Wading Staff

[Inchlaggan]

I've used both. My preference would be for the putty, I use Milliput.
It is easier to handle and finish than standard epoxy it can even be tapped.
http://www.milliput.com/how.htm

[toms dun]

Malcolm
I don't know much about putty type epoxies but know that the quicker drying epoxies tend to be brittle if I was investing this sort of time and money into a project I think I might experiment with a few different types I know from experience that the blue araldite (8 hr drying)works well in this situation.they don't work very well if only thinly applied.
On the sticks I produce I use tubing but I thread the hole that the tube fits into this provides the key you talked about but also bulks the glue to allow the chemical reaction also DO IT IN THE HOUSE or at least a well heated work shop I put in the airing cupboard To make sure.
Tom

[Malcolm]

Thanks for the replies. I'll go with the putty on Ken's advice. The epoxy I normally use is slow drying made by West Systems which is slow drying. However this has a bit of gap filling (thr screw threads) and I didn't sknow how the epoxy would do. I already have Milliput but havent used it yet.

Thanks   

[burnie]

Can you drill a small hole through the side and pin it Malcolm?that way its sure to stay in place, maybe use a copper rivet?

[Malcolm]

I did wonder about that Burnie but decided that strong glue - supported by a copper ferrule over the joint would be plenty strong enough. I'll speak to my partner in crime though.

[Malcolm]

Well I've been whittling away at this project for a while now. First turning the shaft wood using turning chisels and then down through the grades of snapaper to get nice smooth cylinders and then inserting the joints (thereby in one sentence chiselling down many hours of work. I used milliput for the joints.

I made the stick so that it would have three different formats.

1. a heavy staff with a lead insert on one of the pieces.
2. A lighter staff without the lead insert (but still very substatial as the wood is so heavy).
3. A heavy walking stick.

The stick is now close to being finished - just requiring some filler to tidy up the joints and a final sanding with fimne grades of sandpaper to be finished

The handle in made of a mixture of sonokeling and Cocobolo and this is how it started out after the initial saw cuts:

[attachimg=1]

and after many hours of chiselling, whittling and sanding

[attachimg=2]

here it is in walking stick form

[attachimg=3]

and the full lightweight wading staff

[attachimg=4]


The lightweight version has a spiked end

[attachimg=5]

and the heavy weight version has a rubber end but the end is shown here with a load oaf lead glued up the centre

[attachimg=6]

An interesting project and making the handle in particular was very interesting and satisfying. Just another couple of hrs going through the sandpaper grades now and the handle will be fisnished. Then It'll be getting bashed about on the river!

[Inchlaggan]

Excellent work.

[Fishtales]

Excellent Malcolm. There has been a lot of time and effort put into that.

[Wildfisher]

That is a work of art Malcolm

[River Chatter]

That does look very nice, and could double as a snooker cue too when it's cold out