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The Cane Tips Blog
Information About All Things Cane
Cane MaintenanceJust like any other quality tool, your cane needs maintenance and care. We do our utmost to insure that the canes we create leave our shop fit and ready for use. All of the canes produced by Cane Masters are soaked in a bath of mineral oil and polymers which helps to keep moisture and suppleness in the wood. With use, however, the surface of your cane will get dirty simply from the oils on your hand, or that cheeseburger you had for lunch.
Occasionally you will need to "clean" your cane to keep it looking good. Following is the procedure we suggest you use for our canes that do not have a tung oil finish:
Wipe your cane down with a soft cloth (good terry-cloth works well, or an old t-shirt) and mineral oil. Sand the cane with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Be sure to pay attention to the grips on the shaft. Wipe the cane again with your cloth and mineral oil. Sand the cane with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Wipe the cane once more with your cloth and mineral oil. At this point, your cane will be clean and well "fed" with mineral oil. Finish the job by wiping off the excess mineral oil, or you can go one step further by "polishing" the cane with 1000-1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper and mineral oil. Just remember to complete the procedure by wiping off any excess mineral oil. The process to clean the surface of a tung oiled cane is somewhat similar:
Wipe the cane down with a soft cloth and mineral oil Lightly sand with 1000-1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Wipe off the excess mineral oil and give it a hardy rubdown with your cloth. Please note: Do not dry sand your cane unless you want to refinish it; always use mineral oil!
In our next installment of Cane Tips, we will discuss finishing or refinishing your cane with tung oil. In the mean time, if you need the supplies to clean your cane, we offer a Cane Care Kit; click here to order.
Applying a High Gloss Tung Oil Finish
The Cane Masters Tung Oil Treatment is different in application than other methods you might be familiar with. Following is a description of the process so you may finish or re-finish* your cane:1. Wipe down your cane with mineral oil (be sure to ALWAYS apply mineral to your cane first before sanding it!) 2. Sand with 600 grit wet/dry sand paper. 3. Wipe off any residue. 4. Apply a coat of tung oil with a rag and let dry overnight 5. Apply another coat of tung oil and let dry overnight. 6. Wipe down cane with mineral oil. 7. Sand lightly with 600 grit wet/dry sand paper. 8. Wipe off any residue 9. Apply a coat of tung oil and let dry overnight. 10. Repeat steps 6-9 three more times 11. Wipe down cane with mineral oil 12. Sand with 1200 or 1500 grit wet/dry sand paper 13. Wipe off any residue 14. Apply tung oil and let dry overnight. 15. Repeat steps 11-14 once more. 16. Repeat steps 11-13 and enjoy your beautifully finished cane!
*Note: If you are refinishing your existing tung oil treatment, you will first need to strip off the existing finish with a rougher grit sand paper(320). To keep your finished cane looking great, simply wipe down with mineral oil and give it an occasional sanding with 1200 or 1500 grit wet/dry sand paper (with mineral oil!) to remove any dirt or grime.
PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY
Mental preparation while on the street is part and parcel of the Cane-Fu system. It is essential in being ready to use your cane to protect yourself and your loved ones, and more importantly, avoiding a potentially dangerous situation.Be aware of your surroundings. Use your peripheral vision to watch for escape routes if necessary; notice any thing or person that seems out of place such as someone in a long coat on a hot day; watch for obstacles that could cause you to trip or fall in event you need to move quickly to safety; practice using store-front windows as mirrors to increase your view; keep to well lit streets, sidewalks, and parking lots at night. Anything you can do to increase your awareness of your surroundings will be of benefit.
Do Not allow yourself to be viewed as an easy target. Even if you have a disability, walk with confidence; head held high and with determination. If you look and act like a victim, the chances are you will become one! Criminals are looking for easy marks and do not want a confrontation.
You are Legally responsible for your actions with your cane. When viewed as a self-defense tool, the cane is awesome in it’s effectiveness and efficiency. But, be aware that you can cause serious bodily harm to the point of death with the cane. As such, use your cane only to the point necessary to remove yourself from a potentially dangerous situation.
Practice, practice, practice! The more you work with your cane, the more instinctual and reactive your techniques will become. Try to devote time each week to not only self-defense, but also to the stretching and strengthening exercises.
