Bamboo delivery

[DC]

I ordered three 8' long 4" dia bamboo poles from a place in Chilliwack yesterday. Fedex is delivering them today apparently. When I get these poles how should I treat them? I was thinking I'd knock out the node things and follow the biggest split from one end to the other to take the stress off the other splits. Chilliwack would have a very similar RH to here so I don't think humidity will be a big problem. One thing though. He said they'd been in plastic bags since they were shipped from China. I'm assuming they use bags that breathe, otherwise they would be all moldy when they arrived and they wouldn't be able to sell them. I'm crossing my fingers on that one. Anyway is there anything else I should do to these things?

[Pat B]

I think I'd split them in half lengthwise and let them dry out a bit. Boo usually splits easily. A large butcher knife will get both sides at once and a few taps with a mallet should do it.

[DC]

Yeah, if i did that I wouldn't have to knock out those partitions, whatever they are.

[Bayou Ben]

Yeah they split easily and straight.  I use a machete and mallet, and split down the middle and leave them to dry.  I doesn't take too long to dry, a couple weeks to a month. 
After they are dry I split them further into sizable backing slats.  I don't bother breaking off the partitions until they are split into slats.

It's really easy compared to the other aspects of bow making.  You'll have it figured out in about 5 minutes 



 

[PatM]

  Larger Bamboo is usually shipped in woven plastic bags,   Similar to the way a plastic tarp is made but with a looser weave.

 

[DC]

Thanks Pat, I was hoping.

[PatM]

There is  quite a bit of Bamboo growing in Vancouver.  You could probably grow your own.

[DC]

I'm too old to plant some and grow it to 4" diameter

[Pat B]

Bamboo usually grows to it's ultimate height and diameter in it's first year than matures over the next few years. It's a grass.
The hill cane that grows along the creek that runs through our property has a 3 year life cycle. Each culm matures the 2nd growing season and dies after the 3rd growing season...but you don't want to plant just any bamboo in your yard.

[willie]

I think I'd split them in half lengthwise and let them dry out a bit. Boo usually splits easily. A large butcher knife will get both sides at once and a few taps with a mallet should do it.

if the split starts to run out, bend the stiffer side away

[Eric Krewson]

I take a hoe handle and knock out the inner nodes, super glue the ends to keep them from splitting and let the stove pipe effect dry them out completely. If they are split when they are a little wet they may cup when they dry to a U-shape and be unusable. Give them a couple weeks to dry then split them. I pop a chalk line on them and run them through a bandsaw.

I have some drying right now with the nodes knocked out. I used to cut the slats as soon as I brought it home green but learned the hard way was to let it dry before you cut or split it.



 

[gutpile]

NEVER split bamboo till it turns yellow... NEVER.... it will curl and become useless.... just bust out nodes and let dry first... trust me....gut

[DC]

The Fedex tracking was saying that it would be delivered by the end of the day yesterday. Then about 4:00pm it just changed and now it's supposed to be today. I'm assuming it will be yellow. It has to come all the way from China. Surely it would be mostly dry.

[PatM]

Usually by the time bamboo has gone through harvesting, treatment and shipping  most of a year has passed.

[DC]

I got it. I think I did OK. It was called 4" and it's all between 3 and 4". Nodes are a bit close together, the longest is 10" but I can live with that. There is only 3 short splits in all 3 logs. Much solider than I was expecting. There are a few stains but no dings or scratches. The wall thickness would average out to 3/8" if that makes any difference. I would have gotten better stuff from Carson but there would have been more freight and customs to deal with. At least I can use bamboo willy nilly now. Before I had one piece left and I always put it aside to use on something better.