My niece would like some hair sticks for Christmas. Having never seen
any in person, I've done a bit of web research but have found little on
what qualities makes a good pair.

Has anyone turned them?

Does anyone have a relative who does who can offer comments on what
makes a good pair?

Should they have tapered shafts or straight?

The pair of walnut sticks I made as a first go seem mighty lightweight.
I'm thinking this might be a good thing (tm Martha) so gravity won't
pull them down as quickly.

Any tips?

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

Owen
Sorry, I do not have any on hand to photograph, but a hair stick is usually
5" to 7" long and tapers from about 3/8" to 1/8" with some decorative beads
and coves at one end. I find the easiest way to make them is to chuck up a
pice of 3/8" square stock with tail stock support at the other end and turn
them with a skew. I just use turner's polish for finish. If I get a chance
this evening I will turn a couple and post a pic for you.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

In article T6Hlf.138511$y_1.63157@edtnps89,
"Darrell Feltmate" wrote:

Sorry, I do not have any on hand to photograph, but a hair stick is usually
5" to 7" long and tapers from about 3/8" to 1/8" with some decorative beads
and coves at one end. I find the easiest way to make them is to chuck up a
pice of 3/8" square stock with tail stock support at the other end and turn
them with a skew. I just use turner's polish for finish. If I get a chance
this evening I will turn a couple and post a pic for you.

Thank you Darrell - I'd appreciate it.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

Owen Lowe wrote:
In article T6Hlf.138511$y_1.63157@edtnps89,
"Darrell Feltmate" wrote:


Sorry, I do not have any on hand to photograph, but a hair stick is usually
5" to 7" long and tapers from about 3/8" to 1/8" with some decorative beads
and coves at one end. I find the easiest way to make them is to chuck up a
pice of 3/8" square stock with tail stock support at the other end and turn
them with a skew. I just use turner's polish for finish. If I get a chance
this evening I will turn a couple and post a pic for you.


Thank you Darrell - I'd appreciate it.

Owen, check out J McClure's page on WOW. He posted a picture a couple
of days ago.

Owen Lowe writes:
Has anyone turned them?

Yup, my kid uses them. The key bits a

* length - 6-9 inches seems about right.

* diameter - 1/8 to 1/4 or so.

* shape - put interesting bits on one end, like beads or whatnot,
which act like the head of a nail. The pointy end should have a
slightly larger diameter than the head, sort of a reverse taper, so
that random wiggling tends to keep the stick inserted, rather than
work it out.

* finish - not too smooth or it falls out.

http://images.google.com/images?q=hair+stick

Owen,
I have seen all sorts of hair sticks. Some are straight and plain, some
are taperes like chop sticks (i have even seen chop sticks used). . 6
to 9 inches is about the right length. I made pairs the first time
around, and everyone wanted 2 different ones. So next time I made them
all different, and got requests for pairs.
robo hippy

Upon googling "hair sticks" under Google Images, I found this:
http://tinyurl.com/cm6y4
Seems you can make a few bucks turning and decorating these. I had no
idea!

Owen
I posted a pic over on alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking. hope it helps. If
you can not access this group I can put it up on my web page.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

Darrell Feltmate wrote:
Owen
Sorry, I do not have any on hand to photograph, but a hair stick is usually
5" to 7" long and tapers from about 3/8" to 1/8" with some decorative beads
and coves at one end. I find the easiest way to make them is to chuck up a
pice of 3/8" square stock with tail stock support at the other end and turn
them with a skew. I just use turner's polish for finish. If I get a chance
this evening I will turn a couple and post a pic for you.

So are folks selling these? What kind of price do they fetch? I'd
hazard around $7 to $10 but be curious if that's other folks experience...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
Registered Linux User No: 307357

Thank you everyone for the replies and especially Darrell for taking the
time to turn a couple sticks and post the pics. I had not thought about
checking Google Images - that's a good resource I've not explored
before. I've not had time or energy to turn for a few days but will try
to post pics of the sticks I end up making today/tomorrow.

We had to put one of our dogs to sleep on Saturday. My wife and I found
him one June, years ago, when he was just an old pup, sitting out in the
middle of nowhere alongside Hwy 89A just west of the Navajo Reservation,
north of Flagstaff. Had mange, skinny, missing splotches of fur, fleas
galore - drank gallons of water the first two days and pretty much slept
for 3 days straight. Our vet told us he was likely a day or so away from
dying - which just reinforced our justification for picking him up. He
was a wonderful dog and in his prime one of the fastest on his paws
we've ever had. He'd been suffering the last couple years with
increasing arthritis in a foreleg and his hips and had gotten to the
point of almost daily instances of not being able to get his back legs
under him. I suppose we helped him with his suffering 12 years ago and
we helped him on Saturday; in between he was always there for us. He now
rests in his favorite spot in the back yard with 3 of our other past
furry friends - I pray he is now without pain. So long and thank you,
Toby.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

Owen Lowe wrote:

So long and thank you,
Toby.


Amen.

Owen
You are welcome and I look forward to the pictures. Sorry about the dog.
Been there, done that, and it still hurts.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com

Been there, done that, too.

Sorry Owen.

TomNie

"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news
Thank you everyone for the replies and especially Darrell for taking the
time to turn a couple sticks and post the pics. I had not thought about
checking Google Images - that's a good resource I've not explored
before. I've not had time or energy to turn for a few days but will try
to post pics of the sticks I end up making today/tomorrow.

We had to put one of our dogs to sleep on Saturday. My wife and I found
him one June, years ago, when he was just an old pup, sitting out in the
middle of nowhere alongside Hwy 89A just west of the Navajo Reservation,
north of Flagstaff. Had mange, skinny, missing splotches of fur, fleas
galore - drank gallons of water the first two days and pretty much slept
for 3 days straight. Our vet told us he was likely a day or so away from
dying - which just reinforced our justification for picking him up. He
was a wonderful dog and in his prime one of the fastest on his paws
we've ever had. He'd been suffering the last couple years with
increasing arthritis in a foreleg and his hips and had gotten to the
point of almost daily instances of not being able to get his back legs
under him. I suppose we helped him with his suffering 12 years ago and
we helped him on Saturday; in between he was always there for us. He now
rests in his favorite spot in the back yard with 3 of our other past
furry friends - I pray he is now without pain. So long and thank you,
Toby.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe,
warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called
degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your
finger. A pic for the strong of stomach:
www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for
finished smoothness.