The basic "inspiration" came from work from my mentor Barry and a walking stick he made, and from another great machinist (Will) who made a two-piece, knurled Ti spear.
So I decided to combine both ideas, and to make my son an unique walking stick in multiple hollow pieces, which could be used to store items inside of the hollow sections (aka, survival stick). So I started with Barry's suggestion and got some Schedule 80 3/4" Aluminum pipe (1.050" OD and .742" ID), and cut the long piece into multiple pieces:
![20130928_185719.jpg 20130928_185719.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125036-b72a27dde4a1edf34904df7f1971366c.jpg)
![20130928_185703.jpg 20130928_185703.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125037-7277bb1ee0092553a47ccb8a700b7350.jpg)
Over many days, I cleaned up the OD, the ID, face them off, etc.:
![DSCF1058.JPG DSCF1058.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125038-2bdec279d7a1b9844531f43ef960ec8c.jpg)
![DSCF1059.JPG DSCF1059.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125039-f2253e58a8dd62cb108ca461f5ff75be.jpg)
![DSCF1063.JPG DSCF1063.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125040-a8b82a7d7c8770ca4de0bd080e399df7.jpg)
I then threaded all of the ends:
![DSCF1066.JPG DSCF1066.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125041-561e83cdf85cebb0e89f9fdabc6e230a.jpg)
![DSCF1069.JPG DSCF1069.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125042-9fb470a71bb147eae98cb21eae94bd31.jpg)
![DSCF1070.JPG DSCF1070.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125043-8a370d2e1687a2f5d028872fb492132c.jpg)
Then started working on the "connectors":
![DSCF1072.JPG DSCF1072.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125044-1f17f729197c75cf5c94eb86b0c2f385.jpg)
![DSCF1074.JPG DSCF1074.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125045-6deece4b762a39d707108a5a947a31b2.jpg)
![DSCF1076.JPG DSCF1076.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125046-211dc4ed95698bc6141af13374484e2b.jpg)
and success - they thread together!
![DSCF1087.JPG DSCF1087.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125047-945dcd2e12dd77afa2bad534257b8dc5.jpg)
Then thread the other side:
![DSCF1088.JPG DSCF1088.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125048-0de6822aa8c64862917d298e3af3dac2.jpg)
![DSCF1089.JPG DSCF1089.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125049-b874afb9cd41c17083505a963f5e3d56.jpg)
![DSCF1094.JPG DSCF1094.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125050-b394a45b56b47208b3d5aa1ba42dcf6c.jpg)
After some cleanup:
![DSCF1095.JPG DSCF1095.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125051-ef391824fcc7719c57fc76baaf3ceb2f.jpg)
![DSCF1091.JPG DSCF1091.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125052-387cca23749c3999b93cd6a7aca492e8.jpg)
This is how the pieces started to look like when screwed together:
![DSCF1097.JPG DSCF1097.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125053-339829b84f95ed6a9fd332829fda6e79.jpg)
For the tip on one of them, I took a piece of 4041 steel and made this on one end:
![20131012_191725.jpg 20131012_191725.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125054-8d7409cbdc45c77bd2df19530c0b6248.jpg)
and this on the other - this was done "by hand" since I don't yet have the lathe attachment for creating curved surfaces:
![20131012_194857.jpg 20131012_194857.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125055-164c04dd29f7a5efe170ce60aa637e45.jpg)
To make the sections lighter, I marked them:
![20131014_183029_HDR.jpg 20131014_183029_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125056-73264800138878c2148eb8c4bd1392da.jpg)
![20131014_215056_HDR.jpg 20131014_215056_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125057-ab1b372b37e27c364d67a8dee5b7001d.jpg)
To aid in assembly, the "connectors" there then knurled:
![20131014_220921_HDR.jpg 20131014_220921_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125058-ed0f849b9dda8e464ab6e816005103a3.jpg)
![20131015_221238_HDR.jpg 20131015_221238_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125059-346c9e7420fd7bea83732c07b7360016.jpg)
![20131015_212746_HDR.jpg 20131015_212746_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125060-7f01b87d81159d86d0273aa36e61e260.jpg)
Of course, I made "several" pieces:
![20131015_222342_HDR.jpg 20131015_222342_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125061-43d26db2e3136d74420e8988ec4651a0.jpg)
This is how the connectors look like with two sections attached:
![20131015_222744_HDR.jpg 20131015_222744_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125062-e330ca2753c53b3416b8354050505956.jpg)
Remember that I marked the sections to make them lighter? Here I take the extra thickness, while leaving a larger OD roughly in the middle for another knurled surface:
![20131015_223504_HDR.jpg 20131015_223504_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125063-cd0bcaaca32ad5f654cdfee55c58e00a.jpg)
![20131015_224800_HDR.jpg 20131015_224800_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125064-079d8e3433654a23a72350ba4af7e1a3.jpg)
![20131016_214212_HDR.jpg 20131016_214212_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125065-2aa48eeeb29a62ef0723a0b055a1cc3c.jpg)
![20131016_214651_HDR.jpg 20131016_214651_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125066-818dc5be43d4b8f552e01a11507c7981.jpg)
This of course took a LONG time - lots of machining and knurling to do:
![20131016_214939_HDR.jpg 20131016_214939_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125067-cea4cdbe935c198cbb86498ebc0f7f8a.jpg)
I made one "cap":
![DSCF1098.JPG DSCF1098.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125068-e322daa319efda56fb9ecb4c6f355358.jpg)
![DSCF1099.JPG DSCF1099.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125069-b434e01d008589852e0f2bccb3931a0f.jpg)
I then drill/bored it:
![20131017_203610_HDR.jpg 20131017_203610_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125070-f4fc15f9a94affae8d877ef0b3c07092.jpg)
![20131017_204651_HDR.jpg 20131017_204651_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125071-93c8e252124b9c6b51eb2669459d6acd.jpg)
![20131017_204921_HDR.jpg 20131017_204921_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125072-f198ea2153ec52ea83c0305a8d5a3286.jpg)
And I then installed a compass in it:
![20131017_210658_HDR.jpg 20131017_210658_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125073-85d31cdebaf756bebd25cb27c8b1f8cd.jpg)
At that point (last fall) I had one completed unit, so we took it camping. Of course, all of the other kids were extremely impressed with my son's "high tech" walking stick![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to finish the remainder pieces, although I experimented with the knurling a little:
![20140526_165418.jpg 20140526_165418.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125074-d0f67dac803c5777723addf46718bc5e.jpg)
![20140526_165428.jpg 20140526_165428.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125075-d18b007af1269a7a3b5caf7afa1944fa.jpg)
This was swirl/twist knurling (thanks again Will!):
![20140526_165749.jpg 20140526_165749.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125076-a1ad34d113c0d5287ecf918ab6a9e151.jpg)
![20140526_170344.jpg 20140526_170344.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125077-899f72da39bc2b95407d8362f3b15c07.jpg)
![20140526_170852.jpg 20140526_170852.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125078-44b9ea485e20adb12f16e766da41a38e.jpg)
![20140526_170859.jpg 20140526_170859.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125079-842b8cb33bee554f0c013d54498c8aee.jpg)
I also discovered, that if while doing the twist knurling, if I press too far the knurler against the work piece, it stops cutting, and is creates a lighter, pattern, with twice the number of lines. The two on the bottom are normal twist knurled, and the two at the top are done with this light twist pattern:
![20140526_183531.jpg 20140526_183531.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125080-ae88d2e9a20b843ed33f775ab532bb9c.jpg)
Close-up:
![20140526_183540.jpg 20140526_183540.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125081-dea971222e1a23e41bc73e52bc214bdf.jpg)
All 3x knurling styles together:
![20140601_172248.jpg 20140601_172248.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125082-7a72ba780db68b41a7687a1b5cc7cba1.jpg)
You can re-assemble the pieces to end of with different length's, but here is how they look like right now (for reference, that is a standard 6 foot high wood fence). The one in the middle was the first one I finished last fall, which my son has taken camping twice now:
![20140601_172130.jpg 20140601_172130.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125083-cdc14df6d8bc26e2a4ebbbbfb902b7f9.jpg)
![20140601_172145.jpg 20140601_172145.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125084-d302c38bafaa3ba910946b703bad1b8c.jpg)
![20140601_172332.jpg 20140601_172332.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125085-2b94c7322dab2015e52c1cf6369f5801.jpg)
Will
So I decided to combine both ideas, and to make my son an unique walking stick in multiple hollow pieces, which could be used to store items inside of the hollow sections (aka, survival stick). So I started with Barry's suggestion and got some Schedule 80 3/4" Aluminum pipe (1.050" OD and .742" ID), and cut the long piece into multiple pieces:
![20130928_185719.jpg 20130928_185719.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125036-b72a27dde4a1edf34904df7f1971366c.jpg)
![20130928_185703.jpg 20130928_185703.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125037-7277bb1ee0092553a47ccb8a700b7350.jpg)
Over many days, I cleaned up the OD, the ID, face them off, etc.:
![DSCF1058.JPG DSCF1058.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125038-2bdec279d7a1b9844531f43ef960ec8c.jpg)
![DSCF1059.JPG DSCF1059.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125039-f2253e58a8dd62cb108ca461f5ff75be.jpg)
![DSCF1063.JPG DSCF1063.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125040-a8b82a7d7c8770ca4de0bd080e399df7.jpg)
I then threaded all of the ends:
![DSCF1066.JPG DSCF1066.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125041-561e83cdf85cebb0e89f9fdabc6e230a.jpg)
![DSCF1069.JPG DSCF1069.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125042-9fb470a71bb147eae98cb21eae94bd31.jpg)
![DSCF1070.JPG DSCF1070.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125043-8a370d2e1687a2f5d028872fb492132c.jpg)
Then started working on the "connectors":
![DSCF1072.JPG DSCF1072.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125044-1f17f729197c75cf5c94eb86b0c2f385.jpg)
![DSCF1074.JPG DSCF1074.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125045-6deece4b762a39d707108a5a947a31b2.jpg)
![DSCF1076.JPG DSCF1076.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125046-211dc4ed95698bc6141af13374484e2b.jpg)
and success - they thread together!
![DSCF1087.JPG DSCF1087.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125047-945dcd2e12dd77afa2bad534257b8dc5.jpg)
Then thread the other side:
![DSCF1088.JPG DSCF1088.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125048-0de6822aa8c64862917d298e3af3dac2.jpg)
![DSCF1089.JPG DSCF1089.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125049-b874afb9cd41c17083505a963f5e3d56.jpg)
![DSCF1094.JPG DSCF1094.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125050-b394a45b56b47208b3d5aa1ba42dcf6c.jpg)
After some cleanup:
![DSCF1095.JPG DSCF1095.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125051-ef391824fcc7719c57fc76baaf3ceb2f.jpg)
![DSCF1091.JPG DSCF1091.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125052-387cca23749c3999b93cd6a7aca492e8.jpg)
This is how the pieces started to look like when screwed together:
![DSCF1097.JPG DSCF1097.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125053-339829b84f95ed6a9fd332829fda6e79.jpg)
For the tip on one of them, I took a piece of 4041 steel and made this on one end:
![20131012_191725.jpg 20131012_191725.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125054-8d7409cbdc45c77bd2df19530c0b6248.jpg)
and this on the other - this was done "by hand" since I don't yet have the lathe attachment for creating curved surfaces:
![20131012_194857.jpg 20131012_194857.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125055-164c04dd29f7a5efe170ce60aa637e45.jpg)
To make the sections lighter, I marked them:
![20131014_183029_HDR.jpg 20131014_183029_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125056-73264800138878c2148eb8c4bd1392da.jpg)
![20131014_215056_HDR.jpg 20131014_215056_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125057-ab1b372b37e27c364d67a8dee5b7001d.jpg)
To aid in assembly, the "connectors" there then knurled:
![20131014_220921_HDR.jpg 20131014_220921_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125058-ed0f849b9dda8e464ab6e816005103a3.jpg)
![20131015_221238_HDR.jpg 20131015_221238_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125059-346c9e7420fd7bea83732c07b7360016.jpg)
![20131015_212746_HDR.jpg 20131015_212746_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125060-7f01b87d81159d86d0273aa36e61e260.jpg)
Of course, I made "several" pieces:
![20131015_222342_HDR.jpg 20131015_222342_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125061-43d26db2e3136d74420e8988ec4651a0.jpg)
This is how the connectors look like with two sections attached:
![20131015_222744_HDR.jpg 20131015_222744_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125062-e330ca2753c53b3416b8354050505956.jpg)
Remember that I marked the sections to make them lighter? Here I take the extra thickness, while leaving a larger OD roughly in the middle for another knurled surface:
![20131015_223504_HDR.jpg 20131015_223504_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125063-cd0bcaaca32ad5f654cdfee55c58e00a.jpg)
![20131015_224800_HDR.jpg 20131015_224800_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125064-079d8e3433654a23a72350ba4af7e1a3.jpg)
![20131016_214212_HDR.jpg 20131016_214212_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125065-2aa48eeeb29a62ef0723a0b055a1cc3c.jpg)
![20131016_214651_HDR.jpg 20131016_214651_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125066-818dc5be43d4b8f552e01a11507c7981.jpg)
This of course took a LONG time - lots of machining and knurling to do:
![20131016_214939_HDR.jpg 20131016_214939_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125067-cea4cdbe935c198cbb86498ebc0f7f8a.jpg)
I made one "cap":
![DSCF1098.JPG DSCF1098.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125068-e322daa319efda56fb9ecb4c6f355358.jpg)
![DSCF1099.JPG DSCF1099.JPG](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125069-b434e01d008589852e0f2bccb3931a0f.jpg)
I then drill/bored it:
![20131017_203610_HDR.jpg 20131017_203610_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125070-f4fc15f9a94affae8d877ef0b3c07092.jpg)
![20131017_204651_HDR.jpg 20131017_204651_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125071-93c8e252124b9c6b51eb2669459d6acd.jpg)
![20131017_204921_HDR.jpg 20131017_204921_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125072-f198ea2153ec52ea83c0305a8d5a3286.jpg)
And I then installed a compass in it:
![20131017_210658_HDR.jpg 20131017_210658_HDR.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125073-85d31cdebaf756bebd25cb27c8b1f8cd.jpg)
At that point (last fall) I had one completed unit, so we took it camping. Of course, all of the other kids were extremely impressed with my son's "high tech" walking stick
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to finish the remainder pieces, although I experimented with the knurling a little:
![20140526_165418.jpg 20140526_165418.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125074-d0f67dac803c5777723addf46718bc5e.jpg)
![20140526_165428.jpg 20140526_165428.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125075-d18b007af1269a7a3b5caf7afa1944fa.jpg)
This was swirl/twist knurling (thanks again Will!):
![20140526_165749.jpg 20140526_165749.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125076-a1ad34d113c0d5287ecf918ab6a9e151.jpg)
![20140526_170344.jpg 20140526_170344.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125077-899f72da39bc2b95407d8362f3b15c07.jpg)
![20140526_170852.jpg 20140526_170852.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125078-44b9ea485e20adb12f16e766da41a38e.jpg)
![20140526_170859.jpg 20140526_170859.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125079-842b8cb33bee554f0c013d54498c8aee.jpg)
I also discovered, that if while doing the twist knurling, if I press too far the knurler against the work piece, it stops cutting, and is creates a lighter, pattern, with twice the number of lines. The two on the bottom are normal twist knurled, and the two at the top are done with this light twist pattern:
![20140526_183531.jpg 20140526_183531.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125080-ae88d2e9a20b843ed33f775ab532bb9c.jpg)
Close-up:
![20140526_183540.jpg 20140526_183540.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125081-dea971222e1a23e41bc73e52bc214bdf.jpg)
All 3x knurling styles together:
![20140601_172248.jpg 20140601_172248.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125082-7a72ba780db68b41a7687a1b5cc7cba1.jpg)
You can re-assemble the pieces to end of with different length's, but here is how they look like right now (for reference, that is a standard 6 foot high wood fence). The one in the middle was the first one I finished last fall, which my son has taken camping twice now:
![20140601_172130.jpg 20140601_172130.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125083-cdc14df6d8bc26e2a4ebbbbfb902b7f9.jpg)
![20140601_172145.jpg 20140601_172145.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125084-d302c38bafaa3ba910946b703bad1b8c.jpg)
![20140601_172332.jpg 20140601_172332.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/125/125085-2b94c7322dab2015e52c1cf6369f5801.jpg)
Will