bamboo question

[mutt]

My first attempt with bamboo.
I found some growing at a gas station and snatched a piece. the nodes are huge on this shaft and I was wondering how far you can sand them down and how you fletch them with a concave side above the node

[Pat B]

You can sand the nodes but wait until the shafts are straightened. The node is the weakest part of a cane and they can easily break while straightening. I heat and compress the nodes by heating and rolling them with a block of wood on a flat surface.

[gutpile]

I leave my nodes proud..lightly sand only.... the strength in your shaft is in the nodes ....if you sand flat your integrity of boo is diminished,  if you spine them properly the nodes will not affect your shot...referring to cane but boo has same properties....consider foreshafting also... makes a huge difference IMO... gut

[Buck67]

One of the fun things about making arrows from bamboo is that two pieces of bamboo that are the exact same thickness may have a spine ranging from 45 to 125.  Rough straighten first, spine, then decide if you want a quiver full of 95# arrows.