Thank you for the info. I wonder if anyone else can repair/retighten a Walsh cane?

Posted: May 10, 2011 8:12am
My 30 plus year old cane has now broken. The metal section that kept the pin closed and the cane retracted has cracked and broken. Time for either a new cane or change that part of my opening.

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a Piece of PVC, that the cane will fit in, and two plug ends and you have a case for you cane. If you want to make it look pretty glue some felt or other decoration on it. I made one. It is easy to transport and protects the cane well.

Keep it extended when stored.

Extended and inside one of those art tubes. is best. dust free!

I agree with Jeremy about using a tube. I use tubes to store appearing candles, wands, & canes, umbrellas, flower bouquets, rolled up items (such as "Bathing Beauty" & "Rabbit Wand"), among other things. I have acquired tubes from various sources, including Christmas wrapping paper, photographs, amplifier tube tubes, USPS, etc. I have some that I have no memory of where they came from. I'm always on the lookout though, and I save them when I find them.

Regan

Silicone spray will also help a slow cane to open faster.

I ussually extend the cane and season it by placing a rubberband so it will be long and will not shrink.

I recently (a couple of years ago) took a Walsh appearing cane out of storage. It had been sitting in its' collapsed state for about 40 years. The ends had yellowed but it worked fine. I oiled it up with 3-in-one oil and then wiped it dry. I then rubbed it with gun blueing I bought at Walmart. After wiping it again several times I took white duct tape and taped both ends. It now looks and works like new.

Jim

If you put the gun bluing directly over the oil without completely degreasing it, you did two things.
1) you didn't follow the directions.
2) you wasted the bluing.

If you are going to blue the metal, you must degrease it first. Bluing is a specialized form of rust. The oil stops the bluing.

BTW, Flamel mentioned


This is baloney. Acetic acid and citric acid are both chemicals. Just because they come from lemons or from overaged wine does not make them somehow safer than any other weak acid.

Its true lemon juice and vinegar are chemicals.
but so is milk.come on now dangerous.they are very good cleaners.
and they are definitely safe.

Bill - you may be correct. But the cane looks new and I've been using it in all my shows for the past two years.

Jim

Can anyone point me to a tutorial or give me some tips on tightening the can so it doesn't fall apart when it springs open---its is very loose at the top.

There is not way to tighten a "sprung" cane, it is spring steel. If has lost its coil tightness, you just have to use it as is or buy a new one. Many - many years ago, they use to be sent in for reconditioning. That is no longer available in today's world. Just use it for a gimmick like suggested in the 2 Walsh Cane booklets. There is some nice ideas for a sprung Vanishing Cane.

You did not mention if you have an Appearing or Vanishing. If it is an Appearing Cane, then replace the tape at the top with smooth plastic tape, or some of the aluminum tape sold in hardware stores. The reason your cane is uncoiling may be do to it catching on the tape at the top. I remember years ago in the late 1980's a batch of German canes were being sold with the wrong kind of tape at the top of the appearing canes. More like cloth medical tape. This tape caught on the top edge of the coil and prevented it from opening fully, and sometimes uncoil.

Not enough information from you to guess further.