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Blackthorn stick finish.


deeksofdoom
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Plus one for the Danish oil finish. It looks so much more natural than horrible varnishes. I have found that using some finest steel wool and rubbing gently along the blackthorn sticks lifts that lovely purple colour as well, enhanced by the oil.

 

Nice sticks Stimo. Tidy work.

 

On edit. Anyone wanting a few nice straight ash and within striking distance of the eastern edge of Leicestershire, I might just have a few you can harvest for free.

pm me.

Edited by Walker570
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This is the stick I'm working on, have it straightened and all the thorny bits taken off. Also have a ferrule on the end.

 

image_zpsofvhvrpb.jpeg

 

Also removed the bark from what was the root and it is a nice shape, I'm doing this with a broken piece of glass. Just one issue and it's there's a crack in the handle which I must fill in. It should make a nice walking stick.

 

image_zpsn4hgdhlb.jpeg

Edited by deeksofdoom
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Your a very luck man to be getting one of that quality. A fine looking stick, men would fight for. For a finish on my sticks I seal them with sanding sealer, then Danish oil. For handle I would use a coloured resin, you will get them of eBay. You get the resin, then choose the colour you wish to add. We do this on wood turning when there is cracks in the wood it can be very striking if you pick the right colour.

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Would you seal the bark and all? I have just been doing a bit of work on a holly stick where I left just a little bit of bark on it, rubbed a few coats of boiled linseed oil; the bark took it very well but the skinned shank didn't get as glossy. I'ld say the boiled linseed oil would look well on the bark. Would the sealer soak into it. I have a bottle of Rustins sanding sealer.

I was thinking of going for a dark filler on the handle, just a Ronseal brand. Would you have any recommendations?

Edited by deeksofdoom
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I use boiled linseed on all my sticks, rub down with fine wire wool or a scotch bright scourer so the bark shows the purple (not to much) then rub the oil on ,I use a small amount on my fingers to get it in and around the bumps where the thorny lumps are ,wait for it to dry then aply again ! theres a saying about oiling sticks once a week for a month then ,once a month for a year then ,once a year for life , the old Irish lads used to rub butter into their shails to harden a darken the bark,

I only use blackthorn for the shanks for my sticks these days and my sticks are given as presents to friends and farmers who let me cut shanks and let me shoot on their land.

I hope this is of help to you and good look with your stick ,atb DD

Edited by derbyduck
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Would you seal the bark and all? I have just been doing a bit of work on a holly stick where I left just a little bit of bark on it, rubbed a few coats of boiled linseed oil; the bark took it very well but the skinned shank didn't get as glossy. I'ld say the boiled linseed oil would look well on the bark. Would the sealer soak into it. I have a bottle of Rustins sanding sealer.

I was thinking of going for a dark filler on the handle, just a Ronseal brand. Would you have any recommendations?

 

Yes the sanding sealer is great, it cuts down on the number of top coats you need. I just tend to use Danish oil on my sticks and on my wood turning.

to see the effect that a dyed resin to fill the cracks can look like do a Google for something like " wood and resin bowls" and do all the stick with sealer and Danish oil it will bring out the bark on the stick.

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I've used J&B to fill holes and mixed brass or copper or both shavings .... collect the dust from a 80 grit bench sander mix a good quantity in the J&B maybe 25% volume, then when fully set clean of and sand down with a 320 paper or similar. The brass shows through the J&B and is quite attractive. Might work here. Very nice stick.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now that is one very nice stick, something to be proud of , and to get a straight piece like that is very rare over here . I hope this is the start of many . Its nice to make them and give them away to friends and family , and to see the look on there faces . And for them to say how a beautiful job you have made . Its better than money ,

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It wasn't straight when I got it, it was bow shaped. I straightened it with a pot of boiling water and my knee.

 

I have made plenty of hazel sticks. This is just the first blackthorn. It's been in my shed for years. Have a lot of hazel hanging up that's been drying out over a couple of years now, so I'm bitten by the stick making big again after a break of a few years.

Edited by deeksofdoom
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

As a 'newbie' to this forum and thanks to the info here, I have just now discovered that my permission, in particular, the 100 yards + of hedge, is (possibly) blackthorn...(nice small purple berries)...and looking at the craftsmanship of the sticks, I have found another possible interest. So instead of being bored/ numb whilst waiting for a solo woodie to land in my decoy pattern, I can now look for potential 'sticks' to season, etc! Hope it doesn't sound too 'cheezy'...but what a great forum this is!

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