WHAT IS THE REASON

[Buck Buckley]

To sam harper or any one else that wants to jump in  I have looked over sams build along on bamboo laminated  recurve ,put he does not say why he heats his bamboo on the fiber side and not on the nodes side  ,is there a reason  Too me it seems it would be easer on the nodes side   you have too glue it up that you wouldnt  have to worry about hinges  or puting some pieces on each side of the nodes   BUCK

[PEARL DRUMS]

Never, ever heat the tension side of any material plant or wood. That's a good rule of thumb to follow.

[Sam Harper]

Buck, it's easier for me to bend the bamboo around a surface gradually like that instead of trying to push it into the curve of my form.  If I were trying to push the whole bamboo into a form, it seems like that would create a lot of potential for hinges since it can't be clamped into place until the whole thing fits down into the curve.  With the way I do it, I can add one clamp at a time, and heat a small part of the bamboo at a time.  I have more control that way.  I'm not sure how I would even do it the other way.  I'd have to heat, then maybe tie a string around it or something to hold it, then heat some more, then tighten the string, etc.

And, consistent with what Pearl said, if I scorch the inside of the bamboo, it's not biggy.  But if I scorch the node side, that could be a problem.  I've seen people use a blow torch on the node side of the bamboo, though, to put scorched lines across it for decoration, and it didn't seem to cause a problem.  But I haven't done it enough to know.

[Buck Buckley]

Thanks Pearl and Sam what you guys said makes alot of sense  I,m glad I did,nt try it my way  BUCK