Seasoning Bamboo????????

[ozark caveman]

What is the best way to season bamboo?

[Keenan]

Bamboo needs to be cut into strips. If left whole it will split invarious places, but if you saw it up while green it will dry very well without cracking. About 2" strips depending on the diam.   If it's real small diam. it will be thinnier strips because of the crown factor.   Keenan

[ozark caveman]

Thanks Keenan. Should I go ahead and skin it or should I wait a while? Also I heard someone say that it needs to sit in the sun to get a nice color. When should put it out in the sun

[mullet]

  Don't scrape it till you are ready to finish your bow. After it has dried for a month or so, You can stick it in the son for a few days. Watch out dor high humidity days in direct hot sun. Sometimes it will start splitting .

[Rich Saffold]

A lot of the bamboo I cut will go sideways if I split it right after I cut it. If I cut  2" strips I will have a bamboo hot wheels track. I tried this  again the other day after the same thing came up on the planet....I usually leave most of it in poles for a while and I never have splitting problems...

Mullet and I have had different experiences so you may have to see what works best for you...

I wouldn't cut it all up until you see how it reacts to the sudden change..

Rich-

[mullet]

  Rich, The ones I cut I put inside my ol' shed, shop, to dry. It's out of the sun and dries slow. One thing I found that helps is , I leave the cross section like a pie cut and not knock it out. I only quarter them to start with. I think the center sections being left keep them from warping. Then I have a big pile just under a tin roof , whole, drying. I sprayed the ends with Poly and have know problem with them splitting.

[Rich Saffold]

Eddie, Your bamboo behaves better ..Even if I just split a fresh cut, and I aways leave the node walls intact, it will either snake or twist every time..

I think its the low humidity relative to what bamboo is used to growing in, and its drying out real quick..