Planed bamboo

[hntr]

I recently purchased some planed bamboo from Rudderbow Archery for use as backing and it seem to be very uneven in thichness after the planing.  The difference in thickness is both side ot side and top to bottom (upper and Lower limb).  The seller states that this is normal and the only way to plane bamboo because it grows like that.  Then he went on and on about how I was rude and embarrassed myself by being unhappy with the quality and lack the skills to make it work, I will never purchase another thing from this brat.  It seems to me like it would cause twisting of the limbs and be a pain tillering the limbs so as to correct the twisting.   

If anyone on here uses bamboo for backing is it true that properly planed bamboo is going to be uneven, and I mean this stuff is really uneven?

If so does it make the limbs twist?

How difficult is it to get a good tiller?

Has anyone else had this kind of response from this seller?

If interested I will include the e-mail correspondence I was shocked at his response.

Thanks,

Hntr

[Dano]

How much do you know about backing a bow with bamboo? I don't mean to be rude either but the bamboo can be tappered from the middle to the ends and side to side. 

[hntr]

I don't know anything about bamboo, never used it before.  This bamboo it razor thin on one side and about 1/8 th of an inch on the other side.  From top to bottom it is from about 3/8th of an inch to about 1/16th.  The place offers tapered or planed bamboo and I purchased planed. 

[Marc St Louis]

A slight side to side thickness difference will not make much difference but going from 1/16" thick at one end to 3/8" thick at the other is just no good

[knightd]

It is just about always a bit thicker around the nodes but other than that it should be iniform from end to end or tapered from mid to end..

[hntr]

OK this guy is a jerk and sending me more emails about how it is nice to lose customers like me and that because I have only built two bow I don't know what I'm talking about.  I am going to put my email and his response down and ask you guys if I was rude to him in any manner.  My wife didn't think so. 

The only reason I emailed the guy in the first place is because I am tired of paying the premium price and then recieve something that is not of premium quality.  I feel that if I could do a better job than why would I pay a pro extra to do it.

My e-mail:

I recently received 2 hickory floor tillered staves and 2 planed
> bamboo
>> backings.  The bamboo is not planed equally, it is much thinner on one
>
>> side than the other and the same on the upper and lower limb areas.
> The
>> hikory staves are not the quality of wood that I expected either.  One
> had
>> about an inch of set already and splinters on the edge of the back.
> The
>> roughed in string grooves were so uneven I feel that if I wanted to
> keep
>> it a 72 inch bow I would have to open them up to an unattractive notch
>
>> width. I atempted to salvage it last night by trimming the whole edge
> down
>> and feel it is a lost cause.  I Think that after I get the bamboo
> evened
>> out it will be too thin.

His response:

Jeff,
>   Its best not to even out the bamboo, leave it as is. It grows that
> way
> and is not like fiberglass and you cannot perceive it with the same
> physics
> as a fiberglass bow.  If you even out the bamboo you will not have a
> flat
> glue surface any longer. Glue it to the bow and than compensate for any
> stiff spots by tillering the bow.
> . Compensate for the thickness after the glue up is accomplished by
> removing
> wood from the belly side of the stave, not the bamboo. that's how we do
> it
> successfully and many of our customers as well.
>  A word of advice:  Before you become critical and embarrass yourself
> ask
> about things you don't understand first. This way you will learn allot
> without making enemies. We and many of our customers build excellent
> bows
> from the same materials you have in your possession. We produce nearly
> 1500
> bows a year made from the same exact bamboo and hickory you now have in
> your
> hands. Why is it we and 99% of our kits and staves customers do it
> successfully .  If its all a total loss its because you lack the skills
> and
> imagination to work with them, not because our materials are inferior.
> Not
> meaning to sound rude.but,  It may be easier for you to understand
> fiberglass bows because everything is perfectly symmetrical and offers
> few
> building challenges whatsoever.
> If you would like to be kind and treat me correctly as a human being I
> can
> walk you through this project so that you could actually see that these
> materials you have in your hands will indeed produce an excellent
> quality
> bow. However,if you decide to keep treating me like I am not human I
> will
> not have any inclination to help you.
>   Thanks and Pray hard !
> Jim and Sherry Boswell

[adb]

I've had similar bad dealings with Jim at rudderbows. I soon realized I could do a much better job myself, and I would end up much happier. When I questioned Jim about his quality control, I recieved a very similar answer.

[Eric Krewson]

Having made 30 or 40 BB backed bows I have to say his answer was basicly BS. I have bought a lot of bamboo and never received a piece that was ready to put on a bow, all needs more belly sanding and side trimming.

[sailordad]

well i know not alot of people here care for jim.
me myself however,have nothing but good to say about him.
that is where i purchased my first few staves from.a glue up kit. and heck right now i am just finishing
a boo/hick bow from jim.the boo is uneven in thickness up and down its length.
however this has not effected the bow. i feel i have it tillered pretty well.
it shoots where you look,and feels fast too.
i have made several bows that were just kits and several that were floor tillered staves.i have had friends buy from him and have me finish the bow for them.
i have never had an issue with his products.

i have to agree with jim,it can be made into a good bow,it takes patience just like making a bow from a stave.
sorry for your bad experience/perseption of jim and his products.
if you give jim and his products a chance you will find he is a very helpfull person.while working with any of his products if you
have a question all you have to do is pick up the phone and call him.he would be more than happy to talk you thru and problems.
just my 2 cents worth,good luck    
if you want to see pics of the bow,i would be happy to post them 
                                                                            peace,
                                                                                    tim

[bigcountry]

I have had nothing but good talks with Jim.  But if Jim actually wrote that, then I am ashamed of him as a person I do business with and as a brother in Christ.  You might not know what your doing. But still, you bought product off the man, and deserve better than this.  But then again, it sounds like more went down before this latest emai.  Especially when he is saying, "if you decide to keep treating me like I am not human". 

I have talked to his people several times, this just puzzles me how this went down.

But planed to me could mean several things.  For me, which I have only done one Bamboo/IPE bow, I planed on a joiner, and used a hand plane and sander to get things even.  Do you have the width to use a hand plane to take down to even up?  I like the knife edge look on bamboo.  But like it on both sides.  So if its barrel tapered, then it should be close to knife edged all the way down its length and go from like 1/8" to 1/16" at the tip.

[hntr]

NO, that is my first correspondence with the man and his response.  There have been a few after and they were also pretty childish.  I have already found a different place to get materials from for future projects.  And I am going to sell the stuff I got from him cause I dont think I could make bows out of it after I know what kind of guy he is.

[Bowmonk]

I thought I had something to say... but I don't 

Russ

[Marc St Louis]

I thought I had something to say... but I don't 

Russ

I thought I had something to add also but I guess I don't  , well maybe I do

Tim
If you think you can make a bow out that stuff then you should buy it off hntr since he wants to sell it

[burn em up chuck]

 i know nothing of this company or the people who own or run it. that said; i think this could be a chance to increase your expience and take the parts you have and dispite all make a good bow.
   to me this is the satisfaction i get from building bows. and everyone here will most likely be glad to help when you get stumped. think positive brother.

                                                                   chuck

[bigcountry]

NO, that is my first correspondence with the man and his response.  There have been a few after and they were also pretty childish.  I have already found a different place to get materials from for future projects.  And I am going to sell the stuff I got from him cause I dont think I could make bows out of it after I know what kind of guy he is.

Well, let me ask you is the bamboo flat on the bottom?  If it is, then its planed.  Next, you need to take a plane or sander to get it right ready for gluing.  So, was you expecting to get something ready for glueing?  It sounds like you have all the pieces to do what you need, just have to do some woodworking with simple inexpensive tools.