Default Playing with bambboo again - Manu Propria

[manupropria]

This week I felt like playing around with some bamboo pieces.
It is a pretty large bamboo pen. Section and end pieces made from ebonite. Finish "fuki-urushi" rubbing ki-urushi into the surface.

Best,

Martin

 

[triw51]

Can you explain how you do "fuki-urushi" and what recipe you use? I looked it up on Google and there were several videos but no explanation. Thanks William

 

[Kunk35]

Very cool. I really like this...

 

[manupropria]

The surface is "sealed" and toned with raw urushi "ki-urushi" lacquer, a process known as "fuki-urushi" in which raw urushi "ki-urushi" is rubbed into the surface, wiped off completely with paper and dried for 24 hours in the "furô", a cabinet with a constant temperature of around 25°C and a relative humidity of 75% to 80%. This process is repeated 6 to 10 times

 

[oneleggimp]

Beautiful.

 

[TurtleTom]

This week I felt like playing around with some bamboo pieces.
It is a pretty large bamboo pen. Section and end pieces made from ebonite. Finish "fuki-urushi" rubbing ki-urushi into the surface.

Best,

Martin

Although I've always loved bamboo, I've put off working with it because I've also read there were no permanent finishes for bamboo.
Do you know anything about long term results of this finish?

 

[mark james]

Martin - I Love your pens! Very beautiful.

Thank you for posting and giving info when requested.

I suspect you are safe to share, as the process is not for the timid!!! :wink:

 

[manupropria]

Thank you very much.
It is my pleasure to share information. I think this is what a forum is about.
Fuki-urushi is commonly used in Asia for protecting wood surfaces.
Bamboo is often used for making kitchen utensils like spoons for example and either used raw or lacquered. Urushi is a very strong adhesive and it is resistant against all known acids, water and solutions like acetone and so forth. When urushi is allowed to penetrate the material it will stay there for a long time. The hardness of urushi is Mohs 6, hard as glass but still flexible. Urushi can be heated to 300°C without loosing any of its qualities. Another process is "yaki-tsugi" burning urushi onto a surface of ceramic or iron. Most Japanese iron tea kettles are finished with urushi burned onto the surface at 250°C which is considered the best temperature. In China and Korea they apply urushi on the outer side of ship bodies to prevent algeas and shells to stick on. In China it is still common to use urushi to paint the inside of water tanks and water pipes. Its antiseptic properties keep the water clean. And think about all armor and weapon parts in Japan have been lacquered with urushi and been used in war. Urushi is an outstanding material

 

[Si90]

Very nice indeed. It has a nice regal feeling about it.

 

[qquake]

Mind boggling!

 

[PR_Princess]

Beautiful Martin!

 

[TurtleTom]

This pen reminds me of my japanese brushes. This pen is more of a treasure than you may realize as it sometimes takes weeks or months to finish an object correctly. The skin of bamboo is so hard nothing will penetrate it, it's also a grass not wood.
I thought I remembered this material urishi as it's made from the same toxic chemical that we suffer upon exposure to poison ivy, urishiol. I wonder if anyone is going to start hybridizing poison ivy for it's sap.
The one caution I discovered about the process is that the finished product is damaged by exposure to sunlight. Pens and small items are kept in silk bags to prevent overexposure to ultraviolet light. So how does it work on ships?
This would make an exceptional pen in black bamboo. Mine is almost big enough now.

 

[lyonsacc]

Really like the look of these. We "lost" some of our bamboo a couple of years ago in a deep freeze, so I harvested some of it and have been trying to figure out how to use it in a pen. I like the natural look of the cap. My hard part is going to be finding pieces that are the appropriate size - the walls of my bamboo are pretty thin.

Dave

 

[TurtleTom]

Really like the look of these. We "lost" some of our bamboo a couple of years ago in a deep freeze, so I harvested some of it and have been trying to figure out how to use it in a pen. I like the natural look of the cap. My hard part is going to be finding pieces that are the appropriate size - the walls of my bamboo are pretty thin.

Dave

How thin? How thick do they need to be? I might be able to help with that. Finishing the pen is going to be a problem you know, this is the only finish I've ever heard of that worked on bamboo, and it has severe limitations.
Anyone have any other finishes that work for Bambusoideae, sing out now. Borax and boric acid are the traditional techniques in Asia.

 

[Charlie69]

Although I've always loved bamboo, I've put off working with it because I've also read there were no permanent finishes for bamboo.
Do you know anything about long term results of this finish?

Finishing the pen is going to be a problem you know, this is the only finish I've ever heard of that worked on bamboo, and it has severe limitations.
Anyone have any other finishes that work for Bambusoideae, sing out now. Borax and boric acid are the traditional techniques in Asia.

Hello, I was waiting for martin to respond but since this thread is on the 2nd page now I'll jump in. Bamboo takes varnishes and urethane readily. Bamboo fly rod makers have been using spar varnish on rods for at least a hundred years, probably longer, and many of those old rods are still fish-able although the spar varnish wouldn't be in the greatest condition. (what finish is after a hundred years?).

I can't imagine CA, laquer, shellac or any of the other common pen finishes would have a hard time adhering to dried bamboo. So if you want to make bamboo pens, they are very nice looking, then give it a whirl. I've used spar varnish, spar urethane, 2k urethane, moisture cured urethane and polyurethane on bamboo and all have worked beautifully.

 

[TurtleTom]

Thanks Charlie, what a relief. I'll try it.