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Michael C.:
I just got some of the stakes from Ben Meadows and will be trying to make some arras over the next week or so. I noticed that some of you have said that it's tough to get them to bend at the nodes without breaking, is there a trick to it that you have found works best or is it just trial and error? Glad to hear from anyone with tips on this.

stringstretcher:
Michael.  What I found out the hard way was trying to get the nodes too hot.  If you heat them lightly, just until they will bend, they will not break.  If they get real hot, they will snap.  Take you time and heat it while you keep trying to bend it, and you will feel it give...thats all the heat you want.   Also, put some oil, bear grease on the area you are heating, and it will help from scorching the bamboo.  I have found that if my nodes on tokin get to the point they are dark brown.....snap every time.  For whatever reason, the tonkin I have worked with seems to be a lot dryer bamboo than others.  JMO.

markinengland:
I have found that it can pay to strighten the sections between the nodes first. This often seems to mean that there is less to straighten at the node. Heat a small area just enough to bring a sweat or shine onto the surface straighten a little and set down, pick up the next shaft and carry on this way until all the shafts have been straightened all the way along.

I have used a small petrol camping stove in the past but plan on trying my hot air gun next time.

Try to put too much heat into a section of bamboo between nodes and it can go bang - which is quite a good way of learning not to do it again! A really sharp thin awlcan be used to make a very smallhole tolet the escaping heat out but I have never found this necessary (except for that one exploding shaft!).

Mark in England

Grunt:
I use a small alcohol lamp to heat small sections of the shafts. Works great. Also use a piece of wood 10 inches long 4 inches high and 11/4 thick with a gradual radius cut long wise ( 8 inches) on the top. Press the heated shaft section on the top of the block at the apex of the radius and push down on both sides to work a section or a node.

Michael C.:
I watched John (Okie1) do it at OJam with a shaft, but I wasn't sure if this stuff from B Meadows was a different sort of cane or not. I will practice these all on a smaller piece that isn't going to be used on an arrow to test them out and see what works. Thanks for the tips and keep em coming if you have a different point of view.

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