Parquet Bamboo

[Jess Wetherhold]

A few months ago a local lumber yard gave me a piece of bamboo to work with. Not having found a use for it (flat work wise) I decided to turn it. Talk about dust... If the stuff were affordable I would entertain the thought of turning salad bowls but at $140 for a 4' x 4' sheet I think not.
Has anyone else had a little fun turning endgrain bamboo? Sorry about the not so fantastic pics.
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[Curt Fuller]

I'd have to say that it was well worth the effort. That made a very interesting bowl. Was the parquet pattern already glued up or did you do that? Either way, it's very nice.

[Jess Wetherhold]

The piece was already glued up and sells in large sheets. This was a cutoff piece that I was given to "try out."

[Richard Madison]

Jess,
Give them a box with your name on it to store the cut off pieces, and promise to clean it out every week. Better yet, put my name on it.

How thick is the material, and could you laminate a couple pieces to make a deeper dish or shallow bowl?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jess now that is a beauty. I really like the piece.

[Allen Neighbors]

Me too! I like it. Hope you didn't breathe too much of it. That dust can't be good.
You really did well, though! :)

[Jess Wetherhold]

Hey Richard- I thought about a lamination but it would be an endgrain glueup and I don't think that would hold up since this bamboo is so porous and soft. I know bamboo cutting boards are huge right now but honestly, this stuff was so soft and easy to turn I would not put food near it. Talk about something harboring bacteria :eek:
lol- if I threw something there way I am sure I could get some cutoffs. After turning this bowl I though...hmm.....bottle stoppers...mmmmk
Oh, It is 2" thick but they also sell 1 1/2". People out here on the left coast gobble it up for countertops thinking that it is the NEW renewable recourse.

[Jess Wetherhold]

Thanks for all of the praises. I honestly was on my way to the trash can with the piece of wood and something took me to the lathe. I am sure we can all do something way cool with this stuff.

[Richard Madison]

Jess,
Are you saying that the surface of the sheets is end grain? Still should laminate ok if the surfaces are smooth and flat, and you can apply clamping pressure over the whole surface. Apply lots of Titebond II or III, squeeze slowly and gradually. May need some perimeter restraints until excess glue is absorbed into end grain and/or squeezed out, as the pieces will try to slide sideways.

Also stuff you could try with stave or segmented construction. Very interesting material.

Think I forgot to mention that the piece you turned is very pretty!

[Jess Wetherhold]

Since it comes in sheets you can make as wide a dish as your lathe can handle. As far as the depth...I would not feel comfortable laminating endgrain bamboo onto endgrain. Before turning it I would not have so much reservation but it is very porous and even with gorilla glue I would not trust it over time. Just my .02
ps- I make cutting boards for a living if that lends anything

[Richard Madison]

Definitely would not use gorilla glue, as the test data shows it to be weaker than the traditional wood glues. Was just trying to encourage you to experiment a bit if material is available.

[Jim Underwood]

Soft you say?:eek:

Not what I've heard. I've heard bamboo is really hard stuff! That's why they make floors out of it.

[Claude Arragon]

Yes indeed it's real hard stuff. Not only parquet but even scaffoldings for sky scrapers...
As far as eating in a bamboo dish, cup, bowl... no problem at all even if left natural. It has an unusual resistance to moisture.

[Jess Wetherhold]

All I can say is get a piece and turn it. It was easier to turn than we pine. I was given the piece to make a cutting board and I just didn't care for it. When I do craft shows I sell to many people who tell me how their bamboo boards fell apart. Really, the reason for this post was to find out if anyone had similar experiences and why. Click HERE (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/09/bamboo_flooring.php#ch08) to learn more about bamboo. Even if you don't have time to read the article, here is a quote. "Almost all bamboos have formaldehyde binders."

[Paul Engle]

I agree with the tough on the bamboo, I got some grown in GA and it was pretty narly.One of my customers just put a 30 year warranty bamboo floor in his beach house ( yeh spendy) but that stuff is pretty tough