Ever seen a pen made of bamboo???

[GouletPens]

I'm just curious if anyone's done it before. I know it's a grass not a wood, so I don't know what "stabilizing" issues there might be with it. I guess one could head on down to lumber liquidators and pick up some bamboo flooring and chop it up. If anyone has any pictures of bamboo pens I'm curious just to see what it looks like. Thanks!

 

[PenPal]

Bamboo Pens

A Slimline Cross Cut from a Bamboo Cutting Board as also shown. You can buy laminated Bamboo or straight light cutting boards or mixtures.

Have fun Peter.

 

[leehljp]

There have been several over the past couple of years. A few even took small diameter (1/2 to 3/4 in) thick bamboo, drilled it, turned it and made some fine pens. Looked nice.

I have some LARGE bamboo, about 6 inch diameter, with the wall "thickness" is right at 5/8 inch at the bottom but most is about 1/2 inch thick. I plan on making something out of it some day!

 

[Mack C.]

I'm just curious if anyone's done it before. I know it's a grass not a wood, so I don't know what "stabilizing" issues there might be with it. I guess one could head on down to lumber liquidators and pick up some bamboo flooring and chop it up. If anyone has any pictures of bamboo pens I'm curious just to see what it looks like. Thanks!

Hi Brian; Here's one I just finished. It's a Chrome Olympia on it's way to a Canadian Peacekeeper in Afghanistan.

No issues at all, straight turning, sands beautifully and easily.

 

[NewLondon88]

I've made many of them and they look interesting. OF course, now that I
need to find a pic, I can't find a finished pen. But they look just
like Mack's picture. Mine came from laminated cutting boards, as mentioned.
They were on sale at the dollar store and I got a dozen blanks out of each
one.

As you said, bamboo is a grass. So when you cut it, it can get stringy.
But it turns nice and takes a polish.

The nice thing is that since it is a grass, it is full of capillaries that suck up
any oil you put on it.. and the oil acts like a fiber optic light tunnel. So you
get these glowing veins in the wood and the ends light up in pinpoints.
So your pen looks a little like a Lite Bright. :tongue:

 

[sam]

Yes, I got mine from a fellow member, Iowacobb who also sells corn cob blanks. Sam

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Bamboo

Here's my bamboo version

 

[Gulfcoast]

Brian ---

--- a "Pentel" made from a Bamboo cutting board, works pretty good.

Joe

 

[JayDevin]

I have tons of banboo "plywood" and have made many pens.

Pm me for detail , if you want some

J

 

[GouletPens]

I'm pretty impressed! Do you know if there are any issues with "movement" like splitting or cracking with the grass? I don't know if the cutting boards and stuff are stabilized or anything like that.

 

[bruce119]

Here are a couple more. A neighbor of mine has a lot of Bamboo growing in there yard.

One is a slimline and the other is just a dip pen with a stand.



Bruce
.
.

 

[nava1uni]

I have made several and never had any problems with cracking etc. The fibers in the bamboo are very strong. Ever tried to break a piece of bamboo? Sands well and polishes nicely.

 

[NewLondon88]

I have made several and never had any problems with cracking etc. The fibers in the bamboo are very strong. Ever tried to break a piece of bamboo?

True .. they build BRIDGES out of bamboo!! .. and it will hold cars, trucks..
Yeah.. it's really strong.

 

[bruce119]

I'm pretty impressed! Do you know if there are any issues with "movement" like splitting or cracking with the grass? I don't know if the cutting boards and stuff are stabilized or anything like that.

Bamboo is some pretty tuff stuff. When working with it like wood as in a thick slab form like most are here. There should be no issues however when doing it as I did with the natural stalk I learned a few things. The hole is already in there I wrap it with tape to avoid splitting. I just run a drill through to open up hole that is already there. Don't use a GOOP a poly urethane as the foaming expanding action of the glue is sure to split it. I use epoxy and have no problems. I did no stabilizing and left it completely natural. All I did was buff it with carnuba wax.

 

[GoodTurns]

my bamboo pen...

 

[wolftat]

Bruce119 sent some beautiful bamboo blanks (along with a bunch of others (great guy))out to me in Iraq last year. They were just bamboo with tubes in them and they looked great. I didn't use any thing other than a bit of Mylands friction polish on them. I am pretty sure that they were given to a Masad group that we were working with.

 

[bruce119]

Bruce119 sent some beautiful bamboo blanks (along with a bunch of others (great guy))out to me in Iraq last year. They were just bamboo with tubes in them and they looked great. I didn't use any thing other than a bit of Mylands friction polish on them. I am pretty sure that they were given to a Masad group that we were working with.

Hi Neil
That is really great to hear. I remember that I sent a big package to Johnie that he sent on to you. I felt very honored sending something over there. It is great to hear some history.

I miss your brother I never met him but felt we became close friends.
Bruce
.
.

 

[Giospro]

Bamboo Pen

here is a bamboo Pen i did 11/08 for a company i work for that deals with bamboo products (Cariloha) it turned out pretty good.

 

[wolftat]

I miss your brother I never met him but felt we became close friends.
Bruce
.
.

Thank you Bruce, I can't tell you how much he is missed here.

 

[Russianwolf]

CSUSA even has bamboo blanks in their catalog, although I've never seen a reason to buy them from them.

 

[jking]

I have a Bamboo pen finished & another one glued up waiting for turning time. I'm making the for a couple of friends who flyfish. Years ago, bamboo was the material of choice for fine flyrods. Some are still made with bamboo, although graphite is much more common. (and lighter weight)

 

[JohnU]

Ive made several bamboo pens without worring about stablizing. I buy cutting boards at walmart. I have light straight bamboo and angle cuts with light and dark stripes. PM me your address and I will send you a couple to try out.

 

[GouletPens]

I know there are different types of bamboo, are there some that make better pens than others? I guess now that the curtain has been lifted I want to see what's out there! I'm thinking I'll do like JohnU and slice up some cutting boards as a foot in the door.