# Jig for cane making



## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

I would like to know if there is some kind of holder to make so that I can take square stock and use a round over bit to round the wood enough to make walking canes Thanks


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

I believe but I'm not sure, but the tool that you usually use for that type of project would be a lathe. The lathe will spin the block of wood at high speed and you'll use the hand tools and shave the wood off.










If you don't have a lathe, or your not looking to buy one. I'm sure you could use a stick of dowel and round over the ends.

I'm no really sure if a router can do such an operation, but it could be possible. Tommorrow I'll get a confirmed answer from Bob or Rick. Hope this helps .


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

I thought being some where I saw an article that you can use a router for dowels that maybe there is a way to make round stock


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## bud brambley (Sep 11, 2004)

Mark said:


> I believe but I'm not sure, but the tool that you usually use for that type of project would be a lathe. The lathe will spin the block of wood at high speed and you'll use the hand tools and shave the wood off.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 by jigs fixtures and setup;s kenneths.burton,jr.page 85 lathe and routre making jig;s.


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## hal (Sep 14, 2004)

Glenmore said:


> I would like to know if there is some kind of holder to make so that I can take square stock and use a round over bit to round the wood enough to make walking canes Thanks


I have a book called Router Magic by Bill Hylton and published by American Woodworker. In it is a jig to do just what you are asking for, also there is a machine you can build yourself that is called a router lathe that will do some fancy turining, stuff that would be difficult on a wood lathe. If you don't have this book you are missing some great information. Hal


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

That sounsd pretty cool, I think a router lathe would be a pretty interesting concept.


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## ejant (Sep 10, 2004)

You can use a bullnose bit in a table mounted router in two passes. Leave enough of the square end to support the piece.


I just made a 3/4 round mahogany handle for a pen press using a roundover bit. Takes four passes but the results were good. 

IMO the round stock has to be done with a table mounted router for best results.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks I'll give it a try all I have though is a round over bit so I make 4 pass instead of 1 pass. When I get around to it I'll tell everyone how it came out.


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## Jerry Spencer Mings (Nov 4, 2007)

Glenmore said:


> Thanks I'll give it a try all I have though is a round over bit so I make 4 pass instead of 1 pass. When I get around to it I'll tell everyone how it came out.


Look for a SEARS CRAFTSMAN ROUTER CRAFTER LATHE - use a straight bit on your table mounted lathe to do things you couldn't imagine doing on a normal lathe.

If that's outside your price range:

Use a hole saw to make 2 wooden wheels - the same size (slightly larger than your square stock) if you want to round a dowel (or of different sizes if you are going to make a taper). Drill holes in the exact centers of each end of your stock to take a screw. Screw the wheels onto your stock. You then adjust your fence so the stock is centered over the bit. 

Raise the bit to the initial position, start the router and gently feed the stock, rotating and feeding right to left.

For a cane size dowel or taper you will need an auxiliary top to your router bench about twice as long as the dowel/taper you are cutting.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Just more on cane making 

http://www.routerforums.com/show-n-tell/1468-canes.html

Poor man's Lathe Attachment for Drill Press, it can also be used of the floor model drill press.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Lathe-Attachment-for-Drill-Press/H8071

Here's a tip you can buy dowel rod stock from 1/16" to 3" diam. and from 12" long to 10ft. long...in many types of wood stock......


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## mailee (Nov 11, 2005)

Below is a picture of the jig I made to cut dowels. It consists of a base plate with a hole for the straight cutting router bit to poke through. At eaither side of this are two hardwood blocks with holes for the stock. The first hole is large enough to take the square stock and the next hole after the bit is the same size as the dowel I need. The square stock is fed into the rotating bit with a drill on a low speed and pushed forward at a constant rate. it produces dowels pretty quickly too. All that is needed afterwards is a final sanding.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Nice jig Mailee. Like the TALL router fence also.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Glenmore, why on earth do you want to make a cane from square stock? I know for a fact that you have heaps of pen blanks ready to make pens, also wood to make cutting boards, clocks and candlesticks.


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## Michael Townsend (May 17, 2009)

*cane/dowel making*



Mark said:


> I believe but I'm not sure, but the tool that you usually use for that type of project would be a lathe. The lathe will spin the block of wood at high speed and you'll use the hand tools and shave the wood off.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have been looking for a lathe system to make dowel for my canes too. I am now making a power feed lathe for this purpose. I have about a month to go before it will work as designed. I started making the spindels on a lathe but I felt like shooting myself. To long and too much, not my thing.

The rig started with a garage door opener screw and router and has become much more complicated than I thought. THe speed of the part and the feed rate are important and need to be quite slow. I have added a Zero Max speed reducer which can slow down the turn rate to almost nothing and needs to be different for different woods. It will make parts up to 5' long and will flute and pattern with some more work. 

I'll post my Rub-Goldberg when it is working.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Most canes I ever saw were tapered, couldn't you taper the blank on the TS then cut a couple blocks to mount the blank parallel then mount it in a ski?


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## Michael Townsend (May 17, 2009)

*jig for cane making*

Thanks for the input, folks. I'll post my successful findings soon. At the moment I'm making sawdust and lumpy stick of firewood.:shout:

Michael the Handy Guy.


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