I just saw a table in Crate and Barrel that had accent elements made
of bamboo.

I turns out that I have access to groves of bamboo in my home state of
South Carolina.....

So how would one take green bamboo and prepare it for use in
furniture?

I assume:
1. dry it.
2. cut is carefully 'cause it will crack.
3. use a oil finish because it just seems right....

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents -- although one could run a structural piece INSIDE of the
bamboo. Hmmm.

What say y'all?

It looks like there is a fair amount of info available, though I didn't
really read much of it. Try:

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...+for+furniture

--

Greg

On 16 Oct 2004 19:36:33 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

I just saw a table in Crate and Barrel that had accent elements made
of bamboo.

I turns out that I have access to groves of bamboo in my home state of
South Carolina.....

So how would one take green bamboo and prepare it for use in
furniture?

I assume:
1. dry it.
2. cut is carefully 'cause it will crack.
3. use a oil finish because it just seems right....

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents -- although one could run a structural piece INSIDE of the
bamboo. Hmmm.

What say y'all?



first, there are about ten gazillion kinds of bamboo. the one you have
there locally probably isn't the same one you saw at crate and barrel.

second, some of those bamboos are very very strong. the trick is
attaching them together without weakening them at the joint.

third, some of the work should be done green. right as you cut it.

it's a fascinating material. have fun.

On 16 Oct 2004 19:36:33 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

I just saw a table in Crate and Barrel that had accent elements made
of bamboo.

I turns out that I have access to groves of bamboo in my home state of
South Carolina.....

So how would one take green bamboo and prepare it for use in
furniture?

I assume:
1. dry it.
2. cut is carefully 'cause it will crack.
3. use a oil finish because it just seems right....

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents -- although one could run a structural piece INSIDE of the
bamboo. Hmmm.

What say y'all?

I haven't used for furniture (except to pin joints), but bamboo is
MURDER on woodworking tools. Use hacksaws etc and keep your good
chisels away from it. Be careful when you split laths from it, the
edges can give you a nasty cut.

It's great material for all sorts of uses.


only one p in my real address / un seul p dans ma véritable adresse

On 16 Oct 2004 19:36:33 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents --

Why not? Bamboo is strong stuff!

A bamboo high-end bicycle exists, I saw it with own four eyes last
week at Interbike in Las Vegas.

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/races02/bamboocropped.jpg

We sell Calfee carbon fiber frames, he's for real.

Bamboo is also used to build scaffolding in some parts of the world.

Barry

Wow!

You are correct. Bamboo can be quite strong. Perhaps I'll reconsider.

Now that you mention it, I saw bamboo scaffolding in India in 1996. It
was tied together!



Ba r r y wrote in message . ..
On 16 Oct 2004 19:36:33 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents --

Why not? Bamboo is strong stuff!

A bamboo high-end bicycle exists, I saw it with own four eyes last
week at Interbike in Las Vegas.

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/races02/bamboocropped.jpg

We sell Calfee carbon fiber frames, he's for real.

Bamboo is also used to build scaffolding in some parts of the world.

Barry

On 16 Oct 2004 19:36:33 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

In China, bamboo are use in almost everything:
Chair
Steamer
Chop stick
Spoon
Bowl
plate
table
bed
flooring
roof
house
mat
cart
wheel
bridge
Bow
Arrow
cannon
baskets
.... almost everything one can think of.

I just saw a table in Crate and Barrel that had accent elements made
of bamboo.

I turns out that I have access to groves of bamboo in my home state of
South Carolina.....

So how would one take green bamboo and prepare it for use in
furniture?

I assume:
1. dry it.
2. cut is carefully 'cause it will crack.
3. use a oil finish because it just seems right....

BTW, I do not intend to use the bamboo for structural elements, just
for accents -- although one could run a structural piece INSIDE of the
bamboo. Hmmm.

What say y'all?

On 17 Oct 2004 12:29:52 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

I almost forgot to include: FOOD! for both human and PANDA.

Good post, BlueDude.


(BlueDude) wrote in message ...
On 17 Oct 2004 12:29:52 -0700, (Never Enough
Money) wrote:

I almost forgot to include: FOOD! for both human and PANDA.

"?

I assume:
1. dry it.
2. cut is carefully 'cause it will crack.
3. use a oil finish because it just seems right....
Just adding a little to the above.
Bamboo wood need to be "seasoned" to prevent fungus and insects eating it
up.
Bamboo has to be purched of its sugar content by soaking in water for a
period of a few days.
Chemicals are sometimes used, but over here in this region, we seldom use
them.
If there is no stream or ponds around, a tarpoline and few bricks should be
adequate, just keep them wet


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As a side question: have any of you encountered bamboo formed into and
available generally as planks? They make t+g flooring out of it,
Black and Decker makes their WorkMate tops out of it; it must be
available in plank form from somewhere...


(Never Enough Money) wrote in message . com...
[snip]
So how would one take green bamboo and prepare it for use in
furniture?

China do produce "planks" or floor panels out of it, which I think is about
9" by 39"
"Daniel" wrote in message
om...
As a side question: have any of you encountered bamboo formed into and
available generally as planks? They make t+g flooring out of it,
Black and Decker makes their WorkMate tops out of it; it must be
available in plank form from somewhere...




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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:34:54 +0800, "chinkc"
wrote:

China do produce "planks" or floor panels out of it, which I think is about
9" by 39"


thanks chinkc for your knowledge of things on that side of the pacific
rim. where are you located?

he may be in Singapore (".sg")

wrote:

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:34:54 +0800, "chinkc"
wrote:
[snip]
thanks chinkc for your knowledge of things on that side of the pacific
rim. where are you located?

"Daniel H" wrote in message
...
he may be in Singapore (".sg")

Yes, I am in Singapore.
This regioon, SE Asia and East Asia uses bamboo for pratically everything
in the "good old days", Fishing rod, water buckets, spears, blowpipes,
flutes, basket, twines, fish traps, cooking pots, Bows and arrows and the
arrow heads.and as food . Bamboo hardened by heating in fire is almost as
hard as steel and make good arrow and spear heads. ( bamboo (skin) is so
hard that it can throw sparks when hit by a parang) A house may be
pratically all made of bamboos, the pillars, the walls, the floors, the
roof, the table and chairs and....(sorry, got carried away by the "good old
days")


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On 20 Oct 2004 08:54:37 -0700, (Daniel) wrote:

As a side question: have any of you encountered bamboo formed into and
available generally as planks? They make t+g flooring out of it,
Black and Decker makes their WorkMate tops out of it; it must be
available in plank form from somewhere...

I've only seen it in the instances you mention.

What I get a kick out of is that the flooring is more expensive than
solid oak. It's obviously cheap to obtain, when some other uses are
considered. I doubt B&D would use it on Workmates if it actually was
more expensive to them than clear, solid oak.

Barry

My workmate model (WM425) is made in China (what isn't?). I bet they
have tons of bamboo there!

Ba r r y wrote:
What I get a kick out of is that the flooring is more expensive than
solid oak. It's obviously cheap to obtain, when some other uses are
considered. I doubt B&D would use it on Workmates if it actually was
more expensive to them than clear, solid oak.