Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: bsv on December 29, 2014, 07:31:00 PM
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Hey every-one, I got some bamboo for christmas and would like to know your preferred tool for preping it? thanks Burt
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I use my jointer set for a very light cut and push with a pair of rubber soled push blocks.
If you can secure the slat safely, a power planer will work. So will sanding, but it's a bit slower, albeit probably the safest method.
Dave.
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I have used my jointer but I actually prefer to just use a good sharp hand plane on bamboo. Sometimes the old non-power methods work much better and are usually a lot safer too!
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I remove the bulk of the material on the jointer with rubber soled push blocks like Wood Carver said. Then lay a width profile pattern on it, trace it, cut it out, sand the edges to accurate profile, then clamp the bamboo down and finish removing the excess material and taper it from the belly side with a toothing plane. It takes just a few minutes and leaves the glue surface adequately roughened to glue up with a good glue with gap filling properties. .. I use Smooth On.
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Thanks guy's any one ever try a sure-form? Burt
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I run it through a small thickness planer.
I use a 1 foot wide by 6 foot blue building foam with the bamboo on top.
This seams to let the nodes dig in a little and not effect the thickness.
Then I cut and sand to width shape and,run it through again to get final thickness.
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Macbow,That is an excellent idea, thank you...
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For you guys who work with bamboo backings, do you try get a thickness taper on it, or just leave it one thickness end-to-end like with a piece of hickory? I've always used bamboo backing that I bought from David Knight, and he always put a taper on it. Then again, most of the time his stuff is intended for r/d bows, so maybe you NEED a taper foe that kind of bow vs say, a straight limbed longbow.I'd like to make a few more 'boo backed bows in the future, and not having to taper that stuff would sure make my life easier given my limited arsenal of tools.
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like bowjunkie said-
get it down to the overall thickness you would want in the thickest area, cut out your profile, now with narrower ends the sides will be quite thick again, now, re work the surface to get your uniform thickness back again- using a toothing plane sounds like an awesome idea- i have always just used one of my blockplanes- but i think the toothing plane will work better
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I always taper mine from about 1/8" in the center to about 1/16" at the tips. After I flatten my boo with the jointer, I cut it to width ( a little from each side to keep the crown centered ), then I take a blow torch to it to drive out any moisture. A heat gun will work, but a propane torch will give too much heat. You don't have to darken it, just heat it some to dry it. You will see it begin to curve up towards the back and the flat you just planed will become curved the opposite of how it was before. Now you can plane it some more and it will thin down nicely and be flatter in profile. After this, I cut it to shape and give it it's taper. Plane or sand from the tip in about a foot, then again to about 2 feet, do the other end the same and then give it one more pass full length.
If you do use a jointer, make sure you take really light cuts or the cutter could blow up the thin bamboo. I push it through using two push pads, always maintaining downward pressure with one while bringing the other around to begin pushing again right behind the first.
Dave.