I review the Swaylocks archieves on bamboo periodically and get all charged up about using bamboo. But I don’t know where to find any bamboo material. I thought I’d inlay a deck patch in bamboo. Any ideas where to find material?
I’ve been try to the same thing for the last coupla months. I’m in Canada, and no luck on bamboo, but you can get these woven grass mats (they are sold for lying on at the beach). I haven’t tried to inlay them yet, but the are a whole lot more flexible (almost like canvas) and quite thin. The problem with bamboo would be getting the air out from between the weave. Sometimes the strips on woven bamboo are almost an inch wide, and then you’ve got to work resin into that. This grass stuff would likely work great because it is a much finer weave. Look for it at larger department stores. Or look for bamboo (rollup screendoor [edit]) shades. Maybe weave your own mat from them. I’ve been contemplating that as well…
I suspect our thinking of board construction materials is getting stale and far right.
Sometimes, we have to look inside and ask…why? Then, answer truthfully, and a whole new world of alternative materials, and applications, sits behind that closed door.
Enough smokescreen!
There are plenty of good looking woods availible, we don’t need to go halfway around the world, to the tropics, to find one.
Possibly we don’t need traditional construction methods when we build our boards. Possibly, we should investigate ideas which don’t always involve resin and glass.
Why, exactly, are we specifying ONE specific materal?
What is the reason for adding this new material. Are we looking for impact resistance, ding resistance, dent resistance?
Sometimes, alternative materials need a rethink of construction methods we know and embrace.
Lee, is that you…???..
Your words almost seem in conflict with some thoughts you’ve exposed about alternate methods of board building…
ie: Hollows…
Please clarify…
A change of heart…???..
Paul
I’m thinking that set in epoxy resin, bamboo would be strong, dent resistant and good looking. The bamboo boards in the archieves are very impressive. I just don’t have the time to make my own material.
Yeah, I’m the same old grumpy fart who criticised the outline of your first fish shape, as well as drooled over the beauty and craftmanship.
Don’t think I ever criticised your choice of material, but who knows?
I also said certain sized McCoy outlines were out of whack.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned a few respected Fish shaper’s outlines.
I’m also sure you have cleaned up your templates, as have McCoy, since the last year. Well, on Geoffs website, their mid 6’ Nuggets are cleaned up.
Sometimes, a good swift kick in the butt is the best thing for a craftsman or shaper. They need the view from the outside, or they get too consumed in the perfection of their work.
Hi Greg,
Was talking to the guy who makes bamboo boards at
Byron Bay a way’s back when and he is married to a lady from Thailand and that where you will find Bamboo veneer
or woven mat. He gave me some woven mat to lay-up in fin’s
for the boards as the veneer looked as plain as balsa and
the bamboo veins were to far a part for short board fins to
be affective as a cosmetic for bamboo boards
Regards Rod
Is this anything like what you’re after?
http://www.certainlywood.com/newarrivals/Bamboo.htm
Bamboo 401 (caramel) & Bamboo 402 (natural)-
</span></span><span style="font-style:italic">This fast growing grass can be cut every 6-7 years. (This is NOT a food source for the Giant Panda!) The long stalks are cut into narrow strips, glued into a block and then sliced into veneer. Fleece backing holds the veneer together into standard 17" x 100" sheets. Steaming the stalks prior to processing produces a caramel color. The even distribution of the "knuckles", straight grain and uniform color make this a very consistent as well as ecologically sound choice.</span></div>
John, thx. Don’t know how suitable it will be with “glue and fleece backing”. But I’m going to try and get enough for my project and see how it works. I’m just looking to inlay it within my version of a perimeter stringer for extra dent resistance. But hey, at 100 inches long, maybe I can make stringer material from it. I’ve already got one glued up with 1/8 balsa. I’ll share the results if they aren’t too embarassing. If it goes up in smoke, I’ll wait until April 1 to share.
I was on google for about an hour, going into the 7th, 8th and 9th screens and still didn’t find this link. Didn’t think to search on “veneer”.
Although it will look beautiful, bamboo veneer won’t give you the strength of woven mats. Keep looking and experimenting with material as you find it.
I watched Gary Young laminate bamboo boards while he was here in California a few years back. The right mat was key to the process. He seemed like he was always on the hunt for better mats.
I’m sure you all know that his knowledge was the key to the Co. in Australia. They took him for a ride before sending him over a cliff.
There are a couple of builders here that might know where to find appropriate mats that might save you some R & D time (the beauty of Swaylocks, grump, grump), but I would get in touch w/ the man himself. He’s not hard to find. Make the call and pay respect to the Master.
everything used w/o permission
Epac, thx, will do.
There’s a local hardware store down the street that carry’s a bunch of the 4’x8’ woven bamboo veneer sheets in the plywood section. I’m going down there today to pickup some for my own use as well as some 1/8 luaun door sheeting.
I’ll try and get you the info from the manufacturer’s advertisement they have displayed
Good stuff…
Remember, bamboo, or 1/8" Luan, doesn’t NEED to be integrated into the surfboard structure, it can also be added on afterward as a load spreading layer and an anti dent, anti puncture, and flex limiting layer.
It can also be waterproofed WITHOUT resin and glass, saving much weight, expense and extra work.
Here you go…
a couple photos of the sheets I picked up today hope to use it on my next project.
4’x8’x1mm $35/sheet
from a company called Silompan
looks really thin they claim you can cut it with scissors very different than the 1/8"-3/16" balsa sheets I used on my last project. But Surfgear says once you lam it it’s very stiff and harder to sand than the balsa which must be tough since it’s only 1mm and you don’t want to push through.
here’s some on a board surfgear made.
nice one[y] !!
please show / tell when you’re upcoming project is…er…taking shape…
I’d be interested to SEE what it will be !
cheers !
ben
that board looks nice / different…have you ridden it ?
I’d like to feel / know the difference[s] !
Chip
I kind of decided to do a Parmenter Vector in EPS-Bamboo/Balsa wood Lam/Epoxy.
It’s not a slap in the face of DP’s comments but more of a recognition that along with the fish, I think his StubVector shape is another one of those timeless all purpose designs, so many have copied him here in Hawaii over the years especially T&C.
So I’m gonna replicate either my 7’ or 7’4" as a woody for posterity, Maybe even add some fancy stuff in there like solid balsa perimeter rails and make it 2+1 so I can ride it with some of my esoteric singles(this might be difficult if I go EPS though).
My first option was a replca of my Bushman Fish with the Fireball bottom. But I think the Vector will be more of a long term keeper traveler than the fish. Definitely a wood lam fish is next somewhere.
It was very hard not giving in and going with a high performance longboard though as a “keeper” but I guess like you I’m still a “shortie” at heart.
Will keep you posted as I still trying to hookup with Surfgear again.
Man that Bamboo weave looks so sweet on a board. I have a sample of herringbone cane matting…super strong…may try that someday…thanks for the pics. I think the challenge is cutting it so it doesnt fray and fall apart along the cut…I guess you can wide tape it and cut along the tape to keep things tiddy.
Thx, Oneula. I’m calling my specialty ply store today.
Ya know, the collective knowledge base of this site is amazing.
If I was going to use bamboo, it would have to be for the flex characteristics. How do the woven mats work flew wise?, I’m guessing the weave would take away form its natural flex, I think I need something like the veneer wiht the fleece backing. However I don’t think fleece backing would work soo well…
John and everyone else: Certainlywood just sent 12x12 samples and they look great. Very thin, very sturdy, the fleece is so thin as to hardly be there. I think this is definetly surfboard material. I’m going to try to inlay some on the deck and see how it looks. Without being set up for vac-bagging it could be interesting.