The Bamboo Blog - Part 1

comments (6) November 17th, 2011 in blogs

jtetreault John Tetreault, Associate Art Director
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This is the sketch I started with to pick out the stock I would need. Some of the bamboo was over 20 feet tall.
I first cut the legs to length.
I marked the rung locations and used a forstner bit to drill through the first wall.
I put a nail in the center of a 1 inch dowel (a barn peg in this case) to mark the center of the hole I wanted to drill through the other side.
A few twists and the nail came through the other wall.
Then I could drill through from the opposite side to help prevent tear-out.
I was curious how close to 90 degrees the joint would be so I checked it with a square. Close enough for squiggly, round stock...
Next I made a bunch of pegs. The bamboo split so easily, I didnt even need a mallet - just a tap on the chisel is all it took.
I drilled a hole from the top through the end of the rung, and then up from the bottom. I put a slight taper on the wedges...
...and then tapped them in.
Heres a photo of a completed side with the holes drilled for the rails.
I cut the rails to length and test fit them to see how they looked. Next Ill make another bunch of pegs to secure the rails and add the shelves.
This is the sketch I started with to pick out the stock I would need. Some of the bamboo was over 20 feet tall. - CLICK TO ENLARGE

This is the sketch I started with to pick out the stock I would need. Some of the bamboo was over 20 feet tall.

Photo: John Tetreault
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Only a few weeks ago, those of us in Connecticut suffered a freak early-season snowstorm. With the leaves still on the trees, the heavy wet snow brought a whole bunch of branches in our yard to the ground, along with a section of our mini bamboo forest. The bamboo is great for all sorts of gardening uses, and I could have saved them for that, but instead I thought I'd craft a small shelf for bathroom towels. You can follow my progress so far, in the photos up above.

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Comments (6)

jtetreault jtetreault writes: Dirtybeard,
I built my hybrid roubo bench a while back with no aprons and a nice thick top, so I could clamp all around the edges. A deep-reach clamp along an edge works just like a hold down. I was thinking I would use the bench for a while and then drill a round hole in the top if I want to use a hold-down in the future.

You could also give a custom made version a shot, and make something that suits the way you like to work. Hope that helps,
John
Posted: 11:04 am on November 28th

wyeth wyeth writes: For best results the bamboo stems need to be at least 3 years old. It also helps to heat treat it over a fire or hot coals - I use a propane torch. The waxes in the surface layer harden with heat. If harvesting bamboo it is good to cut it and leave it standing for a couple of weeks as this lets the starch and sugar and moisture levels drop making the fiber much less likely to be attacked by insects. Weight for weight it is stronger than steel.
Posted: 8:26 am on November 27th

Dirtybeard Dirtybeard writes: Your workbench resembles mine, a thirty-year old La Chappelle with square dog holes. How do you solve the problem of most available bench accessories, like stays or hold-downs, being made for round holes?
Posted: 3:38 pm on November 26th

Shozan Shozan writes: Incredible job- nice work!!
I have worked a lot with Bamboo (was NE's largest maker of Japanese Tea Houses). You just want to be careful that you have set it up so as the Bamboo dries out, it has a place to split that won't interfere with function or support. On front pieces you can pre-split, then put the split down or back so it is not visible.
Posted: 8:28 am on November 26th

sdbranam sdbranam writes: Nice! Bamboo is amazing stuff. I've seen pictures of construction scaffolding stories high in Asia made from bamboo. I believe it's just lashed together.

We had lots of damage in central MA from that same storm. Trees and limbs were snapped off and down all over, worse than the massive ice storm a couple years ago. It's good to see some of that debris being used as a resource.
Posted: 7:53 am on November 26th

aburleigh aburleigh writes: Great to see someone using one of the most renewable resource materials at hand for building.
You might consider using lashing to join together the cross members. If done well it will truly enhance the design as well as function and strength.
Good Luck
Posted: 11:05 am on November 18th

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