Bamboo Blanks

[onewaywood]

Someone if offering me 3/4 thick various length and width
Bambo pieces are they any good for pen blanks [?]

 

[Rmartin]

I've only turned one bamboo pen which was a specially prepared laminated bamboo. It went to the owner of an import wicker company. Ken engraved his name and company logo on it for me. For the most part, it turned just like any other pen blank.

 

[LEAP]

I've turned a few, they are kind of bland if the grain is along the long axis of the pen. That said a couple of people I've given them to have loved them. I turned a couple cross cut and they were much more visually interesting. bambo is a type of grass like the palms and is very chippy when knocking the corners off take light cuts when starting or take the corners off with a sander.

 

[DocRon]

I have a photo of one in my photo gallery. Is is a bit bland, as stated, but turned quite well. It came from a laminated catting board, so I imagine it was already quite well bonded, and gave no particular trouble with chipping out.

 

[fstepanski]

May be a candidate for trying some of the enhancements several members here have displayed and of the offer was hard to turn down, i.e. free give a couple a go and let us know what you thought….

Happy turning

Frank

 

[jaywood1207]

They aren't so bad. Use your imagination.

<br />

Bloodwood and copper lamination with bamboo.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Check your Wal-Mart. Ours has laminated cutting boards of bamboo that sell for about $17.00. You could get 12 or 15 blanks out of one board. Not a bad price per blank.

 

[bob393]

I use the Christmas Tree Shop for my bamboo laminated cutting boards, cheep!
I like them, kind of bland but not as bad as maple.

 

[woodwish]

I bought a bamboo cutting board at our Publix grocery store that will make maybe 12 pens for about $5. Before I could make the pens my wife had started using it as a cutting board and liked it. Guess I should be careful to not store my pen blank stock in the kitchen with the other cutting boards? Went back a bought another one later but still haven't made any pens, forgot about it until I read this thread.

Originally went looking for cutting boards made of acacia, have seen them there before but not since they got the rack of bamboo ones!

 

[jedgerton]

I found that it turns pretty much like any wood product but I would take light cuts and use sharp tools. Here is one I turned.

If you need a few blanks, I can help you out.

John