Preparing billets for a bamboo backing?

[Del the cat]

I got some Oregon Yew billets a while back but the sap wood has bug damage. I optomistically tried to make an ELB from 2 of the skinnier billets but it exploded on the tiller this morning, the sapwood had predictably parted at a bug hole
Here's a link to the video of it going BANG 
http://www.bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/tricky-tillering.html
I'm planning take off the sapwood and bamboo back the next pair of biilets, but do I try to follow the grain in the heart wood to some extent to maintan some character and give better structural integrity, or just take it down flat?
Is it best to use bandsaw, table saw or maybe make a fancy jig to utilise a power planer or belt sander. Maybe water jet or laser ?
I'm really a self bow sorta guy so all help gratefully received.
Del

[tom sawyer]

Band saw would probably be most effective.  You can make a flattened surface but still follow to some extent the contours of the wood grain.  A nicely thinned bamboo backing will conform to gentle curves.  Gluing with IRAC or Resorcinol will fill any small gaps.

[Buckeye Guy]

Flat .

[bubby]

flat Del, Bub

[Del the cat]

Cheers guys.
I tried to lay out a straight line on the billets, but found it would leave the heartwood a bit thin in parts (they aren't very chunky billets), so I've run it through with a few gentle curves, not actually following the fine ripples of grain, but following slight curve of the billet.
I shall spend ages getting it clean and flat (but unduating) before I glue up. Might have to buy a belt sander to thin the boo first.
I'm assuming it's a bit laborious to do it by hand?
Del

[tom sawyer]

I do most of my thinning of boo on the band saw.  You cut even with one outer edge, then the other, then run down the middle to join them fairly flat.  Its a little tricky but works fast.  Then I finish thinning with a belt sander.

If you have a jointer that works great too.

[Prarie Bowyer]

I go flat. 

[Badly Bent]

Del, sorry for your tough luck on that one but I have to say I was laughing aloud at your narrative and the video of you with the hat and glasses and giving the thumbs up prior to pulling the bow. That was some funny stuff man! Now I want you to know that I'm only laughing because I'm sure you can take it. Like the rest of us I'm sure thats not the first time thats happened to you and if it's gonna happen anyway why not let your friends see it for their amusement too. Thanks for posting.
Greg

[Badly Bent]

Oh Del sorry I got off subject, went straight to the video then posted reply before I read the rest of your post. Preparing billets for bamboo, I have no idea about. I'm a selfbow guy also. Now blowing up bows on the tiller tree well lets just say I have some experience there. Hope the bamboo works for you, I'm sure you make it nice.
Greg

[Del the cat]

Cheers Greg,
Glad you liked the style of my writing, I try to keep it funny.
It's quite fun doing it, and the time I spend taking pics and writing it up,gives me my thinking time that helps stop me from screwing up too much!
Del

[Marc St Louis]

I use a jointer planer and either remove all the sapwood or remove as much of it as I can.  I have done it by hand with a scraper before but it is a LOT of work.

[lostarrow]

 If you've not used Bamboo before , be very careful. You can plane it to a knife edge very easily . Got  more than one nasty bite , (probably should have got stitches) while hand planing it. Amazing material but very hard on blades. If you are sanding ,you may want to have a dust mask and vacuum setup to reduce the dust. I personally can't take the dust. Feels like a Porcupine crawled up my nose and is trying to back out!Good luck!

[Del the cat]

Thanks for the heads up Lostarrow, I'm a bit more careful about dust these days, had a lot of sinus problems in the past, and I'll watch those sharp edges.
I'm still shopping around for a bench beltsander, found a goodish but cheap one, but they are out of stock
Del