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Flattening bamboo

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superdav95:
I do similar to you guys except I use a draw knife to get roughly close to flat knocking off all the inner nodes.  Then I go right to the 36 grit belt drum sander to make short work of it getting it nice and flat.  Some insights though if I may.  I’ve noticed that bamboo has some variations in thickness naturally.  So selecting the right slat is important I believe.  Also if making a multi piece bamboo using slats be sure to use matching sections of same poles and not mismatch them.  So starting from large round poles (usually 4-5” dia) mosso poles I hand split first in half then into quarters.  Be sure to examine the boo strips carefully for natural splits and cracks.  If your getting fresh bamboo know out the center nodes with a long piece of rebar to allow it to get airflow through it as it drys. If working with fairly green bamboo you’ll need to temper or heat treat it.  I heat treat all my bamboo that is use for bow limbs.  Green or seasoned.  There are pros and cons to working with each.  If after taking your slat to the belt sander you then decide to temper it or heat treat it you’ll notice it expands a bit and will actually crown a little on the inner belly side that you’ve sanded. This is a result of the slight expansion of the cells when steam is released.  You’ll actually be able to sometimes hear or see the steam releasing from your piece of bamboo when it’s heated. To rectify the crowning  You would just resend flat before using to get flat glue surface ready for backing.  Bamboo behaves differently when heat treated.  It’s significant and surprises me every time with the capabilities it has for essentially being grass.  It’s good stuff. 

Dave

Kidder:

--- Quote from: Badger on January 02, 2023, 01:58:15 am ---   My method is much easier and faster than that I think. I make 2 passes on the bandsaw following straight down the edge, one pass on each side. Then I just put it on the belt sander with 40 grit paper. Less than 10 min per slat.

--- End quote ---

This is a much better description of what I do most of the time. Except you’re way more efficient than I am - I usually spend 30 minutes plus on the belt sander getting it thinned and tillered. That or I’m just too cheap to replace my sanding belt’s frequently enough.

Eric Krewson:
I use Zirconia belts; they are worth the extra cost over AO.

Badger:

--- Quote from: Eric Krewson on January 03, 2023, 08:48:07 am ---I use Zirconia belts; they are worth the extra cost over AO.

--- End quote ---

  Good quality sandpaper weather belts or sheets is far more economical that the cheap stuff. It will outlast the cheap stuff at least 50 to 1.

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