Bamboo Job

[Joe Pelonio]

Anyone cut a lot of bamboo? I'm wondering if I'll need to clean the lenses/mirrors more often like when cutting wood. Seems like I always forget to add in the time required for cleaning on a big job.

I may be engraving and cutting the parts for 500 items for a customer that will require 10 4'x8' sheets of 1/4" bamboo. I did a test and it cuts nicely at the same settings as Oak. The edges are black, but he likes it that way.

[Mike Mackenzie]

Joe,

Where are you getting the sheets of bamboo?

[Joe Pelonio]

My customer will get it and cut it to 12"x24", but they will buy it from

http://www.teragren.com/

which happens to be local, just across the water from Seattle.

[Jerry Allen]

I haven't cut any, but I have purchased a several pieces at Costco, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc. Kitchen tools mostly.
I have found that engraving some of the darker pieces, or rather some pieces with greater variation in the laminated segments can be a challenge since some parts of the design are considerably darker.
As a result, I now make sure to open the box and check to see if the laminations are fairly uniform and preferably the lighter, the better. It is also a matter of the surface to be engraved being the edge of the bamboo slice or the face. The face gets better results.

[Joe Pelonio]

I found the bamboo these people make to be very uniform in color and density, more so than most woods. What they want for this job is the
"Caramelized", slightly darker color, and it engraved beautifully. I don't know where the big stores get theirs, but Teragren sells to contracors, flooring suppliers, and hardwood/molding/plywood wholesalers only. Probably more expensive but better quality.

[Leigh Costello]

Joe,
I have also engraved bamboo and it is beautiful. I cleaned my machine on the same schedule for engraving other woods. I clean my machine nightly and the grid as needed. Good Luck!