Parting tool job?

[Mike Holbrook]

I bought some pieces to make walking canes from our friends at Lee Valley. The instructions say to use a parting tool to reduce the two ends to a diameter that a brass handle and brass tip will slide on. I have no Lathe, which I believe is necessary for a parting tool to function. I am thinking about trying to use my belt sander (2" x 42" belts) unless someone comes up with a better idea. The tip end needs to be tapered. The handle uses a level area.

[Chris Griggs]

I'd use a chisel. Pare a tapered square, then a tapered octagon, tapered 16-agon..... smooth out remaining ridges with sandpaper.

[David Weaver]

Build yourself an adjustable scraper or cutting tool that has a fixed radius and an exposed blade, but that has two bolts to allow it to open some and cut larger circles than the fixed radius that's built into it.

Maybe someone makes a manufactured tool.

[David Barnett]

I am thinking about trying to use my belt sander (2" x 42" belts) unless someone comes up with a better idea. The tip end needs to be tapered. The handle uses a level area.

Rasps, files, even coarse sanding sticks. Alternatively, use a simple knife to pare to desired diameter and taper, then sand.

[Bryan Schwerer]

I've used something like his to make a round tenon. I scored the tenon at the shoulder to make sure the split from the paring doesn't get transferred beyond the shoulder.

[Mike Holbrook]

I need to sneak up on a 11/16 to 9/16 taper over 1" for the tip. The handle needs the 1" dowel reduced to 15/16. Both cane end pieces are threaded with self tapping threads. Who knew making canes from dowels would get this exacting? Maybe a gouge to start, then belt sander> sand paper? I doubt I could do this with a lathe even if I had one.

[David Weaver]

If I were going to do what you're describing with a sander, I'd want to rig something up so that the piece was moving and not the paper.

Out of laziness, I've set the hoops on japanese chisels by easing the handle with a belt sander, and the result comes out fine, but it's not precise like doing the work by hand would be.

I'd be maybe more tempted to do it cutting flats with a chisel, and progressively halving each peak between the flats until i could just freehand sand pretty quickly. You would be guaranteed more precision that way because the wood would not be cut anywhere that you didn't chisel, as opposed to a belt sander, which could get out of hand quickly and put a big flat where you don't want it, or end up creating an oval.

[Cody Cantrell]

Maybe a dowel cutter on a brace?

[Charlie Stanford]

I bought some pieces to make walking canes from our friends at Lee Valley. The instructions say to use a parting tool to reduce the two ends to a diameter that a brass handle and brass tip will slide on. I have no Lathe, which I believe is necessary for a parting tool to function. I am thinking about trying to use my belt sander (2" x 42" belts) unless someone comes up with a better idea. The tip end needs to be tapered. The handle uses a level area.

You could buy Aldren Watson's Furniture Making Plain and Simple. In it he illustrates building a lathe box and making turned parts with files, rasps, etc.

Otherwise, this will easily turn small diameter parts up to 24" between centers. I've used something similar and you'd be surprised how well they work (though I already knew how to turn):

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hobby-Lathe-Disc-Sander/H2669

[Ryan Baker]

The extravagant solution: Build a custom tapered rounder plane for a perfect match.

The practical solution: Just use a chisel, a file, a pocket knife, or whatever other primitive tool you have laying around. It will take less time to do than to think about. :)

[Mike Holbrook]

Thanks for all the good ideas guys. I realize that the job is not large enough to place too much energy into the ultimate solution just to make a cane or two. I run a dog park though and I think canes are great tools for people who walk dogs regularly. You never see a shepherd without his crook, do you? I may end up making these regularly for clients. Short crooks might work well too but bending the ends may be more than I want to deal with. The two crooks I bought to try out both ended up splitting, cracking..at the bends. So I am making a couple test crooks using the LV handles & tips to see how well they work for the job.

I am also thinking about a small lathe, but I am not eager to get into another sizable electric tool I will definitely check out the lathe box. I have seen videos of guys in India turning with a string device holding the turning device with their feet. I may be a little old to master that technique though. Hmm could this open up a whole new area of interest for us Neanders, foot tools?