<VV> How to make a bamboo cane...not Corvair

Sun Jan 7 11:03:27 EST 2007

Lon, I too had to walk with a cane for about 6 years in my 30's. My first
cane was made of bamboo and it was the best. Bamboo is pound for pound
stronger than steel. Get a good thick cane fishing pole, cut it to length
then stick it inside of a 1 1/2" pvc pipe with capped ends and holes drilled
in them. Then run a rubber hose from your wife's pressure cooker. Steam the
bamboo till it is bendable, about an hour or so. Curve the handle to fit
your hand and not the stereotypical candy cane style. Put a reverse bend in
the overall length of the shaft of roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch. This will give
the cane a spring dampening affect when you put your weight on it. It is the
same science as pre-stressed concrete. You can get a rubber stopper for the
bottom from Home Depot or a medical supply store. FYI bamboo canes are great
for hiding blades. If you use industrial plastic such as used for pallets
and some milk crates it will not set off a metal detector.

Regards,

Zane Brock
zanebrock at bellsouth.net
678-494-5281office
678-231-6373 cell
-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of LonzoVair at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 8:20 PM
To: rusecular at yahoo.com; virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: <VV> Picture's worth a 1000 words - commentary from a cane user

In a message dated 1/6/2007 6:04:02 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
rusecular at yahoo.com writes:

I wanna  commend the person who selected the cover photo for the
Jan. 2007  issue of the Communiqué :)

**The gentleman walking with a cane  !**

It's sweet - it's tasteful and indicative of the current  Vair owner :)

Tony,
So tell me... just what exactly is wrong with walking with a cane? I'm just

39, and I have to use one... I messed up my leg pretty bad back in March  
2004... it's been 3 years and 3 surgeries later I'm still off work,  but
getting 
around much better than when most of the guys here saw me in June  2004 at
the 
Lexington Convention....

BTW, my eldest daughter (age 16) is in the process of whittling a wooden  
cane for me (it's hard enough to find one "ready-made" for someone who's 6'
7") 
with a 9 inch dagger hidden inside... she's something else.
:-)

I'm trying to figure out a way to use one of my old WW1 bayonets in a set
up 
like that... but the diameter of the stick would need to be the size of a  
small tree. What a bummer...

On another note.... Got a little Corvair work done yesterday... charged up  
the battery on the 64 and started her for the first time in several  (6?) 
months... 20 minutes later the ticking was gone... I noticed the same  "belt
hop" 
at start up that Tony had mentioned a few days ago, but mine had  subsided
once 
the battery had fully charged and the generator was at an even  output... I 
*did* have a little rust on the pulleys... cleaned most of it up  with some 
sandpaper and popcicle sticks before it started up, though... I tried  to
start 
the 61 'brier, but the battery is way gone, so I'll be swapping one  out...
I 
have a spare somewhere around here...

I went out this afternoon to check the 64 again... got in, hit the gas  
pedal, flipped the ignition and she started right up... that car is by far
the  
best running Corvair I've ever had... I just gotta get that squeaky rear
wheel  
bearing replaced.... the 61 'brier is the funnest Corvair I've had... that  
aluminum pop-up top is way too cool... I can't wait to get the camper style

interior made up for it.... I think once I get the 69's upholstery done I'll
sell 
it... I've got way too many kind people that I owe money to, and they've  
been way too patient. I know a fellow club member who seems interested in
the  
late '63 'brier, as he wants to make a "crew-cab" Rampside, but he wants the

late FC floor shifter for it... he's gotta sell some stuff before he can buy
it, 
 so that is still in limbo.

Well, I've rambled on long enough... I might post a Corvair story or two if

I can get my other "homework" done... I have a few, but I'm not one of the 
"old  timers"... I've just been driving them since 1990... and rarely
anything  
else.
Later,
Lonzo

Lon Anderson  in White Mills, KY
CORSA, Corvanatics, Derby City Corvair, Central Ky  Corvair, Quart Low 
Quarterly Editor
1961 Greenbrier 110/pg, 1963  Greenbrier 110/4spd
1964 700 sedan 95/pg, 1969 Monza  110/pg
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