The British Druid Order › Forums › BDO Public Forum › Walking Staff Making
Tagged: birch, birch tree, Staff, walking staff
- This topic has 59 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 4 months, 3 weeks ago by
Dave TheDruid-3X3.
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- July 16, 2020 at 11:58 pm #11452
Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to All:
I have recently taken up the Craft of making Walking/Hiking Sticks for Hikers, Medical Patients and the Eldery.
I started doing this during my June 2nd Birthday Camping Trip when I found a Good Branch from a Fallen Alder and after making it into a Walking Stick, Gifted it off to a Druid Priestess in Ontario.
Then I made another from the same Fallen Alder that I took during my 2020 Summer Solstice Camping Trip. I made that one and Gifted it to one of the Monks of the Buddhist Temple where I do my Community Garden Volunteer Work.
When I gave the Summer Solstice Walking Stick to the Monk on July 1st Canada Day, I took a Branch from a Giant Maple Tree that is on the Community Garden Property. That one has its Bark Removed and am now Sanding on it. I have a Hole drilled into it for a Landiard that I am jerry rigging for this Walking Staff.
Last Saturday, I took an Alder Tree Branch from a Temple Ground Alder Tree which is getting Old and a lot of the Branches do not grow Leaves anymore. That one has its Bark Removed and am now Sanding on it.
I have decided to work on Tree Branch Walking Sticks until I get good at it and also have several of them available. When I get better at making them, I might start putting some up for Sale.
3X3
July 17, 2020 at 12:02 am #11453Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantHere is the First Walking Stick that I made.
It was actually made from a Service Tree Branch from the VDCH Courtyard. I took the Branch off of the Service Tree on March 25 while I was Pruning some Branches off of it.
Here it is:
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July 17, 2020 at 8:59 am #11454david poole
ParticipantThat looks like good work Dave. How do you find the energy of the different trees? Did you find the trees calling to you, asking you to work with them? I have often had occasions when I felt as if trees or spirits were trying to talk to me. I was wondering whether the spirits of these trees asked you to carry out this task?
July 17, 2020 at 10:34 am #11455Dowrgi
ParticipantHi Dave.
That looks like a very neat piece of work there. Did you have to straighten it all? Are you going to linseed oil it or use wax to protect the wood?
I’ve made a staff out of some driftwood found on the beach. I was going to straighten it over a fire, and then I thought I’d just leave it be as I actually quite like the curved effect. I like working with driftwood, but you have to oil the wood a bit because sea, sun, sand and salt can weaken it quite a lot. I try to use natural oils, waxes and water-based varnish for the final effect.
Anyway, nice work.
Bennathow
/|\July 20, 2020 at 1:09 am #11486Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantIn keeping with this Forum, I have found a Link to the Paganistic Traditions and Histories of Walking Staves and Walking Sticks:
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/tools-staff.htm
It describes that various Spiritualities of various Pantheons involved in making Ceremonial Walking Sticks and goes into the Histories of Walking Sticks being used for Defense as well as Ceremonial Purposes.
So every Tree Branch I take has to have some sort of Ceremonial Meaning to it so that the Walking Stick can have some Special Significance to it.
Yesterday, while on the way to the Community Garden, I spotted a Tree Branch hanging down from a Alder Tree. After spotting it, I decided to stop back and pick it up after doing my day of Community Gardening. I know call it the July 18th Grandview Highway Sramadana Stick to represent the day that I did some Sramadana Gardening at the Temple Garden.
It is now in the Back Seat of the Canadamobile. The Canadamobile is now parked with Full Exposure of the Sun making it perfect as a Walking Stick Drying Kiln.
3X3
July 26, 2020 at 4:54 pm #11569Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to All:
Yesterday, I finished a Walk Stick:
It was Pruned from a Very Old Alder Tree on a July 11 Sramadana at the Community Garden. So it represents the Good Work done by the Community Garden Volunteers on July 11th.
The next day, I returned to do some more Sramadana Gardening and got another Branch from the Giant Maple Tree that on the Main Lawn of the Community Garden. The first Maple Branch I took on Canada Day has had problems. When I immediately stripped off the Bark, the Wood of the Maple Branch Strank somehow and developed Cracks along it. I have filled those Crackes with Putty and given that Branch a coat of Brown Exterior Latex to hide its Cracks. I plan to Decorate it a bit then give it a coat of Varnish.
The Maple Branch I took on July 12th was kept in my Hot Car in order to Dry It Out before taking the Bark off. After about a week of sitting in my Hot Car, I got it out and stipped the Bark off of it then put it back into the Hot Car. It developed Cracks anyways.
So I guess you have to leave a Maple Branch to Dry Out for several Months before taking the Bark off.
I will be filling the Cracks on the 2nd Maple Branch and maybe Paint it with White Exterior Latex then Decorating it too.
3X3
July 28, 2020 at 10:14 pm #11597Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to All:
Just finished making a Walking Stick from a Maple Tree Branch that I took from the Community Garden on July 1st Canada Day. It has a couple of Canada Flag Stickers on it.
Here it is:
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August 8, 2020 at 2:38 am #11803Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to All:
My Latest Walking Stick!
This came from a Branch I saw Broken Off from an Alder Tree while on my way to the Community Garden that was on Grandview Highway. I noticed that a chunk of the Branch appeared to be straight enough to make into a Walking Stick. So I decided that after doing my July 18 Community Gardening, I would return and collect the Branch to make into a Walking Stick.
So this Walking Stick is Commemorative of the Sramadana done on the BVS Community Garden on July 28th 2020.
Today, I just put the Finishing Touches on the Walking Stick.
Here it is:
3X3
August 8, 2020 at 7:24 pm #11810Anonymous
Dave how are you getting the pictures to post, I can’t figure out how to do it. just cut and paste does not work?
August 10, 2020 at 3:03 pm #11834Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to StarTree:
You must be Very New to the Internet.
Once upon a time during the days of Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you could just Copy & Paste a Picture but that is not usable anymore.
Now, you Right Click on an Image and select ‘Copy Image Address’. That gets you the URL of the Image.
Then you go to the Tool Bar above this and Click on ‘IMG’. A Window will appear asking for the URL Code for the Picture you want to post. You paste it in and enter. You will be asked what sort of Photo it is. Fill in what it is. In this case, I will be entering ‘Fabulous Furry FreaK Brothers’, then click enter.
The Picture’s code will appear on you message and when you submit your post, the picture will appear.
It should be noted that you can only post One Picture per posting on these Forums. If you try two or more images, your Post will Not Appear.
For Demonstration, I posted a Picture of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.
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August 10, 2020 at 6:44 pm #11836Anonymous
Thanks Dave, that was very helpful. Best Star tree
August 11, 2020 at 2:20 am #11841Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantAwens to All:
Just finished my First Survival Hiking Stick:
The Capsule on the top was made from a Ibuprofen Medical Bottle and contains:+
Survival Kit:
– 2 Chocolate Balls,
– 3 Matches,
– 2 Small Candles,
– Compass,
– Whistle,
– Small Knife,
– Small Chunk of Fire Starter,
– 2 Band Aids,
– Micro Flash Light,
– 2 Water Purifying Packets,
– P 38 Can Opener
+It is made from an Alder Tree Branch that I Harvested on July 31st from the Grounds of the BVS Temple on a day that I did Sramadana. That day, I mowed the Lawns and gathered some Echinacea.
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August 11, 2020 at 9:23 am #11844david poole
ParticipantI like that, Echinacea is something which I use myself and it does seem to help, although I watch my diet and try to take plenty of vitamins all the time. I have to ask you, what are the chocolate balls used for, it doesn’t seem like an obvious item?
August 16, 2020 at 12:44 am #11880Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantToday, I was at the Community Garden and did some Weeding on the Herb Garden, did some Repairs to TWS’s Grave and then did some Trimming.
On the Driveway into the Community Garden Complex, there is a line of Hedge Ciders and I noticed one of them was Totally Dead. So when I finished my other Maintenance Work, I went and cut a Shaft of the Dead Cider to make into a Walking Cane of some sort.
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August 16, 2020 at 6:46 pm #11883Dave TheDruid-3X3
ParticipantThis is a Yin/Yang Cane I made from a Broken Rake Handle that was a Tool from the Community Garden.
Here it is:
Right after finishing it, I packaged it up and put in a couple of pouches of Herbs and mailed it off to a Japanese Buddhist Monk that I am a Devotee of.
I just got an email from him thanking me profusely for the nicely crafted Cane.
In Japanese, Craftsmen who make such things are concidered Very Honourable.
I am so Glad that he is enjoying the Yin/Yang Walking Stick.
3X3
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