# Routered Walking Sticks



## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

It's easy to forget how versatile routers are, which, of course, is why this site exists. Among other things, they are excellent dowel makers and work especially well for making big dowels.

I've made a lot of dowels from 2x's using a 3/4 round-over bit to create 1-1/2 diameter dowels. Too, some of those dowels are strangely shaped, as the pictures suggest.

For example, for the walking stick resting on my table saw under it's own power (a 3/8" thick, 1-1/2" diameter magnet with a pull force of nearly one hundred pounds). I call it The Poor Man's Metal Detector. It was inspired by a buddy who chases meteorites. 

Anyway, the long sections are done using the 3/4" round over. Other, smaller round over bits cut down on sanding the smaller sections. In the end, there is a lot of sanding, but it goes quickly, for the most part.

Other sticks are more simple and can be done, for the most part, on a router table, to avoid the usual lines left when the bearing rides on the first cut (making the dowel less round and more oval shaped).

Sometimes, we forget routers are excellent dowel makers. They work especially well for making big dowels. I've made a lot of dowels from 2x's using a 3/4 round-over bit to create 1-1/2 diameter dowels. Too, some of those dowels are strangely shaped, as the pictures suggest.

For example, for the walking stick resting on my table saw under it's own power (a 3/8" thick, 1-1/2" diameter magnet with a pull force of nearly one hundred pounds). I call it The Poor Man's Metal Detector. It was inspired by a buddy who chases meteorites. 

Anyway, the long sections are done using the 3/4" round over. Other, smaller round over bits cut down on sanding the smaller sections. In the end, there is a lot of sanding, but it goes quickly, for the most part.

Other sticks are more simple and can be done, for the most part, on a router table, to avoid the usual lines left when the bearing rides on the first cut (making the dowel less round and more oval shaped).

- The stick with the shifting colors and stippling (dragon skin?) has a copper plated cap. Here, it's unfinished because it's missing the paracord wrap at the joint of the copper plated cap and the stick top. 

- The self supporting [on an iron bed] stick is, of course, unfinished in the photo.

- The Dream Stick was a 2x6. The strings, now visible from the side, where they go through many holes, will be hidden by thin leather cord wrapped only around the two sections that separate.

- The laminated Snake is, of course, just that - a home made 2x made by laminating light and dark woods, then cutting the shape, the routering it all over and sanding and sanding and sanding (thanks be for spindle sanders).

- I call the bottom stick the Forager. It is the first walking stick I ever made. It, now, lives with the ex, since I made it for her. It was designed with the idea we could hang shopping bags from the notches and use the end notch to pull branches down for gleaning.

I above the standard rubber ends people put on nice sticks. I see beautiful work, then they slide what is nothing more than a floor protector off a sixties table on the bottom. To get the smooth flow and still have a nice rubber base, I use rubber stoppers. I just drill a hole through them, slightly smaller than a deck screw, then drill a hole in the bottom of the stick and run it on.

The rubber stoppers can be sanded to follow the lines of the stick.


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

Squirrely looking sticks! Love 'em! Care to divulge how you got such shapes out of a router? Or is it too obvious?


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

WOW... NICE WORK!!!

I'm gonna have to take another look at my round overs!


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I use a jig saw to get the shape I'm shooting for, then go to the router, before final sanding.

Hopefully, this will help show the initial processes.


https://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=384485&stc=1&d=1585857148


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The one design literally looks more arcane than cane. I like the magnet idea since I don`t like bending down to pick things off the floor in the shop.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Never made a walking stick, but have routed canes for 20 years so so. For finding metal pieces in my shop I use a cord and a speaker magnet.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

A friend has about nineteen claims on the Yukon. From there, he went to meteorite hunting. Meteorite hunters use magnets to verify magnetic properties of their finds. That is what inspired the stick with the magnet - warped humor and whim. Thus I call it the Poor Man's Metal Detector, or The Poor Man's Meteorite Detector.

Around the shop, I have a commercial painter's pole with a pivoting magnet on it for picking things up when the following applies:

As you reach a certain age, and when you drop something on the floor, you start questioning whether or not you really need it, rather than going through the trouble of picking it up.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

oh my!!!!!


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## Sominus (Oct 4, 2012)

I might develop a limp just to justify one of those!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Dejure said:


> A friend has about nineteen claims on the Yukon. From there, he went to meteorite hunting. Meteorite hunters use magnets to verify magnetic properties of their finds. That is what inspired the stick with the magnet - warped humor and whim. Thus I call it the Poor Man's Metal Detector, or The Poor Man's Meteorite Detector.
> 
> Around the shop, I have a commercial painter's pole with a pivoting magnet on it for picking things up when the following applies:
> 
> As you reach a certain age, and when you drop something on the floor, you start questioning whether or not you really need it, rather than going through the trouble of picking it up.


That's why I have one of the squeeze grip extended reach tools. Also works to take stuff off and put back on shelves that are now too high since my shoulders started crapping out on me.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That's why I have one of the squeeze grip extended reach tools. Also works to take stuff off and put back on shelves that are now too high since my shoulders started crapping out on me.


one of these???
most all of us have them...
Standard Operating Necessity...


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That's why I have one of the squeeze grip extended reach tools. Also works to take stuff off and put back on shelves that are now too high since my shoulders started crapping out on me.


Yep, one of my most valuable and useful tools. Mine is red.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Stick486 said:


> one of these???
> most all of us have them...
> Standard Operating Necessity...


Similar. Doesn't have a pistol grip. It's become a must have in the shop where I drop an average of about 10 things a day it seems. Either that or the long magnet.

There's a new idea for you Kelly, design a cane with a gripper on the end. If anyone can it would be you..


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

or a least w/ a magnet...


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

> That's why I have one of the squeeze grip extended reach tools. Also works to take stuff off and put back on shelves that are now too high since my shoulders started crapping out on me.


My daughter gave me one of those for when I drop things on the floor - I bless her about 10 times a day!


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## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


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## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

Wow love them all nice work


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

That actually sounds like a fun project. 

My mind went to joining two pieces of wood with plow cut in the middle for a cable (which could be re-fed, in event of breakage) from top to bottom. At the bottom would be a pivoting arm, which could just open and close, but which would look decorative, with the right design.

Maybe there's blog in the walking stick future. Good idea, Chuck.





Cherryville Chuck said:


> Similar. Doesn't have a pistol grip. It's become a must have in the shop where I drop an average of about 10 things a day it seems. Either that or the long magnet.
> 
> There's a new idea for you Kelly, design a cane with a gripper on the end. If anyone can it would be you..


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

"Kelly's Custom Gripper Canes". That has a nice ring to it. Split the tip and put magnets in either tong and you have the whole gamut covered.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


They are constantly on sale at Harbor Freight, about five bucks. Something about the fences in my yard causes our neighbor's paper trash to blow off the dump trucks into the yard. Every once in awhile I walk out and pick some pretty disgusting stuff out of the brush and rock piles that decorate the new front yard rockscape.


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


I've been using these grabbers for over 20 years. I now have at least on in every room and one in my van. 
Amazon has been my source for them. They are also available (at elevated prices) at most medical supply stores.
They com in in a great diversity of size, shape, grip, hand hold, etc, It might be useful to peruse Amazon's offerings:http://https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=grabbers+heavy+duty&crid=1MVFKPHA2ZWXW&sprefix=grabbers%2Caps%2C175&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_8


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Now, about those walking sticks. Very clever and inventive use of the roundover bits. I've made a couple of dowels that way, but it never occurred to me to shape the stock first. That could be done on a band saw, cut one end first, the other end second. For hollowed out segments, a jig saw would be better. You could make Gandolf (Lord of the Rings) staffs this way, which would be of some interest at a Lord of the Rings/Hobbet convention. If someone lives in New Zealand, you could make these and Hobbets's walking sticks for sale at Hobbet Town, the set for the movies that has been turned into an attraction. In fact, there are many items in those films that could put a router to good use. Barb, some interesting ideas here.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


they're sold everywhere...


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

This stick was designed and built long before the Hobbit movie. I missed the boat not making more and pushing them.

As you suggest, much of this is done with a jib saw. Usually, I don't even go to one of the bandsaws, because I have to do the inside cuts and others that require strange gyrations on the bandsaws.





DesertRatTom said:


> Now, about those walking sticks. Very clever and inventive use of the roundover bits. I've made a couple of dowels that way, but it never occurred to me to shape the stock first. That could be done on a band saw, cut one end first, the other end second. For hollowed out segments, a jig saw would be better. You could make Gandolf (Lord of the Rings) staffs this way, which would be of some interest at a Lord of the Rings/Hobbet convention. If someone lives in New Zealand, you could make these and Hobbets's walking sticks for sale at Hobbet Town, the set for the movies that has been turned into an attraction. In fact, there are many items in those films that could put a router to good use. Barb, some interesting ideas here.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


Walmart or Amazon.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

JOAT said:


> Walmart or Amazon.


add any big box to the list...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Stick and Joat, do you have the link where to buy those? :smile:


plan ''B''...

.


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

A good use for a magnet on a stick is retrieving the table saw arbor not from the bottom of the saw cabinet. Don't ask how I know this piece of trivia.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

sominus said:


> i might develop a limp just to justify one of those!


ha!


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