# bamboo turning



## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I thought I would try something different yesterday. I had three pieces of bamboo sitting around. They are a bit strange. They have a shallow hole in the bottom, the top hole extends almost all the way down, and they are heavily coated with wax. 
I used my steb center in my chuck and it fit the bottom hole pretty good. Then I used a cone center for the other end. I trued it up and ended up making a vase for dried flowers out of it. There isn't much grain detail, so I dyed it with some aniline dye I had sitting around. I didn't finish the inside or the bottom. I didn't feel like making up some kind of jamb chucks to hold each end, and I thought it would be neat to show what the piece looked like before turning. 
I have an idea for the next one that may be pretty cool if it works out. When I get it done, I'll post it.
Mike Hawkins


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Mike, that's really neat. I didn't realize bamboo grew w/ such thick walls. I'm used to seeing it where the walls are much thinner than your piece and the "holes" that you mention are just the cavities between those rings. I think I'm thinking of younger bamboo than what you have and I haven't seen any since I lived in Japan almost 60 years ago. If you cut the kind I remember between those rings, one cut above and one below a ring, and then split it exactly in half lengthwise, you have a letter "H".

Do you happen to know how old your piece is?


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## jlhaslip (Jan 16, 2010)

very impressive.


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## Mrs. Texas Timbers (Nov 26, 2008)

That is really beautiful. Great work.


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## MGP Roofing (Jul 10, 2010)

Nice work. Didn't realise you could turn bamboo.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Phinds,
I don't know how old the blanks are. I stop up at our local Woodcraft store on a regular basis and I usually end up buying some kind of wood, whether its a turning blank, or flat stock. I always check the closeout table and what's on sale that particular month. 
Mike Hawkins


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## JimSnyder (Mar 6, 2017)

I turn bamboo down to 1/32" for ship masts for pecan, walnut, and English Walnut ships. It is strong and flexible and takes a lot more pressure to snap than basswood.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Never even heard of bamboo getting thick walls like that. Must be a special variety. The stuff in Fla and that grows around here has very thin walls. In fact, around here the stuff is considered a noxious weed by most. Almost impossible to kill once it is established. Grows more like a tall (25ft) grass, rarely thicker than a corn stalk.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Sweet job, Mike! Like others, I am impressed and surprised at the thickness of the walls. I await your next one.


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## Jesse Blair (Oct 9, 2016)

That's awesome! Might have to get a lathe and give this a try. I have some massive bamboo in my yard that would probably work. Some of it is 6" in diameter, and probably 50'+ tall. The ones I've cut that are that large have walls that are probably 1/2" - 3/4" thick. Wouldn't be able to do much work with it, but something could be made from it. I'm a bit unsure of how, though. It always seems to dry out and starts to split and break apart. I guess there is a certain way it needs to be dried, in a controlled way.


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