Custom Cane #8. Emerging Dragons

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan. Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Contact Me:
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166
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Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com


Here is the finished Emerging Dragons cane.  I liked the way the wood colored in the handle.  It has a Natural MinWax Stain covered by a custom light oak stain.  The unpainted parts of the shaft have MinWax Aged Oak stain.

The scales have blue stain then a pattern done with a gold enamel.  The last step was to use a wash of blue enamel over the gold.

This is my travelling cane.

Getting Started #2. Emerging Dragons

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan. Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.

Contact Me:
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166
FACEBOOK
     Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
     Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
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This is about a new custom dragon cane.  Today, it is design and early development.  Tomorrow, the finished product.

I wanted to have some whimsy in this dragon cane.  There is a dragon on the top half of the shaft.  The bottom half of the shaft has a series of cutout windows.  The windows look onto dragon parts. 
It is not anything gross.  Through the windows you see more dragons.  There might be a dragon foot sticking out as the new dragons clamour to get out.  Near the bottom, there are small tails sticking out of a couple of windows.  About halfway up the shaft, there is just the face of one of those baby dragons emerging onto the shaft.

All that took planning and careful carving.  

   Each scale on the body must be cut and shaped. Each one requires two cuts. One for the circular shape of the scale and then, a chip cut to give it a raised 3D look.


 The handle is shaped specifically to the shaft.

A knot in the stick makes a nice part of the nose.

Head with eyes, horns, and nose layers.

Rough cut of the little dragon emerging onto the shaft of the cane.  No details have been carved yet.

Work in progress on the windows that look inside the cane onto dragon scales.

                                            
 Note the tail coming out a window.  At this level, the shaft, the windows, and the tail all have to be carved deeper.


his cane is one of my personal canes. It is lighter than most so I take it travelling.

Face It. A Work In Progress

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

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Today is about the process of carving the dragon's face. Clearly, I'm not old enough to have actually seen a real dragon, but I've seen pictures on the internet so it must be true. I showed one page of a sketch for a face yesterday. These photos show the development of the face.  On the far left, you can see the pencil marks redawn on the stick indicating where the mouth, nose, eyes, and horns will go.
On the right, the mouth, nose, and eyes are roughed in.
   v
   v
   v

Rough cuts and pencil drawn features

      >>>>>>

< I roughed in the teeth and eyes. The horns have had a couple of layers removed.

                                                             Getting closer.  The horns and face are sanded.  The eyes have some detail.  The teeth are roughed in but neet detailing for jaw lines.

In a future blog, I'll go into attaching the handle to the shaft.


Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

Contact me:

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK
Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

Getting Started On A New Project

Welcome to my blog

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Please visit www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

When I start a new project, it takes a while before I start carving. If it is a custom project, I always try to gather as many wants and needs from the customer as possible. I ask questions like, "Who is it for? How old are they? Do you have a theme in mind? How tall is the person? Is there something special to commemorate? What is the budget? How active is the person? If they were a flea, what kind of dog would they like?" (NO, not really, just checking to see if you are reading along.) I encourage them to look on Etsy to get some ideas about what they want and need. If it is my own creation, I still write down what I want to do.

Sketch of custom dragon

I make some sketches.  I am not an artist so the sketches are pretty raw, but they help me solidify my design and get proportions.  If possible, I take an image off the internet and measure distances between important points. For example, I measure the distance between the eyes and how big the eyes are in relation to the face.  The human face has some rules of thumb about facial proportions.  Dragons not so much.

Dragon Parts: tail, spikes, wings

The first carving is to remove the bark from the stick.  Sometimes, I carefully carve away only a portion of the bark in order to use the contrast in the final carving.

I make a rough transfer of my sketch on paper to the wood.  I tend to work in layers.  I will make several passes up and down the shaft of a cane rather than concentrating on one spot at a time.  Sometimes it seems I just sketch a feature on the wood and then carve it off.  Then, I sketch and carve the same place later.

On the left is the raw stick.  Sweetgum has a corky outer bark.  For this project, I simply started to carve away everything that didn't look like a dragon.  On the right below, the outer bark is quite thick in places so that it is easy to create a sizeable bark pile.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

Contact me:

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK
     Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
     Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

     Page:

A Snake In The Grass Was Inspiration

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan. 

Contact me:

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK
Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

A Walking Stick Donation For Walking

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan. Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.

Contact me:

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK
Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

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The Relay for Life was held in May, 2012 in Cary.  I donated a walking staff as a raffle prize.
This was a 5'4" tall Sweetgum stick with an orb and ring at the top.  I called it a "Sceptre."  The orb should have had some gem stones and crystals, but there was not enough time.



Sceptre and not quite finsished, unnamed, available walking stick.

And the winner is...

Winter Wind. Continuing the Seasons Series

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

Contact me:

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK 

• Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
• Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
• Page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314

Fall 2. Second in the series

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan. Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.

Contact me:

Use Contact at either Etsy shop

Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166

FACEBOOK   
     Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
     Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

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Well the Winter stick is still a work in progress.  Here is a second attempt at Fall.

It was a tall walking stick made from Sweetgum.  The customer wasn't tall so I shortened it.  Of course, it is always easier to cut a stick shorter rather than longer.  The beard took a bit of doing.  I put a natural stain on first and then, after sanding carefully, put an Aged Oak by MinWax stain on the raised strains. 

The stick had five coats of gloss polyurethane and a hard finishing wax.   A light sanding with 400-600 grit sandpaper prepares the surface for the next coat.  With 24 hours drying time, it takes about a week to apply the whole finish.  Still, it is wood so it is weather resistant but not waterproof.

Fall 1 Has A Red Oak Motif

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ.  I carve under the name Hal Papan.  Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.

 FACEBOOK

Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan

Email: hal.papan@facebook.com

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You will enjoy this stick on the trail, at the mall, or on the street. This cinnamon Sweewtgum stick is 60" tall and has a very comfortable 1.75 diameter.

A Red Oak leaf motif surrounds the top 26" of the stick. I traced red oak leaves and carved them into the inner bark.  . The wood spirit peeks out from a 5.5" Red Oak leaf carving.

I used a Minwax natural stain covered with 5 coats polyurethane and a hard finishing wax.




https://ny-image1.etsy.com/000/0/5677342/il_170x135.108290389.jpg









Elvis has left the building

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

It is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ.

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Yesterday, I gave an example of a spirit jumping out of the wood.  Elvis was a tribute to the king.  An otherwise unremarkable stick except that it was a princely 62 inches tall.   The carving is about 5 in. tall. 

Elvis left my building on Dec. 20, 2011 and now resides in NY, USA.
Check out the Elvisfest Treasury feature:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d041b4a74566d91d166c7bd

People often like a walking staff to be just below shoulder height. It would "fit in your pit."  The staff was finished with several coats of glossy polyurethane and hard finishing wax. It has a rubber tip for walking on hard surfaces.

Check out info about his life and rumored demise at:
http://www.elvispresleynews.com/ElvisDeath.html

It was recently featured in an Etsy Treasury at
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d6d15c008768eef38ca8d59

Sometimes the spirit just jumps out of the wood.

Welcome to my blog for
www.StickStaffCane.etsy.com and www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

This blog is all about carving - tips and techniques, works in progress, completed projects, how to instructions, and future plans.

Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ.

Do you want a custom walking stick or cane?  Contact me at Etsy or give me a call at 919-656-7166,

Sometimes a face just jumps out of the wood.  Toothy was just such a case for an oak stick.  The knots were placed perfectly of crazy googley eyes and a warty knot-thing on the forehead.   I left some bark on around the eyes to accentuate them.   I turned a split in the wood into the mouth with crazy teeeth.  The carving was light tan colored except for the eye area and the top (hair?). 

 

Toothy

The stick had a motley natural appearance.  I used a dark stain to highlight the different sections.



By the shore along Falls Lake, NC USA.



Hanging out with Maple Max at Falls Lake, NC USA.

  







Toothy was purchased by someone in Pennsylvania, USA.

Custom Canes #7. I'll have an Oak with a Twist

No, it's not a drink. 

Some canes don't have a handle attached to a shaft.  The "Oak with a Twist" was a great find and really didn't take much to create the cane because mother nature did most of the work.

I use found wood.  I don't cut down additional trees for my carving.  A clear cut construction site can provide a years worth of wood to dry (get permission!).  So step one in carving a stick is to wait 9-12 months while the wood dries.  Some sticks will crack and split so it is best to have a small supply in reserve.

The hardest part was to add the leather strap as a handle.  The internet had some useful information about it, and after a couple of practice tries on scrap wood, it was successfull. 

The stick was a bit taller than a cane but shorter than a walking stick.

Stained with Aged Oak

The cane was shipped to Pennsylvania, USA.  I talked with the customer in Sapphire, NC USA and he asked if I had a cane with a twist.

Custom Canes #6. Gargoyle

Gargoyles?  Think Notre Dame in Paris.

I like carving figures, and a gargoyle was a real challenge.  Luckily, there are a lot of images from which to get ideas. 

Gargoyle is made from Sweetgum.  The shaft is simply straight, but I carefully carved off the outer bark leaving the inner bark veneer.  The gargoyle is about 9 inches long.  The shaft is thin and fit into the bottom of the handle.  A dowel screw and epoxy holds the pieces securely so there is no mark at the top.



Rough cut of the face

Custom Canes #5. Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

Sometimes a custom cane can look simple, but it takes a long time to create it.  The grandaughter wanted to surprise her grandma.  The lettering took me a long time to complete.  It was done with knife and chisel.  I didn't have a press plate large enough. 

The "Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often" vinery cane is made from red/cinnamon Sweetgum.

Here are few things about the cane:

- Made of a single stick of Sweetgum. The handle and shaft are from the same piece.

- The leaves of the vine are modelled after wandering jew that sits in a pot in our kitchen.
- The vine is polished with 400 grit sandpaper. In contrast, the shaft has a rough texture from sanding with 60 grit sandpaper.
- I mix a custom golden oak stain for the vine which will darken a bit with age. In contrast, the shaft has a neutral strain.
- The stains are applied separately and the shaft is sanded after its first application of stain. After it dries for a day, I use 60 grit sandpaper to roughen the stain. Then, I apply a natural stain over it.
- There are 5 layers of polyacrylic and a hard finishing wax to protect the surface.

An early form of the handle on the left and its template on the right.
The customer wanted the handle a bit larger than the original.

The shaft had three sides. The sides had the engravings,
Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often

The shaft fit inside the handle. 

This is early picture.  When finished, the leaves were inscribed and had a glossy finish.
The shaft had a darker matte finish than the vine.

You should treat the cane like a piece of fine furniture. It is weather resistant but since it is real wood it is not waterproof.

This took about 35 hours.  This cane was ordered for a grandma in California, USA.

Custom Cane #4. Stack of Dada

The physical purpose of a cane is for balance.  It is not a crutch.  This cane is part of a series of canes made by "balancing" blocks.  This is a 34 inch cane made from individual blocks of mesquite with a metal backbone. Each block is hand carved and drilled. The cane is constructed from these parts. I drilled and inserted a peg between the blocks. 

The handle is made of three pieces.  Each piece has pegs and epoxy holding them together.  The top of the shaft is pared down to fit as a tenon.  A cap and epoxy hold the handle to the shaft.  The threaded metal backbone has caps at the top and bottom to completely hold the pieces together.

Max Ernst produced the painting, The Hat Makes The Man (1920), based on wooden hat sculpture. Dadaism was a reaction to Cubism and to the zeitgeist of the early twentieth century.  Europe was on the verge of a world war.  Dadaism was a reaction to the time.  It stressed unconventional and included the machine as the object of art. In this cane, I've used brighter colors and a high gloss finish. The wood is not sanded smooth as would usually be the case in a classical style. 

Because of the metal backbone, this cane can not be adjusted.  Most canes can be cut shorter.

This cane now resides in the Chicago, IL. USA area.