This is maybe a stupid question but...

[Matt Ranum]

I have been making a couple of walking canes lately and have been turning the shafts so far on the lathe http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=133818, only problem is, is that my length is maxed out on the canes I am making right now and if I wanted to make a longer one for a taller person I would have to find another way. I could just use the tablesaw and router but would prefer the neander methods since thats how I am making the handles now.

I was thinking of concave spokeshaves. Would this be the most appropriate tool for turning a shaft of roughly 1" in diameter? My use with spokeshaves are somewhat limited to flat and rounded soles and mild edge treatments never attempted to shape a spindle with one.

[Frank Drew]

Matt,

A concave spokeshave would certainly help, but even a straight one would do a lot of the work leaving sanding to smooth out the flats and ridges.

FWIW, you'll never find a concave spokeshave that exactly matches your curves and their blades are more trouble to sharpen than straight blades.

[David Gendron]

What about a regular plane, like a fore palne or something like that! You could start with a square stock of any lenght, plane it as an octagon, and then removed all the ridges and finishe with a card scraper with the right shape!
I don't have a lathe and that is the way I proceed to make round shaped sticks(like spindels). Other choices would be a mini "spar plane", hollow spoke shave etc.

[Bill Houghton]

I concur with Frank Drew's comment about the sharpening - although it's not THAT hard to learn how to do. A straight shave and a curved card scraper should get you a long ways.

Consider a shaving horse if you're going to use these tools - a lot faster than a vise.

If you're interested in symmetrical, straight canes, then David Gendron's suggestions would help. With this approach, you should consider a "planing board" with a slot to hold the cane stock.

[Matt Ranum]

OK thanks for the advice guys. Sometimes its the simplest answers that slap ya hardest in the face.

[george wilson]

There used to be special"Chair maker's devils"(I think that's the name) which are sort of like spoke shaves,but with scraper type blades in them. They were made with concave blades that were just about hemispherical,and in different diameters. They would be excellent tools to finish off a round cane.

[Darnell Hagen]

Or,
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=41005&cat=3,41306,41332&ap=1

[David Gendron]

Like these one:


Veritas® Chair Devils

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/planes/05p3350s1.jpg

[Matt Ranum]

Now that looks like the perfect tool for the job. Thanks!

[Jerome Hanby]

I would never want to give anyone an excuse for not buying another tool, but why not make the cane in two pieces. maybe make a third transitional piece of some contrasting (or fancied up) material? Not sure how you would make a super strong connection, maybe a deep hole and all thread epoxied in to it?

[David Keller NC]

Matt - One other thought. Chair devils and concave spokeshaves can, of course, be used to smooth and round the shaft of a cane. However, they do tend to follow humps and dips along the length of the cane.

There's a tool that was very commonly used in the days before automated lathe duplicators - a forkstaff plane. You could also use a spar plane to similar effect. Both of these tools have the advantage that they will flatten out high spots along the length of the shaft.

They're certainly not as common as wooden bench planes, but spar and forkstaff planes come up fairly frequently at auctions and tool dealer's sites, and you can also make a forkstaff plane from a worn, used wooden jack plane for very little money.

[Ted Calver]

I'm not sure about the tubes on the shop smith, but is it possible to add an extension? Looks like it would be easy enough to do?

[Matt Ranum]

I'm not sure about the tubes on the shop smith, but is it possible to add an extension? Looks like it would be easy enough to do?

A bed extension? Hmmmm, possible I suppose hadn't given that any thought.

One thing about the creek, always get lots of ideas here.

Thanks everyone.:)

[Jim Koepke]

If you do go for a bed extension, you will likely want to make a live center support so the piece does not whip about in the center while turning.

jim

[Jim Paulson]

Matt,

As much as I like using hand tools, I'd recommend that you check out a solution as Ted suggested--the possibility of longer tubes.

I extended my lathe bed by adding an extension with a separate tailstock for turning longer pieces. It doesn't look pretty, but it works. In my situation an extension wasn't available, because my Rockwell lathe was built some time ago. Also the specs didn't match up with the newer Delta lathes, ie gap and bed thickness, so I had to improvise.

I agree with Jim too that a stabilizer is a must when turing longer pieces. Otherwise the stock whips and you get vibration in the cut.

Best wishes,
Jim