Making Mendowood Walking Sticks

Handcrafted Walking Sticks How our sticks are made (2)

A steel pipe, either 1/2" or 3/4", is cut to length. It is deburred on the inside with a file and on the outside on a grinding wheel, then has four holes for screws drilled into it.

The head and a hardwood dowel are glued into the pipe. The aluminum billet, through the holes in the top of the pipe, is drilled to accept two screws. A total of four screws are put into the stick, two in the aluminum billet and two into the hardwood dowel. These screws and the expanding glue hold all of the parts together, making them one piece. The steel pipe prevents the hardwood dowel from breaking and the hardwood dowel prevents the steel pipe from bending. This composite is very strong indeed.

The heads of the screws are ground off to prevent a bump on the shaft.

The galvanized pipe is sanded to rough it up so that the epoxy will bond to the surface.

A thick coat of epoxy is hand applied, shaped and slicked in order to approximate the shape of a natural stick. A second thinner, finish coat is applied a few days later to correct imperfections in the appearance.

The epoxy is sanded to rough it, a special primer that has grit in it is applied over the epoxy, then two coats of high-gloss black paint (the kind used on heavy construction equipment) is applied.

Curing Racks

The epoxy must be cured for seven days before the primer coat can be applied. After painting the finish must be cured for another seven days before they can be touched.

Return to Mendowood Catalog Call me for questions
(360) 437-7741 mendowood@yahoo.com

	A steel pipe, either 1/2" or 3/4", is cut to length. It is deburred on the inside with a file and on the outside on a grinding wheel, then has four holes for screws drilled into it.

The head and a hardwood dowel are glued into the pipe. The aluminum billet, through the holes in the top of the pipe, is drilled to accept two screws. A total of four screws are put into the stick, two in the aluminum billet and two into the hardwood dowel. These screws and the expanding glue hold all of the parts together, making them one piece. The steel pipe prevents the hardwood dowel from breaking and the hardwood dowel prevents the steel pipe from bending. This composite is very strong indeed.
	The heads of the screws are ground off to prevent a bump on the shaft. The galvanized pipe is sanded to rough it up so that the epoxy will bond to the surface.
	A thick coat of epoxy is hand applied, shaped and slicked in order to approximate the shape of a natural stick. A second thinner, finish coat is applied a few days later to correct imperfections in the appearance.
	The epoxy is sanded to rough it, a special primer that has grit in it is applied over the epoxy, then two coats of high-gloss black paint (the kind used on heavy construction equipment) is applied.
Curing Racks The epoxy must be cured for seven days before the primer coat can be applied. After painting the finish must be cured for another seven days before they can be touched.