Bamboo Source

[Onehair]

I purchased Bamboo slats from Cali and got really good stuff. However they no longer offer the slats. What's a good source that you would recommend?
Thanks

[Stagmitis]

I have bought from here before and thought the quality a tad better than Cali.

https://www.franksupply.com/bamboo/bamboo-products.html#bambooplanks

[jess stuart]

I have heard that Hygeria flooring is very good stuff.  I don't use enough bamboo to buy in quantity. 

[Crooked Stic]

Big Jims Bow Co.

[jess stuart]

The Rosewood Shop has it to.  I buy the 1/2 panels

[Crooked Stic]

I would rather support our sponsors here though.

[Stagmitis]

Hey crooked I would too. Do any of our sponsors sell slats or just engineered
 flooring?

[Mad Max]

I think he want's Bamboo Backing
I PM ed him

[Onehair]

Yes sir, bamboo backing

[bubby]

Jaap koppedrayer has the best boo, it costs a little more but it is great stuff

[Crooked Stic]

Pine Hollow maybe.

[Roy from Pa]

I buy whole bamboo poles from a place in Florida. I split it with a machete then flatten the belly side in my drum sander.  I get 4 backings from one pole. It's about $36.00 a pole + shipping.  I get Madake bamboo. I think it's better than moso boo.

[Longcruise]

I buy whole bamboo poles from a place in Florida. I split it with a machete then flatten the belly side in my drum sander.  I get 4 backings from one pole. It's about $36.00 a pole + shipping.  I get Madake bamboo. I think it's better than moso boo.

How do you get the slats to run in the sander without getting all cattywompus ?

[Roy from Pa]

I just want to flatten the belly.

Then I draw out my bows pattern onto the flat belly.

I cut that out to the exact shape of the bow.

Then use the edge sander and toothing plane to taper it from 1/8th at riser to 1/16th at tips.

Those nodes on the boo have little effect on the flattening process roughing it in.

I've done this a 100 times.

The boo backings you pay big bucks for are flat on the belly side when you get them too.

How they do that?

[Eric Krewson]

Years ago I bought a bundle of 25 slats from Franks, beautiful stuff except every bow I made from the stuff had a bamboo failure, after 7 failures I burned the rest of the bundle.

I bought another bundle of 25 from Franks, this bundle arrived soaking wet with thick mold on every slat, more for the burn pile.

I believe it was Badger who said he lived close to Franks and drove by to hand pick his slats, he mentioned that mold had been a problem for Franks.

If the local bamboo patch I once cut from hadn't been bulldozed I would cut you some excellent mandrake Mike, but alas, it is gone.

When the old man died and the land was sold the new owner offered free bamboo to anyone who wanted it, I didn't see the ad on Craigslist until 6 months later. When I called he said the patch had been bulldozed but I was welcome to see what I could salvage. This patch was about an acre and had trunks up to 8" in diameter.

I got a few nice poles out of the burn pile but just gave it away to a friend.

[Eric Krewson]

Dean Torges mentioned his bamboo source on his home page, I haven't looked but it may still be there. I think it is a place in PA.

I just looked and couldn't find his source on his web page, perhaps it is in his video on making bamboo osage bows, I think it is. I had the video but it is long gone, perhaps i traded it off or like most of the books and videos I share with others, I never see again.

[Roy from Pa]

I hear ya on Franks, Eric.

I think Dean got his boo from New Jersey.

I've gotten some there and it was ok.

[Stagmitis]

Torges,Schulz, Miller and other notable bowyers got their bamboo from Bamboo & Rattan works before they went out of business. It was grown in Taiwan and the best on the planet. It had to do with the climate,age and harvesting methods.

I have a friend who bought the import rights and we often talk about bringing it back except for the HUGE capital investment needed and  the uncertainty of demand. It was a Moso but rivaled any madake in terms of power fiber structure,starch and sugar content.

Unfortunately all flooring, and slats out there today have been treated and the precious sugars leeched out. This weakens the boo and it cannot be tempered which is especially important for deep core bows.

On a side note properly tempered bamboo is the only natural core material that is unaffected by extreme temperature changes-So from the north pole to the desert the bow performs the same.

Like Roy said Madake is an excellent boo for backs but the diameter is usually on the small side for core tapers which is probably fine with Roy

[Roy from Pa]

Charley, I didn't know you was up on all this boo stuff:)

Yes that was the name, Bamboo & Rattan.

Were they in New Jersey?

When I order the boo, I call and talk to Jennifer, she knows all about us guys using boo for bows.

So she hand picks the largest poles they have for bow making.

Kenny, be good here:)

[Pat B]

Onehair, you are in Mississippi? I wouldn't doubt that there are patches of timber bamboo of one specie or another growing somewhere around you. Look or ask around to find some and get permission to cut a few poles. Just be sure it is mature and not first year growth. If timber bamboo is like other varieties it grows to it's initial height the first growing season. You will want culms from the second , third growing season or older for it to be mature enough for bow backings.