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Adventures with Bamboo
riarcher:
Recently recieved a bale from Fl.
Seems some bend almost effortlessly while other just simply don't want to hear it.
Arrr, power of the internet! Plugged in "How to bend Bamboo".
Hard finding good(?) info on it, but there is some anyways.
Sure, some simply bends easier / better than other,, but it's mostly due to variety / type of Boo.
Had to go thru a lot to gain bits and pieces.
One guy was using a big torch, and what appeared to be a damp rag. He bent what looked like a 2" piece into a sharp "U".
Another somehow(?) said he filled it with sand (sand looked damp) and he bent it up pretty good.
Another was saying, green (as in fresh?) bends easiest.
Didn't notice at first, but eventually one thing stood out. Water! Either from fresh cut, rag, or damp sand.
(Bolt of lightening here) It hit me! They are actually steaming it!
Went and grabbed a piece that I broke because it refused to bend and tried bending another section,, stopped before it broke, but no bend.
Wrapped the same area in hot, damp towels and let it sit for a couple hours. Tried it again and it bent, not like soft butter, but it did bend fairly easy with the heat.
Hmmm, one experiment does not make a finding conclusive at all.
So I went and pulled some from the bale. Had to notice some really felt different than some other. The color is different shade some, and the darker seemd a but heavier. (More fresh? Still holding more water?)
Anyways, I've got about 2 doz. soaking in a hot tub for the night. I'll see tomorrow if soaking helps bending or not.
Hindsight - Figured someone here must of already tried this? But I don't see any mention.
I'm guessing something bad may happen? Any input on this? ???
PS; I very quickly moved it away from the heater. However, Winters in New England are rather dry and may be adding to the problem(?).
Swamp Bow:
What is your heat source? I'm using a simple propane plumbers torch, but I added a piece of copper tubing as an extender so I can keep a low flame, but still focus the heat. Since I can't see the flame, I adjust by sound. I've found that it is best to put some heat into an area then come off of the heat, and then go back onto it. I just bounce back and forth after the initial heating. It seems like the heat needs time to work or absorb and if I just leave it over the flame I go from not bending to over cooked and broken in the blink of an eye. Ive also found that it is really important to sand down the nodes so the diameter matches the surrounding area or they will just break and not bend because I put too much heat into them. I've also learned that it won't bend until it is ready, and if I apply a lot of pressure/heat it will just break. It really does not take much heat or pressure, the heat just needs time to get deeper into the material, and I often get better bends with less pressure than with more. I still get still breaks, but it is usually because I get impatient, or want to bend it "just a little more".
Swamp
aero86:
I haven't had any problems bending mine. Tried all sorts of sizes. The nodes do take more time of course. Id recommend though if u have a big bent node to. Straighten most of it out first before sanding, in case u get a little outta hand. But like I've said get a 2 setting heat gun and put it on low and just make a few adjustments and set it aside and move to another while that one cools a bit
riarcher:
Aero -
Watched your vid more than once today! Grrrrrrrrrrr!
You, in vid,, under 7 minutes. and it was that close.
Me - 7 min. and I'm on the 2nd (mild) bend! and a lot more to go.
I did have a few that bent just as nicely /quickly as your's in the vid with about the same # of bends.
Some,,, Just don't want to. Hot enough to burn. Hot enough so I don't want to hold it. About 4 minutes on one bend. But no bend. No steam, and on those that don't bend,,, it doesn't get shiny first like the ones that do bend nicely.
BUT - The wife,, she goes to work tomorrow. I'll steal the hairdryer! >:D
I've tried a candle, kerosene lantern w & w/o chimney so far. Was thinking elect. stove. But, I couldn't concentrate the heat well for the noles. And access with a 4' anything is tricky (and the wife? She'd screem! :o (no sense of adventure that gal ::))
SWAMP - " if I just leave it over the flame I go from not bending to over cooked and broken in the blink of an eye" Hmmmm, sounds familiar!
" Ive also found that it is really important to sand down the nodes so the diameter matches the surr" Hmmmmmm. again.
Thanks guys. I'll try all those suggestion in the morning (and the soakers).
Wondering if I've been concentrating the heat in too small of an area? I'm only heating(?) a 1" area in length mostly. Rolling it, but not spreading it out. The heat gun and torch I need to assume heats a longer section by far than I am. Hmmmm. (and so were the vidios of the Chinamen) Hmmmm.
I was even tempted to slip them in the wife's oven for "pre-heat"(?). HMMMMMMMM.;D
aero86:
When I use my heat gun its usually an area a little under 2 inches long. Id have to have a piece of the tough stuff to see what's going on
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