Making Drum Sticks on a Lathe!

I've been playing drums since 1973 and I've broken lots of drum sticks.  I'm new to the lathe and have turned many pens, so it was only natural to attempt to make my own drum sticks.

I used solid cherry because it is somewhat durable, yet turns nicely on the lathe.  I made my first one off-camera just to see how it would turn out.  It was successful, so I recorded the process when turning the second one.

The sticks are 16" long and about 1/2" thick.  The sticks were easy to turn; however, the middle of the stick did flex from the pressure of the cutting tool.  Next time, I might try using a steady rest to apply some opposing force to the tool.

It was very rewarding to play drums with my own handmade sticks, so I will be making more in the future.