bamboo thickness

[Justin Falon]

How thick do you guys make your bamboo for bamboo backed  bows????

[Steve Kendrot]

So thin it makes you nervous! about 1/8 at the handle and 1/32 at the tips. It winds up being a knifes edge along the sides. I think the thinner, the better for backing.

[JEFF B]

how about 1mm thick now thats    as i have some cherry that is just that.

[Justin Falon]

Okay.  I just took some bamboo to my neighbor to have him do  it with his jointer.  He told me to take a hike because it is too dangerous to do it.  Yes, we've all seen Dean Torges do it with the jointer.  I don't have a jointer.  How do I get it thin???

[JEFF B]

use a hand plane it will take some time or use a sanding machine.

[Tom Leemans]

I've always made it 1/8" at the handle, tapering to 1/16" or a little less at the tips. That is NOT along the edges though. Measure that thickness in the middle.

If you do it on a jointer, your knives better be real sharp! Don't take off too much at a time. Always finish up with hand tools. You can use a bench (belt) sander also. I'm not as good as J.D. Jones or them Westvang fellas, tapering bamboo on a sander, but I'm a hand tool guy anyway.  

[Justin Falon]

Im looking for a bench/belt sander now...

[hera]

Hey justin
I got some nice bamboo,do you want some?
I mean boo columnar.
 

[BenBow]

WOW Hera that's a lot of bamboo. What kind is it?

[Justin Falon]

Wow!  That is impressive Hera!

PM Sent.

[KILLER B]

Are those big enough around to be able to get backing material from.  I thought they needed to be around 8" in diameter? What are you going to do with all of it?

[mike mcguire]

It looks to small for bow backing, the bamboo i cut is at least 6in , and also killer b I cut my bamboo in sparta tn I live in spencer,

[hera]

Phyllostachy heterocycla(moso bamboo)can grow to 6" even more.But moso bamboo are less recover speed and stiffness then Phyllostachys makinoi hayata.
As to Tonkin cane bamboo(Pseudosasa amabilis),
all my internet research tell me Tonkin cane are not so big in it's diameter.
First pic are Phyllostachys makinoi hayata
   

   

   

 

[ChristopherO]

I use a hand held belt sander when thinning boo.
Hera, sure wish we could get into your stash of bamboo!

[Steve Kendrot]

Toothing plane works well and I found it easier to adjust and less grabby than a regular hand plane. On my third attempt I used my jointer with push blocks... saved a lot of time. Finished it off with toothing plane.

[hera]

Picture repair.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hera]

Hey justin

can't send you PM,I don't know why.

[BenBow]

hera it would be possible to cut the smaller boo into narrow strips and then glue a bunch together like actionboo and use that for limbs. Sure would be good stuff for laminations.

[hera]

Galen
I would like to try the way you mention.

[BenBow]

hera it would be work intensive but nothing beyond what you appear to be capable of.