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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: imua-06 on October 01, 2008, 12:49:00 AM

Title: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: imua-06 on October 01, 2008, 12:49:00 AM

I live in Hawaii and have access to several types of bamboo.  Can someone direct me to a source that explains the process to go from green bamboo to the nice flat backing we are all used to seeing?

Thanks, Ken

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: DWLnAK on October 01, 2008, 01:39:00 AM

Look for the largest diameter. Saw 2" wide slats. Let'em air dry for a month or two then dry'em slow in a box at about 80 degrees for a month or to keep them from splitting. Once dry you can pour the heat to'em without cracking. You should get Torges's DVD to get'em flat and ready to glue. I could explain it here but he uses prettier words.

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: Eric Krewson on October 01, 2008, 09:21:00 AM

I use a belt sander with a 36 grit belt to flatten my bamboo, takes about 15 minutes.

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: imua-06 on October 01, 2008, 01:23:00 PM

Great, sounds simple enough.  Is there a minimum diameter suggested to harvest?  I would think larger is better, but I have acres of 1 1/2" diameter stuff and some larger (2"-4").

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: Pat B on October 01, 2008, 02:02:00 PM

The bigger the better. You have to consider the crown(thickness at the center of the boo slat) and the bigger the diameter the lower the crown.   Pat

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: imua-06 on October 01, 2008, 05:34:00 PM

OK.  This could be fun.  Where can I get Torges's DVD?

Thanks for your input guys.

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: imua-06 on October 01, 2008, 06:49:00 PM

Never mind.  I found his DVD.

Title: Re: How do I prepare bamboo for bow use?
Post by: Springbuck on October 04, 2008, 07:50:00 PM

I split slats out, then plane the sides straight.  I have a jointer, but prefer to knock down the inner nodes with a draw-knife, then I put a cheap block plane I have upside down in a vise and pull the bamboo through it to do most of the thinning.  Then I go to the sander to smooth, level, and finish it.

  The little green stuff I have used, i just cut, split into 2" slats and dried it in a dry place, in the sun, off the ground.  I live in Utah, so drying things is easy.  ;-)

  I would cut the largest diameter available, unless it has problems like nodes every 3 inches or something.