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Drying Bamboo Quickly


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Anybody know how to speed dry black bamboo without it cracking? Also, how to stain regular coloured bamboo a dark brown? (I need the chair caning I’m using with it to match the bamboo so I can’t torch the bamboo)  I’ve read of using Rit Dye with alcohol and also heating up Rit Dye and water and simmering the bamboo, anyone know if either of these methods actually works? Wood stain?

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

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Funny, I was offered some Black Bamboo roots in November, but turned it down. I already have regular bamboo in my yard, and there is a grove of large bamboo(35 feet tall) 11 miles from here... The only thing I know about bamboo is that if you cut it before it matures, it shrivels up. Not sure about cracking, though.

The southeastern Indians cut and split river cane while green, then soaked it in dyed water. Dyed water from boiling bark and blood root plants, that I have lots of, next door.

Good luck with your projects.

Alabama

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  • 1 month later...

I watched a show with a maker of Windsor chairs who showed his homemade steamer and dryer:

Steamer was a long box he called a 'snake coffin' made from 2"x6"s nailed together forming a long, narrow box, closed at one end and fitted with a wallpaper steamer at the other end.

When the piece (for the curved chair back) was thoroughly steamed - no clue as to time, but I think a couple of hours, maybe - it was removed, clamped to a curved form, and placed in his drying box.

Drying box was a foil-lined cabinet warmed with 2 light bulbs inside.

 

I thought at the time it would probably work for bamboo handles, too. Just low-tech enough to appeal to my potters' sensibilities.

I would apply water based stain or dye to the steamed bamboo before drying for least mess.

 

The show was on PBS, "The Craftsman's Legacy".

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I have a LOT of bamboo growing in my yard and I use it for making fences, screens, awnings and tomato plant superstructures. I think the cracking that occurs in individual sections as it ages and dries is due to the insides of the sections drying slower than the outsides. Perhaps drilling a small hole in each section before drying would, like holes in closed ceramic forms, allow the air/moisture to leave without cracking.

 

I suspect that bamboo teapot handles, which show no signs of exterior hole drilling, have holes drilled or pierced or burned thru the inside.

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I have a LOT of bamboo growing in my yard and I use it for making fences, screens, awnings and tomato plant superstructures. I think the cracking that occurs in individual sections as it ages and dries is due to the insides of the sections drying slower than the outsides. Perhaps drilling a small hole in each section before drying would, like holes in closed ceramic forms, allow the air/moisture to leave without cracking.

 

I suspect that bamboo teapot handles, which show no signs of exterior hole drilling, have holes drilled or pierced or burned thru the inside.

 

I tried cutting some lengths to the width of the oven then put it on the convection setting at 175F and kept it there overnight. Still felt heavy in the morning so I repeated it for 3 more nights. I think it's dry but don't know for sure. Most of the pieces survived without cracking. Colour is still nice and dark.  I seem to recall that bamboo has about 20% moisture in it, I don't want to attach handles then have them shrink some more and become loose on the pots. 

 

Think I need to be patient and let it dry over the summer outside, standing upright like I've read. I'll try some with little drilled holes and some without and see what happens.

 

I did manage to stain some dried regular garden shop variety of poles. I sanded off the shiny outer layer then simmered it in RIT dye and water. Colour was okay but a little flat and dull looking when dry. 

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many, many years ago, there was an article in Ceramics Monthly magazine about using bamboo for teapot handles.  lots of info, i read it but do not make teapots with bamboo handles so i do not know where it is today.

 

does CM have archives that are searchable????

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Thanks O.Lady but all I want to do is replace the clay handles on my cheese board / trays with bamboo. I don’t need to bend it like the cane handles. 2 short lugs for each side then lash the bamboo on with binding cane.

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post-747-0-63770300-1464805781_thumb.jpg

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