How to cut bamboo for a noob.

[Marks]

I need some arrows and to be honest, I'm not really interested in making my own at this point. I would be interested in trading some shafts, feathers and possibly skins for some. I have access to some river cane that grows naturally along the creek and some bamboo in my brothers yard that he wants to get rid of. Basically I need to know what to cut. I'm working on a bow with a target weight of #45-50 @ 28"

What diameter do I shoot for? Also Can I use the tops of the bigger cane and bamboo or just the small fresh shoots?  Any other good advice will be taken gladly. Set me straight.

[bow101]

Seriously there is a link on Bamboo arrow build a long, not much more to add to that thread, have a look at it..........
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28697.0.html

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Go for 1-2 year old culms(shoots) b/t 3/8 to 1/2 diameter at the base.
Straighten them with heat after you cut them, then agian after drying them for a few months(about 6 months). an alternate method which is really easy(and I like) is to cut them 1" longer and stick them in ze oven for 1 hour at 250 degrees F. Never go higher than 275, as they can go WHOOOSSSHHHH and combust at a little over 300('boo combusts at 300 F)
then fletch up and you are done! easy peasy!
The tops of bigger culms(shoots) are generally too tapered.
If its hard on the outside and not too brittle, then you can make good arrows from it IMO.

[crooketarrow]

  If you use the oven and  leave to long the shoots become to brittle.
  Don't leave long enough and make arrows, unseasoned or not seasoned enough tend to warp to memory qiucky.
  Why not just cut to leanth ,straighten once and bundle. Just lie straight let time do it's job.
   Longer shoots season the better they stay straight when shafts are made.
  You can use a oven but don't do it at 250. Use as low as it go's this takes longer but seasons better less chance of them becomeing brittle.  A oven can be used to temper after you make a shaft out of well seasoned shoots.
  There's no short cuts when it comes to good arrows.

[RidgeRunner]

You are in Alabama Right??
Get yourself a 3/8" open end wrench and a pair of Long Handle (Parrot Beak) pruning loppers.

Walk out into the Cain Patch.  Look for Cains that no longer have the little leaf wrapped around them at the joints.  The little leaf looks like a single corn shuck on the cain.  If the shuck is present then leave the cain for next year.  DONT cut cains that are already dead.  Take the 3/8" wrench and see if the cain will just barley fit inside it. If it will cut as close to the ground as possible.  I actually cut the top out first then loop the cain off at the ground.  After 5 or 6 you will have your eyes calibrated and you will not have to use the wrench anymore.  Cut everthing that looks promising.  If they are a bit to big or a bit to small so what.  You can sort them out at home later.  Once you get them home take you knife and trim the branches off.  DONT cut then to leinght at this time.  Leave them long.  However, you most likely should clean up the stump end with your knife.  DONT bundle them up at this point.  Lay them out flat and let them dry for about a week.  After that you can bundle them up.  DONT let them get rained on. 

I have never used tops of large cains for arrows.  So I don't know if that will work or not.

David

[Marks]

Thanks guys. So Ridgerunner, I can't leave em outside? when we used to make cane poles for the catfish pond we cut the cane and put it on the roof and left it till it was brown.
And Yes, I'm just outside of Florence. I apprectiate you giving it to me in Alabama terms. lol

[RidgeRunner]

If you leave them out in the sun they stand a good chance of cracking.
Surley some of your fish poles cracked.  Mine did.
They will start to grow mold if left in the rain.
Once the mold starts they rot quite fast.

David

[Marks]

If you leave them out in the sun they stand a good chance of cracking.
Surley some of your fish poles cracked.  Mine did.
They will start to grow mold if left in the rain.
Once the mold starts they rot quite fast.

David

Come to think of it yeah some did crack.

Seriously there is a link on Bamboo arrow build a long, not much more to add to that thread, have a look at it..........
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28697.0.html

Turns out there is more to cutting bamboo than just going to Home Depot huh bow101?? 

[TacticalFate]

I have a few cane shafts that have been drying for three months in a warm room. I just sorted them, cut them to size, and added points this week. Should they have dried longer? Most other bamboo arrows I've seen look to have been dried to a light brown, mine are still light green.

[Marks]

I'm certainly not the expert since I'm asking questions just like you but when we cut those cane poles like I was talking about we waited till they were brown. Just like in a tree limb, green meaning moisture but wait till one of these guys backs me up before you believe me.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

I'm certainly not the expert since I'm asking questions just like you but when we cut those cane poles like I was talking about we waited till they were brown. Just like in a tree limb, green meaning moisture but wait till one of these guys backs me up before you believe me.

I have found the golden brown dried bamboo(e.g let it dry till its that color) to be more flexible, but I have and do make arrows from green cane shoots and have not had a problem yet, except I have broken a few straightening.