plyboo?

[Scott Kilroy]

Has anyone worked with plyboo (bamboo 4 x 8 sheets that take the place of plywood)? I don't work with sheet goods that often but I'm curious as to how this cuts and if it really could be a sustainable replacement for plywood.

Thanks in advance.

[Jim Becker]

I have not build anything substantial from it, but I have some that a local cabinet maker friend gifted to me (his scraps that would have been trashed otherwise) and it's interesting material. He's done a few kitchens with it. Major expensive, but pretty kewel stuff. My impression of the product is positive, but it may be different than plywood when it comes to fasteners, etc...I don't know for sure. It also looks a bit different than plywood relative to the grain pattern due to the nature of what it's made from. The pieces I have will be used for some cutting board experiments.

[Jesse Brown]

Bamboo ply is popular with some DIY speaker builders because of its quality and density. I've never used it, but it supposedly cuts well and has little or no voids.

[johnny means]

I'm not sure if it's as much a substitute for plywood as it is a substitute for solid lumber. When I've worked with it (case work with slab doors and architectural panels) I've counted it to be very rough on tooling and difficult to cut, like a hard maple. You've got a few different options as to how the center is constructed, which will affect how your edges look. Every bit I've ever dealt with seemed super stable, I never saw any bow, even when treated poorly. Adhesives don't seem to stick to it as well as regular wood. All in all, I think it's a great material to work work, though a little devoid of character.

[Frank Pratt]

I've done 3 kitchen countertops out of bamboo slabs, I think they were 1 1/2". With the scraps I've made a bunch of small stuff. As Johnny says, it's a little tough on tools & it splinters some, but I love the look, hardness & strength of the stuff. It seems to be very stable too.

[Mel Fulks]

Don't know what the deal is. Seems the bamboo stuff never catches on , been a number of them. My parents invested
in one of them more than 60 years ago. They always said they got "bamboozld".

[Jamie Buxton]

I just built a bunch of bookcases with it. I used ten sheets.

The stuff is crazy expensive. I paid $260 per 3/4" sheet, from a dealer which sells me 3/4" A1 maple for $80.

It wasn't very stable. When I ripped some of it, I could watch the kerf close behind the blade. And when I stood it leaning against a wall for a few days, it would take a set.

It isn't particularly pretty. It has no chatoyance. It just sits there, kinda like poplar.

Long story short: I am not a fan.

[Scott Kilroy]

The stuff is crazy expensive. I paid $260 per 3/4" sheet

Ouch, well so much for that. I don't think it look that good anyway. Too bad I thought it could be a good alternative to regular sheet goods.

[jack duren]

Ouch, well so much for that. I don't think it look that good anyway. Too bad I thought it could be a good alternative to regular sheet goods.

No its not cheap but easy to work with. I have a lot of it left from a job. Just haven't decided what to do with it. I think I have a few sheets of veneer as well...

[Jamie Buxton]

I can't figure out why it is so expensive. Advocates say that bamboo is better than trees because bamboo grows much faster. Shouldn't that make the plywood inexpensive?

[Erik Loza]

Not to thread-jack, but how is this stuff on tooling? Always wondered about that.

Erik

[Frank Pratt]

Not to thread-jack, but how is this stuff on tooling? Always wondered about that.

Erik

With carbide blades, I haven't noticed that its any worse that other similar hardness woods. You'd have to run a lot of bamboo to get a good feel for that. Chisels & planes seem to dull a little faster than, say, hard maple. Nowhere near as bad as ipe though.