I saw an article in a Wood carving magazine. You can get a hexagon shape out of 3-diamond shaped strips. They were doing a carving on a leg of a table and thats how they get a quick hex.

Im thinking this could also apply to cane rod building. But im thinking that it wont be as flexible as a true-hex rod.I'll experiment with a short sample and post the pic on here soon.

Something to ponder: power fibers. Going with two flats on each strip, you are going to be removing more power fibers. At least it seems that way to me.

Actually the power fibers will still be intact. But this hex set up with have 1 side power fiber alternate with 1side non-power fiber and so on.
Thats why im thinking it wont be as solid as a true hex. However, this will be the new PMH ? - Poor man's Hex ? lol im just pondering.

the shape of the strip looks like this :



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/__ /



I guess thats my best ability to draw a Diamond shaped with just the keyboard lol

When you do join 3 strips together at the edges, it does form a hex shaped.

Click to view attachment

I'm trying to imagine what the forms would look like to make a three piece hex

While I commend you for thinking out of the box, I don't see the need to reinvent the wheel in this case. I can't see there being the same amount of power fibers in the three strip hex and how are you going to plane them accurately and inexpensively?

As a PMQ builder, I've been rolling this around in my mind ever since you posted this earlier today. The more I think about it, the more I think it would be doable. Once you get your splits, you plane the pith side into 2 flats with a 120 degree angle between them. You then flip it over, and scrape/plane the enamel side to corresponding 2 flats with a 120 degree angle between them. This leaves the two sides at 60 degree angles.

If you used good quality cane, there would be no pith to speak of left in the tip section, and only a little bit in the fattest part of the butt. Now, how you would hold it to plane, that's another question. How you would do that would define the feasibility of the project. Of course it can be done, but if it isn't easier than making a standard hex rod, why do it?

lol you guys are right. this is almost like re-invent the wheel....but not quite. It could be the PMH method for those quick to make a hex rod without goin through all the trouble.

im up for the idea, but for now ill go for the full 9 yards to make the hex rod. I'll tinker with the idea later. But im sure someone else might find this idea interesting and put it to the test to see if it can be done.