bamboo poles

[lesken2011]

Not sure if this is the place to post this, but, I went to a flea market over the weekend and there was a guy selling bird houses he made out of moso bamboo. He also had a pile of bamboo poles he had just bought off another vendor. I was looking for some bamboo poles to make some quivers or maybe back some bows with. He agreed to sell me some (dirt cheap). I bought 5 poles about 3" in diameter and 6' long for 10 bucks. They are still green. I saw a YouTube video on drying them with a blow torch. Do any of you start with poles and split them for bow backing? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[jermcramp1]

Good post, I have about 100 poles 3-4" x 8-9' on the wood rack in my garage, I saw the same vid and this summer am planning to do the torch after splitting idea...

[Pat B]

I didn't see the youtube video but the guy was probably tempering the already dry boo.
  Split the boo poles and let then air dry. They will stay somewhat green until you place them in sunlight then they turn tan color.
 3" to 4" boo is barely big enough for bow backing unless you flatted it. Most bow backing boo comes from 6" or bigger boo.

[Eric Krewson]

I have made about a zillion bamboo backed bows, cut my own bamboo from a guys patch across town and can say 3" isn't going to cut it for bamboo backing.

[lesken2011]

The video I'm talking about the guy starts with green bamboo and torches it till it turns tan. I don't know if the "quick dying" method will make it too brittle, though.

Eric...Do you agree with Pat that you need about 6" minimum diameter poles to be split for backing? I was worried about the crown. Do you think there is a way to flatten it out? If not, no biggie. I was going to make some cheap quivers for some kids in my neighborhood anyway.

[PatM]

Just as many bows are likely made successfully with smaller diameter bamboo. Not sure why large stuff is needed.
 Rich Saffold has posted pics of bows made with bamboo that looks like it's from a 2" or under pole.
 The tension strength of the higher quality bamboo enables the backing to work the same way a high crowned sapling bow is made.
 I've used tonkin from a pole less that 2" in diameter.
 Often you're only going to be backing a bow less than an inch wide.

[Pat B]

The bigger boo has less crown than the smaller stuff. You split out a 2" slat of boo and sand the concave side down flat. That is your gluing surface.
  Even with 6" diameter boo, once you spilt out the slat, flatten the belly side, cut it to the shape of the bow and thin it to 1/8" at the crown at the handle you are looking at about 1 3/8" or slightly more as the max width of the bow. That's why most properly made boo backed bows are rarely over 1 3/8" wide.
  Also, I think if you take green boo and hit it with a torch to dry it it will check just like green wood with dry heat. Once the boo is cured(dry) it is less apt to check with the high heat.
  I watched James Parker(Robustus) tempering boo slats for his bows. He used a large rosebud torch connected to a propane tank and worked down the length of the boo slat. There were flames and smoke coming from the boo and I thought he had ruined it...but of course James know what he doing. He makes some incredable boo backed and belly bows.
  Tempered boo is only for the belly. The heat treatment makes the boo brittle but also increases the compression strength. If you used it on the back it would probably fail because it is too brittle and has lost its already strong tension strength.
 

[lesken2011]

Good info, guys. Thanks. It looks like I will be able to make plenty of quivers. I may keep a piece or two of the longs ones, split em, and let em air dry to try on some narrow bows, later.


One other question...When I was really involved in traditional archery back in the mid 90's I bought some bamboo slats at a shoot for bow backing. I just never got around to it. They are still in my garage. Do you think they are too brittle to be any good, now?

[Pat B]

As long as mold or bugs haven't got to it is should be OK.

[lesken2011]

Thanks, Pat. I just didn'[t know if that much time would make it brittle. I live in a part of the country with pretty good humidity, though. I'll check for bugs before I consider using them.

[Bevan R.]

Just to be cantankerous
You could always rip the bamboo into strips, plane both sides flat, glue them up and make a bow with that. with a backing to hold down splinters of course. I believe this is how some of the Japan bows are made.

[mullet]

 Wait till you see what Boo will do to Planer Blades.

[Bevan R.]

Wait till you see what Boo will do to Planer Blades.

You notice I did not offer to do it.

[lesken2011]

I guess I don't have to worry. No planer...yet. It's on my list of new stuff to get for this great new hobby.

[Eric Krewson]

I have a friend that makes what he calls"splinter bows", less than an inch wide, high stacked bellies and any poundage you can imagine. He has made a bamboo backed splinter bow but it was with a low crown slat from a large diameter pole.

You could probably get a flat piece out of your bamboo that is an inch wide or slightly narrower. You could make a bow with this but you would end up with what I call an osage belly bamboo bow instead of a bamboo backed osage bow because you will have almost no belly wood in the bow.