Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Was
thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in cross
section size.
I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
wonder?
The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
Thanks.
On Aug 20, 9:42=A0am, Lee Nowell <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Aug 20, 2:23=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Aug 20, 8:49=A0am, "john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick f=
or a
> > > large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual=
. Was
> > > thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in=
cross
> > > section size.
>
> > > I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas=
Fir,
> > > so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to wei=
ght
> > > ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here =
in
> > > London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, =
I
> > > wonder?
>
> > > The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge=
now
> > > exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> > > something agricultural). =A0Would be grateful if anyone had advice on=
this.
> > > Thanks.
>
> > I don't know of anything that would work - doesn't mean there isn't
> > one, just that a walking stick presents a lot of problems. =A0Not much
> > cross sectional area, round and not square, could be subject to fairly
> > high stress and if it fails there's a _huge_ problem.
>
> > What about modeling your cane after one of the folding canes already
> > on the market? =A0The typical ones have nesting aluminum sections that
> > are held together by an elastic cord.
>
> > The two most likely approaches:
> > - wrap wood veneers around a store bought cane and then gussy it up
> > - start with metal tube sections and cut solid wood to fit the tubes.
> > Cut a piece of wood in half, use a core box bit to hollow out the two
> > sections, then epoxy the two pieces back together around the tube and
> > turn it on a lathe.
>
> > Either way, inlays and metal banding would dress it up and strengthen
> > the connection points.
>
>
> How about hinging with a regular hinge and fitting a sliding metal
> collar to prevent lateral movement of the joint. =A0When the user wants
> to collapse the stick they slide up the collar and use the hinge to
> fold it. =A0When they use the stick, the open it out and let the collar
> slide over the joint (obviously with a stop to prevent it sliding all
> the way down the stick). =A0A more tricky question might be what you do
> about the handle as this would take a great deal of stress if jointed
> to the stick.
The problem with sliding latches and locks is that they leave room for
human error. A walking stick that is not fully locked is very
dangerous. Very. Lawsuit and broken bones dangerous. The bungee
cord (shock cord to some of you folks) solution keeps the pieces under
constant tension, is very quick to assemble and disassemble, and it is
immediately obvious if the sections aren't fully locked in place.
There's a big risk in such a project, and a very large downside. I
don't know that this is the time to be reinventing the wheel. Then
again, maybe it is - just make sure the thing is foolproof, not
susceptible to wear, and way stronger than needed.
R
"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:200820101706065756%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>> How about the screw-together joint for a billiard cue?
>>
>
> Or:
>
> <http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=41005&cat=3,41306,4133
> 2>
Huh, that must be new, haven't noticed it in their catalog before. One of
my back-burner ideas is making some canes, just have to find the right
pieces of wood.
I like this company's canes, I own several of them although I have no
medical need for one. It's just kind of nice having an inch-thick,
three-foot piece of hickory in the hand when going for a walk. And so long
as it has a crook at the top it's a cane, not a stick. ;~)
http://www.canemasters.com/
In article <[email protected]>, DGDevin
<[email protected]> wrote:
> "john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
> > so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> > ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> > London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> > wonder?
>
> Hickory would be good.
>
> > The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> > exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> > something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
> > Thanks.
>
> How about the screw-together joint for a billiard cue?
>
Or:
<http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=41005&cat=3,41306,4133
2>
--
âThe problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peopleâs
money.â - Margaret Thatcher
On Aug 20, 10:23=A0am, Cicero <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:49:36 +0100, john hamilton wrote:
> > Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for
> > a large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual=
.
> > Was thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm)
> > in cross section size.
>
> > I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas
> > Fir, so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to
> > weight ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size
> > here in London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be
> > stronger, I wonder?
>
> > The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge
> > now exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think
> > on something agricultural). =A0Would be grateful if anyone had advice o=
n
> > this. Thanks.
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D
>
> Your basic idea is used on tent poles:
>
> http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=3D819
>
> Ash is sometimes used for walking sticks, thumb sticks and of course Boy
> Scout poles.
Baseball bats, AIUI, are either Ash or Hickory (or aluminum ;). These
are used because of their strength. I would think the requirements
for a cane material would be similar.
On Aug 20, 11:23 am, Cicero <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Your basic idea is used on tent poles:
>
> http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=819
>
> Ash is sometimes used for walking sticks, thumb sticks and of course Boy
> Scout poles.
Interesting. That does look like a reasonably easy to build
solution. The OP might also want to check to see what patents have
been granted. Here's a start:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/result.html?query_txt=hinged+folding+pole
R
On Aug 20, 3:02=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Aug 20, 9:42=A0am, Lee Nowell <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Aug 20, 2:23=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > On Aug 20, 8:49=A0am, "john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote=
:
>
> > > > Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick=
for a
> > > > large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usu=
al. Was
> > > > thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) =
in cross
> > > > section size.
>
> > > > I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Dougl=
as Fir,
> > > > so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to w=
eight
> > > > ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size her=
e in
> > > > London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger=
, I
> > > > wonder?
>
> > > > The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hin=
ge now
> > > > exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think =
on
> > > > something agricultural). =A0Would be grateful if anyone had advice =
on this.
> > > > Thanks.
>
> > > I don't know of anything that would work - doesn't mean there isn't
> > > one, just that a walking stick presents a lot of problems. =A0Not muc=
h
> > > cross sectional area, round and not square, could be subject to fairl=
y
> > > high stress and if it fails there's a _huge_ problem.
>
> > > What about modeling your cane after one of the folding canes already
> > > on the market? =A0The typical ones have nesting aluminum sections tha=
t
> > > are held together by an elastic cord.
>
> > > The two most likely approaches:
> > > - wrap wood veneers around a store bought cane and then gussy it up
> > > - start with metal tube sections and cut solid wood to fit the tubes.
> > > Cut a piece of wood in half, use a core box bit to hollow out the two
> > > sections, then epoxy the two pieces back together around the tube and
> > > turn it on a lathe.
>
> > > Either way, inlays and metal banding would dress it up and strengthen
> > > the connection points.
>
> > How about hinging with a regular hinge and fitting a sliding metal
> > collar to prevent lateral movement of the joint. =A0When the user wants
> > to collapse the stick they slide up the collar and use the hinge to
> > fold it. =A0When they use the stick, the open it out and let the collar
> > slide over the joint (obviously with a stop to prevent it sliding all
> > the way down the stick). =A0A more tricky question might be what you do
> > about the handle as this would take a great deal of stress if jointed
> > to the stick.
>
> The problem with sliding latches and locks is that they leave room for
> human error. =A0A walking stick that is not fully locked is very
> dangerous. =A0Very. =A0Lawsuit and broken bones dangerous. =A0The bungee
> cord (shock cord to some of you folks) solution keeps the pieces under
> constant tension, is very quick to assemble and disassemble, and it is
> immediately obvious if the sections aren't fully locked in place.
>
> There's a big risk in such a project, and a very large downside. =A0I
> don't know that this is the time to be reinventing the wheel. =A0Then
> again, maybe it is - just make sure the thing is foolproof, not
> susceptible to wear, and way stronger than needed.
>
> R- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Whilst true, if done correctly, the user would pick the stick up by
the handle, it would automatically unfold on the hinges enabling the
collars to slide down the stick into position.
john hamilton wrote:
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
> large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Was
> thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in cross
> section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
> so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
> Thanks.
>
>
As a base use a 1 leg photo stand. Easy to collapse, and expand.
Then prettify it with a nice knob.
On Aug 20, 10:20=A0am, Lee Nowell <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Aug 20, 3:02=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Aug 20, 9:42=A0am, Lee Nowell <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > How about hinging with a regular hinge and fitting a sliding metal
> > > collar to prevent lateral movement of the joint. =A0When the user wan=
ts
> > > to collapse the stick they slide up the collar and use the hinge to
> > > fold it. =A0When they use the stick, the open it out and let the coll=
ar
> > > slide over the joint (obviously with a stop to prevent it sliding all
> > > the way down the stick). =A0A more tricky question might be what you =
do
> > > about the handle as this would take a great deal of stress if jointed
> > > to the stick.
>
> > The problem with sliding latches and locks is that they leave room for
> > human error. =A0A walking stick that is not fully locked is very
> > dangerous. =A0Very. =A0Lawsuit and broken bones dangerous. =A0The bunge=
e
> > cord (shock cord to some of you folks) solution keeps the pieces under
> > constant tension, is very quick to assemble and disassemble, and it is
> > immediately obvious if the sections aren't fully locked in place.
>
> > There's a big risk in such a project, and a very large downside. =A0I
> > don't know that this is the time to be reinventing the wheel. =A0Then
> > again, maybe it is - just make sure the thing is foolproof, not
> > susceptible to wear, and way stronger than needed.
>
>
> Whilst true, if done correctly, the user would pick the stick up by
> the handle, it would automatically unfold on the hinges enabling the
> collars to slide down the stick into position.
If the collars could slide freely, there would be play, play leads to
wear. Downward spiral. A sliding collar lock is doable, but there'd
have to be a way to lock it in place and it couldn't more too freely.
This is one of those threads that I really hope that the OP posts an
update with his solution. I'm very interested.
R
On Aug 20, 8:49=A0am, "john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
> large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Wa=
s
> thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in cro=
ss
> section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir=
,
> so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> something agricultural). =A0Would be grateful if anyone had advice on thi=
s.
> Thanks.
I don't know of anything that would work - doesn't mean there isn't
one, just that a walking stick presents a lot of problems. Not much
cross sectional area, round and not square, could be subject to fairly
high stress and if it fails there's a _huge_ problem.
What about modeling your cane after one of the folding canes already
on the market? The typical ones have nesting aluminum sections that
are held together by an elastic cord.
The two most likely approaches:
- wrap wood veneers around a store bought cane and then gussy it up
- start with metal tube sections and cut solid wood to fit the tubes.
Cut a piece of wood in half, use a core box bit to hollow out the two
sections, then epoxy the two pieces back together around the tube and
turn it on a lathe.
Either way, inlays and metal banding would dress it up and strengthen
the connection points.
R
john hamilton wrote:
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick
> for a large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than
> usual. Was thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4
> inche (2cm) in cross section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas
> Fir, so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength
> to weight ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to
> size here in London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood
> be stronger, I wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge
> now exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I
> think on something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had
> advice on this. Thanks.
When you say, "walking stick" do you mean a cane (30-36" or so long) or a
longer staff?
If the former, 2" x 3/4" is overkill. I make my own cane shafts (round)
taper from 1" to 3/4". Each end is further reduced to accomodate a brass
ferrule (cut from brass water pipe nipples) between 1" and 1/2" long.
I wouldn't suggest Douglas fir as a wood, better to use a hardwood; I use
hickory, do not know what you have there but would think oak would be fine.
Regarding the hinge, why do you/he want it to fold? Would two or more
independent sections work? If so, hanger bolts work. Those are a fastening
with bolt threads on one end, screw threads on the other; the bolt end is
epoxied into a hole in one part of the shaft, the screw end is screwed into
a hole in the other. A 3/8" diameter one would be sufficient. They can
also be used to attach the handles but I just use 5/8" threads in the wood
itself.
As to actual hinges, I know of nothing ready made but both Ricodjour's and
Nowell's suggestions could be made to work. So could ferrules attached to
each section with ears welded or silver soldered to each...ears on one side
with a pin so the sections pivot, ears on the other side with a thumb screw
or removeable pin to lock/unlock the sections. Any way, you'd probably need
a way to keep the folded sections together so they don't flop around.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
"john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
> so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> wonder?
Hickory would be good.
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
> Thanks.
How about the screw-together joint for a billiard cue?
Also spruce.
And what about doing like a blind mans stick.
Where you use elastic inside the core from top to bottom
and then have a brass ferrule on the female piece to prevent it from
splitting where they join. That would in effect be a hinge.
On 8/20/2010 8:49 AM, john hamilton wrote:
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
> large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Was
> thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in cross
> section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
> so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
> Thanks.
>
>
On Aug 20, 2:23=A0pm, RicodJour <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Aug 20, 8:49=A0am, "john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for=
a
> > large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. =
Was
> > thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in c=
ross
> > section size.
>
> > I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas F=
ir,
> > so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weigh=
t
> > ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> > London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> > wonder?
>
> > The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge n=
ow
> > exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> > something agricultural). =A0Would be grateful if anyone had advice on t=
his.
> > Thanks.
>
> I don't know of anything that would work - doesn't mean there isn't
> one, just that a walking stick presents a lot of problems. =A0Not much
> cross sectional area, round and not square, could be subject to fairly
> high stress and if it fails there's a _huge_ problem.
>
> What about modeling your cane after one of the folding canes already
> on the market? =A0The typical ones have nesting aluminum sections that
> are held together by an elastic cord.
>
> The two most likely approaches:
> - wrap wood veneers around a store bought cane and then gussy it up
> - start with metal tube sections and cut solid wood to fit the tubes.
> Cut a piece of wood in half, use a core box bit to hollow out the two
> sections, then epoxy the two pieces back together around the tube and
> turn it on a lathe.
>
> Either way, inlays and metal banding would dress it up and strengthen
> the connection points.
>
> R
How about hinging with a regular hinge and fitting a sliding metal
collar to prevent lateral movement of the joint. When the user wants
to collapse the stick they slide up the collar and use the hinge to
fold it. When they use the stick, the open it out and let the collar
slide over the joint (obviously with a stop to prevent it sliding all
the way down the stick). A more tricky question might be what you do
about the handle as this would take a great deal of stress if jointed
to the stick.
On Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:49:36 +0100, john hamilton wrote:
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for
> a large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual.
> Was thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm)
> in cross section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas
> Fir, so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to
> weight ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size
> here in London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be
> stronger, I wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge
> now exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think
> on something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on
> this. Thanks.
=============================================================================
Your basic idea is used on tent poles:
http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=819
Ash is sometimes used for walking sticks, thumb sticks and of course Boy
Scout poles.
Cic.
--
===============================================================================
Using Ubuntu Linux
Windows shown the door
===============================================================================
"john hamilton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
> large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Was
> thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in
> cross section size.
>
> I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
> so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
> ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
> London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
> wonder?
>
> The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
> exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
> something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
> Thanks.
>
Does this person currently use a cane? Does he want a folding cane, or is
this some well meaning other person dictating the requirements? I've been a
cane user for more than ten years and have a number of canes. Some are
collapsible and some are not. Those that I can collapse are almost never
collapsed. I've found that the most important attribute is whether or not I
can hang the cane from something or have it lean upright against a wall.
This requirement typically means some sort of rubberized or foam grip.
Hinged canes tend to be fixed length and the length of commercial models is
never quite right. The same goes for the push button collapsible canes. A
custom model should be a "perfect" fit for the user and this will require
discussion with a physical therapist or other health professional. Also, it
might be better to make three canes as the "perfect" fit varies. I move my
push button canes longer or shorter at times to accommodate wear and tear on
my back, shoulder and arm, but there is a reasonable range.
You might consider making a cane using the Lee Valley hardware suggested in
another post and giving it two removable central elements: perfect, and
long. Short would be accommodated by omitting the central element.
Both of my 'custom' canes are perfect length in cherry and both are ovals of
about 3/4" on the major axis. Two inches seems excessive to me.
Good luck, and please let us know what you end up doing.
LD
On Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:49:36 +0100, "john hamilton"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Have been asked for advice on making a folding wooden walking stick for a
>large heavy man. So its got to be something a bit stronger than usual. Was
>thinking of something like using 2 inches (5cm) by 3/4 inche (2cm) in cross
>section size.
Is this a walking stick as in a stick to help balance, test
foot-holds, and throw snakes out of the way while hiking--- or to help
a disabled person navigate his house and sidewalks?
If the latter- then talk to his physical therapist & do what they
say-- which will probably be 'buy a proper device'.
If the former-- then you need to decide whether strength, weight, or
foldability is the most important feature.
>
>I searched and read the preferred wood for making aircraft is Douglas Fir,
>so i thought that would be good for this stick. (good strength to weight
>ratio) but I guess that is difficult to buy already cut to size here in
>London. U.K.? Would some kind of building grade plywood be stronger, I
>wonder?
Doug fir would make a heavy, [compared to nearly any commercially
available stick] weak stick that would be difficult to hinge-- but you
could join two pieces with a ferrule.
I think in the UK, Yew would be much stronger but a bit heavier.
>The tricky part would be some *self-locking* hinge. Does such a hinge now
>exist? I remember very many years ago seeing such a thing (I think on
>something agricultural). Would be grateful if anyone had advice on this.
I have a longbow that comes apart at the handle- joined by a metal
ferrule. It was used for 30 years before I twisted the limbs while
stringing it one day and some laminations were broken. The ferrule
was just fitted tightly. On a walking stick, I'd use a button lock &
maybe a piece of elastic to keep the pieces together.
Jim