cutting bamboo arrows

[lleatherwood]

trying to make bamboo arrows.  tried arrow saw I use for carbon/alum on broken piece of bamboo did not work vey well.  what is the best tool for cutting bamboo.  plan on using a wooden dowel in center then will use traditional taper tool for points.

[Orion]

Wrap the area you're going to cut with  a layer of masking tape before you cut it.  Cut off saw blade or wheel should then work fine.  Can do it with a hack saw as well, but may need to true up the end after.

[Pat B]

What kind of bamboo is it you have?
I use a utility knife and score around the cane then break it or sometimes I use the band saw but rotate the cane while cutting.
You don't have to fill the center hole either. Just taper the end and glue on the point. I use a belt sander for this. I never had luck with a pencil sharpener type taper toolon cane.

[Slimpikins]

I just use a fine tooth hacksaw.

[J. Holden]

I score the area first with a knife blade also.  Then a small, fine tooth, hacksaw type blade.  I then glue either a hardwood dowel or bamboo skewer in the point end.  After that I use the taper tool but use it slowly.  Good luck!

-Jeremy  

[frank bullitt]

My sharp Fiskars pruner shears, work on my rivercane and wood shafts.

[Pat B]

When I harvest hill cane along the creek on my property I use Felco bypass pruners but when I cut the shaft from the raw cane I score the cane first and break it of use the bandsaw and rotate the cane while cutting. For me at lease, cutting with pruners can crush and crack the cane so I only use it on raw cane.

[Zradix]

I USE A FINE TOOHED COPING SAW.

[M60gunner]

I was taught to use a Japanese saw for cutting bamboo. That is "traditional" when making bamboo fly rods. Of course my mentor is somewhat an.. retentive about how bamboo fly rods are made and fished.

[frank bullitt]

Yes Pat B., you could crush them with the pruners.

I should have explained, though not to be aggressive with them like pruning your roses!

I have found with well seasoned "Rivercane", that they cut pretty cleanly. And that in fact I always cut a little long and clean up with file and emery, too.

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by M60gunner:
I was taught to use a Japanese saw for cutting bamboo. That is "traditional" when making bamboo fly rods. Of course my mentor is somewhat an.. retentive about how bamboo fly rods are made and fished.

This. I have one that I initially used for boatbuilding. Since then I've cut wooden and fiberglass arrow shafts with it, plus anything else where I need fine control and small teeth. Once you get used to the saw, you'll find it hard to use anything else for the same sort of task:

  Japanese saw