Wit and Wisdom
Here are some things that our members have shared during our meetings.
You can check out the walking stick forum for information about canes and walking sticks. The forum is not sponsored by us, but some members use it.
Make Your Own Decal
George showed us something that he learned from Phil.
You can make your own decals by printing them out on paper. Then put at least 3 coats of water-based polyurethane on the decals. The paper will start to curl because of the polyurethane. After it dries completely, soak the paper in water. The water should soften the paper enough that you can rub the paper away. The color should now be transferred to the 3 coats of polyurethane. Cut the decal out. Put a layer of water-based polyurethane and immediately place the decal on the wet coat. Add more coats of water-based polyurethane on top of the decal.
Sharpening Knives by Ron Maloney
Ron showed us the best way he has found to sharpen his knives. He uses Elmer's glue to glue wet/dry sandpaper to both sides of a piece of plywood. He uses 220, 320 grit if there is an imperfection in the blade. Then he uses 400 and 600 grit to sharpen by rubbing the blade in a circular motion. Then he uses a piece of leather glued to plywood to strop the edge. Stropping removes any burs and straightens the tiny "teeth" that are created while sharpening the edge. He oils the leather once in a while to preserve the leather. He knows he is finished when the knife smoothly cuts a piece of paper.
If you have a metal tip on the bottom of the cane that is loose, you can drive a nail or wooden wedge into the bottom of the cane to swell the wood and tighten the cane tip.
Twisted sticks are caused by vines growing up the tree and twisting the tree as it grows. This causes the grain in the tree to follow the twists and makes an interesting and unique stick. The bittersweet vine always climbs counterclockwise up the tree and the wisteria vine always grows clockwise up the tree. Check out Gurney Journey: Vine Growth for more info.
