bamboo flooring again...

[Aries]

Hey guys I have heard some here and there about bamboo flooring and some of its potential in bow usage. The got a hold of some recently just to check it out, the first thing i notice is the power band violation, which to me would make it no bueno for bow backings.

My blocks are 16 in long would they be reasonable to use as power lams?

 and what about the bamboo floorings usefulness as a belly compression wood?   the orientation of boo I have is stacked back to belly..
 such as-  IIIIIIIIIII  -  so it looks like a quarter sawn log.    This has been a topic i have wondered about quite a bit,    Ty

[Pat B]

Bamboo flooring is quite strong even violated like it is. It is held together with glue that is applied and heat and high pressure is used to join it. I have only made a few bows with boo flooring and all had hickory backing. It would make good power lams too.

[aero86]

my question is, where did you find it?  ive been looking for some myself..

[HoBow]

Is vertical or horiztonal better?

[Kent D.]

Horizontal pressed, not vertical pressed.  You want the grain flat, not on the edge.

[jthompson1995]

Horizontal pressed, not vertical pressed.  You want the grain flat, not on the edge.

I've heard the opposite. Maybe they both work.

[aznboi3644]

I have some horizontal bamboo flooring boards..my friend has a few boxes left over from redoing the basement.  I've noticed the density range was pretty wide...the darker boo is much denser.  

I'd be afraid of what the tiller would be with different density across a 3" wide limb.  I'd say twist and turns on ya.  I gotta try it out though still.  Just not ready for the task.

I've seen a few different bows made on the forums of both kinds of flooring...still made beautiful bows.

[artcher1]

Those boo boards have very sparse power fibers. Last one I made took 4" of set. So if you go that route then about 4-5" of glued-up reflex may yield a straight standing bow.  Probably my last choice for belly material anymore. Good luck though. ART

[Gordon]

I've used it as core wood - works fine in that application.

[adb]

I've used violated bamboo as a mid-lam layer in a tr-lam warbow of 100#. It worked(s) very well. It wasn't bamboo flooring, however.
All else has been regular bamboo backing, with mostly osage and ipe.

[stringstretcher]

I find that the bamboo flooring makes quite a good bow.  I have two, the first one I missed weight because bamboo gives up poundage really really fast.  The second bow, after putting 2 inchs of reflex in it, it is a 4 lam bow, bamboo backed, and is 64" nock to nock and 52# @ 27".  After shooting and huning with the bow for 2 seasons, it still has only 1/2 set.




I also have two other bamboo flooring bows.  One is 60" NTN, 42lbs at 26" and a 64 NTN R/D that is 44lbs at 26"  The 60" bow took the most set because i did not put enough reflex in it and made it with a rounded belly instead of a flat belly, and that one that 1 1/2 set.

[Thwackaddict]

Very nice charlie!Nice to put a face to a name.Great looking bow and obviously works very well!Considering the blood on the broomsage he musta bled pretty good!Did you run boo horizontal or vertical?