How to split a bamboo pole

[br8080]

there are special hand saws for cutting bamboo without splintering it. if you google bamboo saw, you'll find several on line places that carry them. read about them and they make a selection.........i have one and it works well. hope this helps.

[hdsinkart]

I appreciate this post on how to split dried bamboo. My goal is to make some frames out of dried bamboo, but I am not sure how to do this without splintering the wood...and cutting across the outside grain for the miters. I have thought of cutting two pieces in a curve fashion so they drape over the other two, but I know how conventional saws splinter wood.

Any suggestions on how to do this and which tools would be best?

[91lilfrozone23]

thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks! i was wondering how to do this, i got a 10 point worth proyect for my marketing class in a couple of days and i decided to use bamboo as our material for building doors because it's so beneficial to the environment :) thanks

[zandor16]

Thank you, saved my architecture proyect. did you know that bamboo is the most noble building material in the world, or atleast so says my professor anyways thanks

[cineural]

what kind of knife is the first one and where can i buy one??

[br8080]

that is a window glazing knife, it was given to me, i don't know where to buy them. any knife made with a thick metal blade is best, it doesn't need to be very sharp, the splitting is done with the thick metal blade wedging against the two parts of the bamboo, it doesn't cut through them except at the beginning of the split.

[br8080]

if you start a split with a sharp knife and then insert a smooth piece of metal such as a screw driver shaft, then force that shaft down the split to complete the job, it works great.

[cineural]

Thank you very much !!

[amirkhanvsbarrera]

jokes, maybe, split the computer, HA

[whiteeucharis]

Thanks, this is so helpful. I used to make Chinese Lanterns. I wanted to get started again but couldn't find anywhere to buy bamboo splits in the US. I'll have to give this a try. Thanks so much :).

[br8080]

glad it is useful for you! when you get some of your chineses lanterns made, how about putting the process on a youtube video...i think i would be very interested to learn how to make them....very cool stuff!

bruce

[SargonMan]

Good point about "green" bamboo, but be sure to mention that the bamboo culm should be 3 years old as bamboo younger than that tends not to be as strong.

To create halves of equal size one should gently put pressure on the THICKER side of the culm as you move the blade along the length of the culm. Be aware of where your fingers are.

[br8080]

thanks sargonman for the and info..i hope your comments will further assist those trying to split a bamboo pole.

bruce