Hiking staff issue

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Chewy1

Joined
Jun 5, 2006
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Hello. I got a thick walking staff from my mother in law, and I want desperately to use it, but it's got a curve in it. I've tried to steam it over a big pot of boiling water, but even with the weight of my son and me we can't bend it. Did I mention that it is thick? More like a branch than a stick. Any ideas? I don't have a vice.
 
Practice making feather sticks with it and thin it down. :D You may be able to bend it a little by soaking it. I guess it depends on what you mean by thick? If it is over 1" diameter, I would probably not use it much unless I just cut it out in the woods for short term use. You're probably going to need a vice that is bolted down and probably two to hold it once you bend it a bit and let it dry.
 
research steamer boxes.......and look to thin that bad-boy down a bit!! Should solve your problem......
 
I hear you. I've got a great hickory stick that is my go to. This one has been decorated with wood burning, so thinning it isn't an option.

You should have seen us today. My daughter sitting on my son's shoulders on one side and me on another, and we got it to get to almost straight. But the thickest bend didn't budge.

I think a couple of years in the closet and some thinning might be in order. :)
 
get a piece of 3" pvc and a pair of caps and use that to make a steamer box and make a bending frame out of a 2x6 and a couple hanger bolts so you can lock one end down & control the other while using wedges to take the curve out after steaming it. (hanger/u-bolts at/near the ends will prevent it from flipping over while under tension as it cools)
 
glue and screw a 2' long piece of 2x to one edge near the middle of the bend and drive the wedges between it and the staff from both directions.
when you bend it, take it just a little past straight, so that when it relaxes it'll still be close to true.
also - be prepared to do this in stages -- if it's thick enough stock, you may need to make the adjustment in 3 or more heats.
(steam for 20 min, clamp and wedge until you get a LOT of resistance, then let it cool all the way - repeat)
 
Got it. This is 2 1/4 inches thick....much thicker than I would normally pick...and very hard to bend even with 1 hr of steaming.
 
That's not terribly practical for walking at that thickness, and since the asthetics prevent thinning, why not just leave it the way it is and use it as a showpiece. Nothing wrong with a curve in a walking staff, btw. I like the ones with multiple curves and knots. Natural as possible.
 
Chewy1 said:
Got it. This is 2 1/4 inches thick....much thicker than I would normally pick...and very hard to bend even with 1 hr of steaming.
Click to expand...

sounds a lot like one I got as a gift several years back - it's spent its life leaning against a wall looking "cool".
 
LoL. It just might end up that way. I could put on a few pegs above an archway...hmmmm.
 
Going to steam it for 3 hrs and then try again. 45 minutes gave small success, so we shall see.
 
I have used a steamer to steam thin wood to make a laminated arm chair
I remember steaming for a long time and the wood was thin

Can you steam a 2 1/4" piece of wood?
 
I give up. Got the first bend to 90% but the others are thicker. I'm wasting a lot of time, fuel, and joy on this project. Thank you all for your input. It's just too thick and heavy.

Back to my trusty piece of bamboo. :)
 
You are trying to be respectful of another's work and kudos to you. You understand the effort and intention in the wood burning ... and the sentiment. If time allows, enjoy the piece, talk of your appreciation, enjoyment and understanding with the maker. Could you take a walk with sticks with the maker? ... hey - you are speaking with someone who cares enough about you to put time and art into it. Honesty cannot be far behind.

Eye to eye, be generous and honest and you will have the walking stick of your life story. OK. Perhaps the queen of walking sticks that graces a warm hearth wall, but the heart of walking sticks nonetheless. I have never seen a perfect one. I use many.
 
Just out of curiosity, how badly curved is it? I've used some twisted sticks before and up to a point it doesn't seem to matter much.
 
Taldesta - I love your thoughts. Thank you. Alas, the staff was a gift. All I know is that the maker is elderly and raises money via his work, but it would ruin the piece for me to thin it down. It's just a stick after all, and the real value is in the labor of love to make it.

Blue Sky - Well, after my efforts, it's usable. Still heavy, but usable. No doubt, I'll take it out on some short hikes. It will be a nice work out for my biceps. :)

Thanks again for your comments.
 
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