Question about a BBBO Mollegabet

[Cardboard_Duck]

I am going to try to make a BBBO (bamboo backed and bellied osage) Mollegabet. The bamboo on the back with be full length and the belly pieces will only be on the working limbs. I'm thinking 2" wide 14" long working and 14" levers 4" handle and 1 1/2" fades all around. The osage will be from a board.

My first question is has anyone done this?

If so, how thick did they make the osage in the working limb? I was thinking 1/4" with the 2" width and the bamboo back/belly would get me to around #50 at 28". Please let me know what you think.

I have never toasted bamboo for a belly before, do you use a torch? Or will a heat gun work?

I have everything ordered and will post pics of the build, I am just trying to sort a few things out.

Thanks in advance.

[Cardboard_Duck]

I guess I will just wing it and this will be an experiment

I will take lots of pics along the way and maybe do a build along when I get my material.

[BOWMAN53]

Thats a big challenge, i cant imagine the bamboo belly staying on with all that stress. Good luck, i know i couldnt pull it off.

[PaleoNinja]

Wow a 2" wide slab of bamboo that's already been planed? That must be some seriously high diameter stuff!

As Bowman53 said, to me it seems likely that you're belly of bamboo may delaminate.  If it doesn't delaminate it still seems likely to me that it will fail in compression even if heat treated.  Heat Treated Osage will make a much better belly than the bamboo.

[Cardboard_Duck]

Well, I'm always up for a new challenge/learning experience I have to admit that the only reason a design like this popped into my head is because I though it would look cool... I'll try it out and see what happens, hopefully get started this weekend if my materials get here soon.