Aspen walking stick finishing

 

three views of the same stick

I harvested an aspen pole from the side of the road where it had been pushed over by a grader or snow plow.  It was pretty well dry from the start, but I let it dry some more. I skinned the white bark but there was a scar near the top where the sap wood had been peeled back and the regular (heart wood) wood was exposed. I wanted to keep this contrast for color and character.  Here are the finishing steps and products I used.

• After smoothing the stick with a very sharp knife and mallet, I initially sanded with a medium grit paper.  I finished sanding with a fine 220 grit paper.  
• Using a soft cotton cloth, I applied two coats of Varathane Penetrating Wood Stain (Ipswich Pine) and allowed it to dry overnight between coats. This is an oil based stain.
• Using a soft, small brush, I applied 4 coats of Behr Premium Polyurethane semi-gloss finish. Between coats I checked for any rough spots and lightly sanded the spots with the 220 paper. I then went over the entire stick with 1000-1500 grit silicone carbide paper (black) before adding the second coat. I repeated the process for the 3rd and 4th coats.
• The finish is shiny, but not high gloss.  It is a deep finish that is smooth as glass to the touch and beautiful in appearance.
  
• I had initially planned to apply 5-6 coats of polyurethane, but was very satisfied after the 4th coat.

That is it.  There are many methods of finishing your wooden walking stick on the internet. I just reverted back to my wood working days in high school and built a finish a step at a time. It was a pleasure to work on and to see the finished product emerge.