Bamboo

[Andy Coates]

I was given a couple of pieces of 4" by 4" by 8" laminated bamboo, which is apparently being imported for fence posts (in fence post lengths!). General opinion was "don't bother trying to turn it.

Original lump and resulting ginger jar pics attached. If you can find some give it a try!

[woodndesign]

Fair play for being game in having a go ... very interesting result ...  different twist, nice classic form.

Cheers  David

[Les Symonds]

Hi Andy....I'm not an admirer of most laminated or segmented work, but that jar is absolutely stunning. The impression that I get from bamboo is that it would be a very fibrous wood to work...did you find it to be so?
Les

[bodrighywood]

Wouldn't expect that sort of result from bamboo would you. Ideal for the ginger jar as well. Lovely piece again, have to keep my eyes and ears open for bamboos now LOL

Pete

[Bryan Milham]

I've seen quite a few wooden article made from bamboo in the last year or so. Just like rubber wood appeared a few years ago.

This is the first piece I've seen it turned though, and the first piece hollowed. How did it take to the tooling and what sort of finish did you get on the inside?

I could go for the idea if it was cheep enough. It's fast growing and very sustainable.

A good effort of the Ginger Pot as well.

[Andy Coates]

It turned far easier than I'd anticipated. The gluing must be mechanised because there were only a few open joints to be filled. It wasn't at all fibrous, and when hollowing it produced real shavings! The inner finish was good enough to leave as off the tool...but then I rarely sand the inside of hollows...I scrape and leave there...never seen the point really.

All in all it was ok to work. Except for the weird smell!

Finish was just Danish oil in case the cellulose caused a glue reaction.

[Les Symonds]

Apparently. laminated bamboo is taking off in a big way - worldwide. The Americans are importing masses of the stuff and it's slowly replacing laminated softwood beams in buildings, because it's prized for the fact that it recovers its shape after being exposed to tension, compression, bending etc. In the building trade it's known as lamboo.... maybe we'll all be turning it in years to come!
Les

[thebowlerhattedturner]

Well done Andy for trying this and what a lovely result. I think I need to find some of this to try myself as I do like it.
Regards
John BHT

[ken rodgers]

Hi Andy,
Bamboo - interesting material used for numerous usages, makes very good hard wearing flooring and the Chinese have got a lot of it.
Like the Ginger jar and the finish is superb as usual.
Regards
Ken

[Turners cabin]

Great stuff Andy

[Peteg]

Andy I think flow of your full bodied form has realy shown up the laminating to its best, looks like a fairly hard type of material, & possibly not too bad to work with. Great result
Pete