Working Bamboo

[THoward]

I have a bamboo backed stave and questions to go with it.  How do I work the nodes and back?  How much do I take off and by what method?  How deep can I cut the nocks?  Any advice, tips or examples in these areas would be very helpful.  I will be working on this stave next weekend.  Thanks, Todd

[Justin Snyder]

 You can leave the bamboo as is or go over it with some fine sandpaper or steel wool. I have taken them down to the power fibers and sanded the nodes down to round bumps before and not had problems, but I don't encourage you to try this just because I'm not sure why some boo backed bows fail. You should probably put some tip overlays on if you want to cut the nocks across the back.

[Pat B]

I concur! 

[HatchA]

I personally prefer the nodes on a bow with 'boo on it.  I've lightly scraped off the rind on mine but didn't take anything off the nodes.

There's a discussion somewhere on here regarding tip overlays on a 'boo back and the pro's vs. the con's etc and in the end, it was much of a muchness  but it can't hurt to add to the tips

Good luck with the bow and don't forget the pic's

[Justin Snyder]

There's a discussion somewhere on here regarding tip overlays on a 'boo back and the pro's vs. the con's etc and in the end, it was much of a muchness  but it can't hurt to add to the tips

Hatch, I guarantee it is a necessity if you cut string groves across the back.

[huntersteve]

when putting tip overlay's on a bamboo backed bow...do you glue directly to the bamboo....cut the bamboo down flat then glue..or do you have to remove the bamboo down to your wood and glue to it???....I've built several BB bows already but haven't used tip overlays before on these....Steve

[Justin Snyder]

Sand the section where the tip overlay sits on the boo flat. It usually tapers back into the wood because you want a solid connection but you want it to feather into the boo as you transition into the bow limb.

[huntersteve]

Thanks for the help..I'm getting ready to start a bamboo backed hickory...may give it a try...Steve

[THoward]

Does anyone have any example pics of the nocks with overlays and without?  I love this forum.  What a way to tap into brains.

[HatchA]

Does anyone have any example pics of the nocks with overlays and without? 

Couple of pic's of mine in this thread  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,18775.msg260638.html#msg260638

And just for pig-iron...  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,18660.msg258914.html#msg258914 

[Eric Krewson]

When adding overlays to a bamboo backed bow the overlay looks best if you cut your glue surface at an angle toward the belly of the bow instead of perching the overlay on top of the bamboo. You will have a sleek limb tip instead of a hump on the end of your bow.

Here is an example of a overlay installed in a slant toward the belly.