Bamboo dye video tutorial

[Sam Harper]

A long time ago, I used to be really enamoured with the dye jobs that people like J.D. Jones, Vinson Miner, and James Parker did on the back of their bamboo backed bows.  I tried various kinds of dyes and very kinds of techniques but never could do anything that looked even half way decent, so I figured if I could ever do something that looked decent, I would make a video tutorial so other people wouldn't have to struggle as much as I have.  I don't know why something that others say is simple and that they seem to manage on the first try was so difficult for me, but I hope this helps somebody.

 

[LESKEN2011]

I watched the first half while waiting on some tip overlays to dry. Great job, Sam. I can't wait to see the rest of it.

[timbermoose]

Good job Sam. My 8yr old watched it with me and now wants to build one and dye the back green with blue nodes. He's a diehard Canuck fan like his momma.

[Sam Harper]

Is he going to spray the nodes with a mouth atomizer?  I want to try dying one green, then doing a blue fiddle back, just out of curiosity to see how it turns out.

[Eric Krewson]

Here is a tip to prevent leather dye from concentrating on the edges of your bamboo;

I stain the bamboo when the bow is finished. Before I stain the bamboo I run a coat of tru-oil down the side of the bamboo. The tru-oil keeps the edge grain of the bamboo from absorbing more stain than the back of the bow so you have an even stain job on all the bamboo. I sand the back slightly to remove any tru-oil that is on the rind side of the bamboo.

Here is an example,. I often have to go over the edge grain with more stain to get it as dark as the back.

 

[Sam Harper]

That's a good idea, Eric.  Do you finish the whole bow in tru oil afterwards?  I'm wondering if the tru oil will cause a problem when I go to put any other kind of finish on the bow.

[Eric Krewson]

I start with 4 of 5 coats of tru oil and finish up with a couple coats of stain spar urethane.

[AkDan]

great stuff guys!  I just went through some old threads I saved on building...I'm in trouble this winter.  My eye balls are bigger than my stomach when it comes to this LOL!   Bamboo is pulled out, my man cave is finally clean again...well as clean/organized as I can get it and still find things ha!  Glue and stain orders ready to roll.  and a hunk of microlam for a kennym build.  Dads been on me for too long now to build.

[Robyn Hode]

Sam, I really enjoy all your videos. I've been wanting to make a 'Roy from PA' tri-lam for sometime now but work and family have to come first. I really liked the stain on the bow that broke and would like to know more about the bow.

Was the bow that broke IPE backed with bamboo? What did you use for the overlays?

Were you using Fiebing's leather dye? If so, what color was the stain? Light Brown, Medium Brown, Tan, Buckskin, etc...

BTW - The knives and sheath look great.
Thanks again and keep videos coming.

[Roy from Pa]

I use alcohol soluble aniline dye. Works great.

   http://woodworker.com/alcohol-soluble-brt-yellow-golden-oak-aniline-dye-mssu-845-541.asp?search=aniline  dye&searchmode=2

[macbow]

Sam good job on the video. Enjoy seeing new techniques.

[Sam Harper]

It would be awesome if folks would use this thread to describe some of their own techniques.  I had originally planned this video to be even longer, but there's only a handful of tricks I know how to do, and it's already been several months since I started it, and I was anxious to post it.  But I'd really like to hear about techniques that other people use, and it would be nice to have them all in one thread.

[Roy from Pa]

What is nice about the aniline dye with alcohol, it dry's in seconds. Doesn't induce moisture into the boo or any other backing. And if you stop for a second or a minute and start again, it just blends in very nicely.

[timbermoose]

Roy, is there an alternative to use with that die? I haven't been able to track denatured alcohol up here, most people have no idea what it is. Closest I have been able to find is methyl hydrate, according to a paint supply store.

[macbow]

ethanol is close. Denatured alcohal is ethonal with additives the additives are,to make it poisonous to drink.
Check to see if ethonal is available.

[Roy from Pa]

I buy it at home depot in gallon cans.

[Sam Harper]

I'm sorry Robyn.  I forgot to answer this.

 

Originally posted by Robyn Hode:

Was the bow that broke IPE backed with bamboo?

Yes.

What did you use for the overlays?

Zebra wood, maple, and a thin piece of walnut.

Were you using Fiebing's leather dye? If so, what color was the stain? Light Brown, Medium Brown, Tan, Buckskin, etc…

Yes, medium brown.

BTW - The knives and sheath look great.

Thanks.  I'm going to give one of them to the guy I made it for this morning.  I hope he likes it.  He hasn't seen the pictures yet.

[Elison]

Good job on video Sam! =)
Now I'm trying to understand all the techniques and tips. It's a little difficult to me associate your products that you use, from the products we have here. Sometimes the name is different, and I take a few weeks to discover the same product here.

One thing I noticed in your bamboo backed bows (or at least I didn't see you comment it) and got me curious, is if you use a treated bamboo or not.
Sometimes the way of bamboo is treated makes a very looking pattern and it results in a beautiful bow...  

If you use treated bamboo, what kind or treatment you commonly use?

If you already said it in someplace, I'm sorry...  I probably lost it in the translate.

Thank you very much I always learn much with your videos and tutorials.

See you!

[Sam Harper]

I don't use treated bamboo.