Advice needed : repair walking cane

[timothyedoran]

I repaired my dad's walking stick when it came to me by using a simple chrome tube that held both parts strongly together. I needed to very slightly reduce the wood diameter to fit into the tube. Araldite and thin strong pins were used holding everything in place. Make it strong make it usable be pleased with the repair, I use what is now my stick proudly and with pleasurable memories.

Of all the suggestions I like this one the most. Drilling out and making good and strong seems risky. It would seem too likely to either be a beggar to get out and end up weakening somewhere else.

 

[pgrbff]

I make small diameter hole saws out of spring roll pins as they are inexspensive and hardened steel.

 

[TheTiddles]

I make small diameter hole saws out of spring roll pins as they are inexspensive and hardened steel.

I like that one lots. One to save for future use, thanks

 

[recipio]

Have you a lathe ? Its not too difficult to make a jig to bore holes horizontally. You could also try removing enough wood with a plug cutter to allow you to get a vice grips on the metal bar. Rockler is the US sell metal tubes with a sawtooth on one end just for problems like this.

 

[Bob Chapman]

Is it possible to leave the broken rod in place and join the two pieces of stick by drilling a series of small holes (2-3mm) in the wood around the rod, then using thin metal dowels to hold the two parts together?

 

[Stevekane]

I think the saw tooth metal tube idea is great, should be easy to make esp if you had access to a Dremel type tool to cut the teeth and the broken screw would act to keep it all centred,,,the only problem might be how long is the old screw? Would be worth knowing this before you start, maybe you could drill one or two holes through the shaft using the finest of your drill bits to see how deep it is, I doubt this would have much effect in it stength esp as you could tap in a thin sliver of wood and glue afterwards?

 

[Fergie 307]

Notice the leather on the handle is a bit tatty. If you were to replace that then just take each half down in diameter slightly and join them together with a stainless tube of suitable size spanning the joint and epoxied on. Then the leather could be extended down slightly to cover it. Stainless seamless tube is very strong so you could get away with using quite a thin wall section, say 1.5mm and it would still be plenty strong enough. Might even look quite good left on show, with perhaps a satin finish,if the owner likes that idea? I should think a piece about 80mm long would do the trick.

 

[Fergie 307]

Thinking about it, if you dont like the look of stainless then you could use a piece of CDS steel tube and blue it using gun blue, or just get some more leather to cover it. I think the problem if you use a toothed tube to cut round it is that, whilst you may well be able to remove the old pin, you are necessarily going to make the hole quite a lot bigger. So you would end up with two wooden tubes with quite thin walls, that's going to be weak whatever you put down the middle. And of course of it doesn't work then you really will be in a pickle.

 

[Sru]

Update

With the excellent help of Alasdair and associate, we managed to drill out the old metal rod and insert a long new oak dowel. This will not give the same strength as the old pin but will allow the two ends to be securely fixed. I'll now look on fleabay for a short length of brass tube to use as a sleeve over the joint. The brass will work very well with the wood and bone handle as they have aged a great deal. I'll post a before and after pic when done. Just love the rather excellent suggestions that came up here .. what a fab community Thank you.

 

[Fergie 307]

I bet the owner will be well chuffed with your efforts, always nice to do something like this.

 

[cowtown_eric]

I also have used the roll pin method, only use a dremel with a diamond wheel to give it a better "cutting edge". I have shown the technique to several woodbutchers whom are totall amazed at how well it works.

Don't forget to run the drill backwards!

Eric
in the colonies

 

[pgrbff]

I also have used the roll pin method, only use a dremel with a diamond wheel to give it a better "cutting edge". I have shown the technique to several woodbutchers whom are totall amazed at how well it works.

Don't forget to run the drill backwards!

Eric
in the colonies

I cut teeth with a small file.