cane measures
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I'd recommend drying the cane and sealing it with a poly spar or similar varnish. Pay special attention to the internodal dam, if you're going to use it as the bottom of the measure. It's made of pith, not the most durable material. It'd be better, IMHO, to cut the sections off above and below the nodes and fashion some sort of plug for the base, either metal or wood. You can scribe or scrimshaw cane pretty easily, then take a propane torch and "flame" it. A light steel-wooling will give you a nice, satin finish. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions.
I just knew if I waited long enough, I would get the chance to contribute somethin' :grin: :grin:
Canerod
I just knew if I waited long enough, I would get the chance to contribute somethin' :grin: :grin:
Canerod
Just cut the cane and use it afyer its dry. If you are worried about sealing a little beeswax poured in the bottom with seal well and some beewax/bear grease will keep the cane from spitting. i play cane flutes and thats what i do to keep mine in shape. BTW you are in VA where did you find the cane?
I use a cane powder measure, and haven't found the pith a the node to be a problem (at least yet). If your in the mood to play around with decoration, you can do a little fancy work with an exacto-knife. Might try spiraling two parallel lines, about 1/8" apart, up the measure, the flaking out the narrow outer "bark" between the two lines, creating a spiral groove around the cane. Watch your fingers! I've done such with cane knives before. I always wondered why cane wasn't used more for powder measures. 
Cheap, simple, easy to work and durable if kept dry in the pouch.
Cheap, simple, easy to work and durable if kept dry in the pouch.freetrapper20
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Guess I'll see em' on your blanket come next rondyvoo. :blah:
WOW! Thanks for the photos Musketman. That gives me somethin' to shoot for.If I can get 'em even close to that I'll be happy.Don't forget your wallet Gates Co. :grin: You can find patches of cane around Va.,just drive around the suburbs(some people actually try to grow the stuff.)After a few years they'll almost pay you to cut it. :rotf:
Guest
Two Shadows might have been of the Killumbuck pursuasion. I know he camped with Stump Bluff Militia (east of Bowling Green) and sometimes with the Bucksnort bunch out of E-town, KY.
He was one to ride the river with.
:hatsoff:
If you think these powder measures are nice, you should have tasted some of his cooking!!!
He was one to ride the river with.
:hatsoff:
If you think these powder measures are nice, you should have tasted some of his cooking!!!
I made mine from an old fishin' pole, probably made in China these days. :shake: It had a coat of shellac on it and is about the same color as the Mountain Mahogany found in the Califory hills. I've not noticed any leakage from the bottom. Yet! :shocked2:
I kinda agree with ya about the leakage problem Slamfire.I still think I'm gonna run a little beeswax in 'em .You know what they say about an ounce of prevention.I'm lookin' forward to gettin' started on 'em. I can't wait to feel the weight difference compared to a bone measure :rotf: Thanks for all the help.
2Crows,
I w ould recommend drying and sealing the cane, anyway. That will stabilize the moisture content and help prevent any cracks from moisture changes. I make bamboo flyrods for a living and use only Tonkin Cane, so what you have may behave differently, but why chance it? You can put the pieces on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 325F for 10-12 minutes, then a light sealer coat of tung oil or anything similar. If you decide to varnish or Tru-Oil later, then tung would be my choice, since it won't stop a later finish from adhering. The beeswax tip for the interior was a good one. Apply it and hit it with a low heat source, like a blow dryer, and it'll soak into the pith and stop it from picking up moisture later. Also, don't be timid about flaming the cane. A propane torch is perfect for this, just keep passing the flame about 1" away from the surface till ya get a color 2 shades darker than you want, then sand or steel wool it back to the tone you want. You can either flame the cane or bake the pieces, but not both. If you see any small, black charred flakes on the surface, that's just the enamel flaking and the power fibers underneath will be just fine. And be sure to post pics of your final results, let us see how they came out.
Canerod
I w ould recommend drying and sealing the cane, anyway. That will stabilize the moisture content and help prevent any cracks from moisture changes. I make bamboo flyrods for a living and use only Tonkin Cane, so what you have may behave differently, but why chance it? You can put the pieces on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 325F for 10-12 minutes, then a light sealer coat of tung oil or anything similar. If you decide to varnish or Tru-Oil later, then tung would be my choice, since it won't stop a later finish from adhering. The beeswax tip for the interior was a good one. Apply it and hit it with a low heat source, like a blow dryer, and it'll soak into the pith and stop it from picking up moisture later. Also, don't be timid about flaming the cane. A propane torch is perfect for this, just keep passing the flame about 1" away from the surface till ya get a color 2 shades darker than you want, then sand or steel wool it back to the tone you want. You can either flame the cane or bake the pieces, but not both. If you see any small, black charred flakes on the surface, that's just the enamel flaking and the power fibers underneath will be just fine. And be sure to post pics of your final results, let us see how they came out.
Canerod
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Looks like the perfect project for a wood burner ....
Ohio Rusty
Ohio Rusty
onefeather
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no lie i saw cane growing all the way up into pa.i couldnt believe it.it was at a park.you could tell someone brought plants from the south there.cause there was a blackjack oak tree there too.as far as i know thats a southern tree cause i lived my whol;e life in the north and never saw one :shocked2:
mudd turtle
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Thanks musket man for not deleating these images(pages on cane measures). The man's work helped me to get some ideas for makeing my own measures. Mud Turtle.
