Author Topic: BAMBOO SOURCE (Read 814 times)

Cambow · « **on:** June 11, 2011, 03:43:00 PM »

I have been buying my lams for a long time now... but I finally got a grinder of my own. I know where to get most of the woods I want to use... but I have no idea where to get bamboo so I can start making lams. And how about the "dirty bamboo" that I have seen in several bows... that stuff looks amazing!

Thanks for your help,

SEMO_HUNTER · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2011, 04:25:00 PM »

http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/bambooplanks.htm

JSMOFFITT03 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2011, 06:01:00 PM »

Wow. What a price.... Putting my order in this week.

SEMO_HUNTER · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2011, 06:35:00 PM »

As soon as I make some sales I'll be ordering some also. Maybe you could buy some extra for me Jerrod?

Cambow · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2011, 07:15:00 PM »

This is great info... I did some searching and found a few places that sell planks. Is there a certain variety of bamboo that we should all be looking for? ...or is it pretty much all the same?

JSMOFFITT03 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2011, 07:34:00 PM »

You really need some semo? I was going to get a bundle or two... Just have to research the shipping... I'll let you know when I get it.. I'm sure we could figure something out

SEMO_HUNTER · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2011, 11:47:00 PM »

Sent you a PM Jerrod.

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2011, 05:48:00 PM »

Yes there are different varieties. No, they're not all of the same quality as it pertains to bow making. The power fibers of some varieties are more densely packed near the surface, the portion we use for backing bows. Some raises splinters considerably more often than others.
My experience and that of those I know personally mirror what Dean has to say about bamboo on his web page...

bamboo source

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2011, 05:49:00 PM »

And that reminds me, I need to order some more

Cambow · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2011, 09:48:00 PM »

Does anyone know where I can find "dirty bamboo?"

Roy from Pa · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2011, 10:00:00 PM »

I quit buying boo from the place in NJ. 3 to 4 out of the 10 pieces I get from them is junk. They just sell boo, they are not in the bow building trade. I got boo from Binghams the last time and it was the best boo I've ever seen, they know what guys need for boo.. I tried the cheap boo once, never again. All those hours building a bow and have it fail because of cheap boo isn't for me no more.

What is dirty Bamboo?

matts2 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2011, 10:16:00 PM »

I get the boo flooring from home depot. Works great and a heck of a lot easier to work with. That is for core lams tho, not a backer.

SEMO_HUNTER · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2011, 10:45:00 PM »

I won't order anything from any place that won't list their prices publicly. I'm not jumping through hoops to get a password and all that crap just so I can see that they are way to high.

My boo backing is the so called "cheap stuff" and I haven't had a bad piece yet. I got 4 pieces from another member and have used 3 of them with fine results and still have 1 left.
I couldn't be happier. Plus it didn't cost me out the ying yang.

So even if I did get a couple of bad pieces in a bundle, no big deal. It's cheap enough I can salvage the useable portion and throw the rest in the burn barrel without shedding tears over it.

SEMO_HUNTER · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2011, 10:48:00 PM »

Damn double post, I hate it when it does that!

Cambow · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2011, 11:01:00 PM »

I still can't seem to find a really good supplier for bamboo that is suitable for grinding into laminations...?

I am not "backing" bows with it... I am cutting for grinding and laminated bows.

crgibson · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2011, 02:12:00 AM »

I've never bamboo backed anything before but would love to give it a go. Do have some good white woods Serviceberry I like alot but hard finding of any size and a little Mock Orange my Favorite but again find it with any size, Choke Cherry, lots of Soft Maple and some Locus but have not harvested any yet. I really want to make a Osage bow but it does not grow here and haven't been able to make it to any big shoots or trade shows for a stave. I do have a good resource of Osage,Hickory, Oak, Ash,and more at Windsor Ply but all the grain seems to be poor was thinking about making a Osage board bow BBoo backed.

Long story short how much prep is there with this bamboo source? Do you have to heat treat? flatten?, Or do you think for a newbie, Id be better off with 3rivers backing? I do like the price of this BBoo even with shipping.

Thanks, Chuck

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #16 on:** June 13, 2011, 06:18:00 AM »

Semo, I've heard folks say the same things you said... Roy was one of em

Roy and his buddies that were making boo bows down at his place got VERY frustrated with the bamboo raising splinters. Perhaps you haven't yet made enough of them, or shot them enough times, or have just been lucky so far, I don't know. I'm not trying to beatcha up about it at all, and it doesn't really matter to me what you do, I'm just saying, every bamboo-backin' bowyer I know personally has come to the same conclusion eventually, so buyer beware... and good luck.

As far as my own bowmaking is concerned, I don't have the time I used to have to make bows. What bowmaking time I DO have is very valuable to me, as are each of the bows I build. I spend considerable time on each and every one trying to make it the best bow I've ever made, the bow of a lifetime perhaps... pushing material to its limits, flawless tiller, glue lines, horn tips, intricate dye jobs, pro-quality finish, etc... and for it to be of such quality, with so much of me invested, and then fail because I tried to save $10 on it? That ain't gonna happen if I can help it. A bow or two failing out of 'a bundle' is unacceptable to me. That's just my $.02

J.F. Miller · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2011, 05:30:00 PM »

I'll second that notion, Bowjunkie. nicely stated. I have made dozens of bamboo backed osage bows of effectively the same design and dimensions over the last 15 years or so and have had exactly one piece of bamboo fail in tension(lifted an inoperable splinter). you guessed it, a piece of the cheap stuff. interestingly, I got this piece of "experimental" bamboo from a very accomplished bowyer friend of mine about ten years ago, just about the time Moso bamboo became popular (for its low price, I assume) for backing bows. said bowyer friend had several bows fail in the same fashion as mine.

like bowjunkie, I've gotten to a place in my bowbuilding endeavors in which I'm no longer willing to gamble on the quality of my stock. I don't mind paying $12 for a piece of bamboo that I can trust to do the work I expect it to do.

rover brewer · « **Reply #18 on:** June 13, 2011, 05:43:00 PM »

great site thanks Semo Hunter check out the boo dowel rods 3/8" x 48" I say maybe arrow shafts?? look like they're sanded and straight.

Roy from Pa · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2011, 05:46:00 PM »

Just have fun Chris.

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Author Topic: BAMBOO SOURCE (Read 814 times)

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