Thought I would give an update along with pics of how it's made.
Basically you start with a piece like this:
The get it to the size you want which is 2.5 inches.
It then goes on the lathe and this is a progress of the bottom piece of one:
I normally sand them down to 400 grit after that.
After I make a bunch of sections, I takes ones that match up well and line them up to make sure they go together nicely.
Once I picked the ones out I like together, I check them for size and adjust accordingly. Then I drill holes through the center on them. This will be for the metal rod that combines them all and adds the strength.
Once the holes are set then I put them on a rod and see how everything fits.
Then depending how it fits on the rods, I'll make adjustments so it's fit and is snug. I also check for a slight taper in the cane.
But they are coming along. I have a bunch of pieces done and just need to match them according. After that they just need to be sealed and attached to the rod. I seal them with CA glue, which is the typical way to seal turned pens and it adds a slight outer shine and protects them.
Should be soon. Just need to make sure the pieces match up and look great together.