I have heard that bamboo is good wood to use for cutting boards. I have never seen bamboo except for the 'sticks' seen many years ago as a kid. Make that many many years ago. I live in NW New Jersey and have not seen it in this area? Where would I go to get some? How is it sold? How does one work with it? What else can you tell me about it? SWMBO has been after me to make her some new cutting boards and I must oblige if I am to have her continue to feed me. Thanks for any and all help.
There are a few manufactures that are making Bamboo plywood. Plyboo is one name I remember but there are others. It comes in different colors which is achieved by toasting or cooking it. t is harder than Maple. They make it by creating consistent sized strips about the dimensions of a chop stick (but longer) and they press it together in a resin glue bath to make sheets. You can get it cut along the edge or across the end for different patterns.
You can treat it just like solid wood. It takes the same glues. Works with the same cutters although it can get fuzzy when sanded sometimes and it is very abrasive so tools get dull quick.
Don't usually see it in anything but full sized sheets 4' x 8' but "maybe" you could buy solid bamboo flooring which is made from the same stuff and use that.
I have seen it laminated into blocks and turned into bowls, etc. Anything solid wood can do. Not sure about water proof but easily water resistant. Maybe not good for the dishwasher but not sure.
Most local commercial wood suppliers that sell sheet goods can get this or have it already.
I saw a one of those travel/survival shows once that showed some bamboo processing techniques. They took the long hollow poles and cut them in half the long way. Then scored the halves the long way along the inside so the halves could be flattened. Once flattened they were used for siding on the huts. A client has a conference room with bamboo wall covering that looks like it could be made that way; verrry nice, rich-looking paneling.
Personally I wouldn't use one, basically anything made of bamboo is made of slim sticks that are all glued together. Not knowing what type of glue that is used and its safety, particularly with China's tendency to use toxic materials in many products, I avoid anything made from this type of bamboo product. There are better woods that grow in North America that you can use.
That may be, but if quality control is not enforced how can anyone trust the chemicals used in manufacturing. Also there are many different bamboos being used, some are soft and absorbent and others are very hard, nobody provides the species being used, if they even know or care.
In April, Lumber Liquidators (at least South Jersey) has a parking lot sale where they sell off their left-overs. They carge five dollars for single boxes of flooring that have about 28 sq. ft. of flooring. Last year, there was some bamboo there.
I bought one box of Honduran Rosewood and one of Oak. The problem is figuring out what to do with it. After shaving off the tongue and grooves (assuming you don't want them), and possibly resawing (the downside of the flooring is grooved and the surface has a hard finish) you've got a lot of thin slats that took a lot of work to get that way. Then again, 28 bd. ft. of anything for $5 is about the price of firewood.
I made one of these with the Rosewood:
formatting link
like overkill or a waste, but better that it be used to make something than to fill a dumpster.
Bamboo has some acclaimed fabulous qualities but I think it is ugly for most applications.
That may be, but if quality control is not enforced how can anyone trust the chemicals used in manufacturing. Also there are many different bamboos being used, some are soft and absorbent and others are very hard, nobody provides the species being used, if they even know or care.
Only kind I will use. They do "fuzz up" a bit in the dishwasher after a while, but a couple of passes with a palm sander and #100 grit solves that.
They are *MUCH* stronger than the usual wooden ones you buy.
We have a number of cutting boards of bamboo in our kitchen. I don't run them through the dishwasher, but just wipe off with a sponge or damp cloth. No evidence of anything coming out of the laminations. They are pretty hard and do not show knife cuts like the polyethylene type do.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.