the envelope. Don’t be a mimic, make it your own! And above all, have fun!

I will try to add more to this as time goes on, but please be patient.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe