# Bamboo poles for bow making.



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Anyone know where I can aquire a large peice of bamboo pole? I'm talking the giant ones that probably come from some tropical area and is about 6 - 8 inches in diameter. 

I'm wondering if they would make a good homemade bow. I have a little back scratcher about 2 ft. long that's made from a peice of bamboo. I tied a peice of string on it for kicks and made a little homemade arrow out of a small dow rod. Gosh that thing will sling that dow rod through the air. This made me wondering about making a big bow out of a large bamboo pole. 

I'd like to give it a try if I could find a stick.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

There is an exotic wood shop in Boise that sells slabs cut from that huge bamboo. They are about 1/4-3/8" thick at the thickest. I took a thinner one and glued it to a hickory belly and clamped it to a form so it had about 3" of reflex when it dried. The bow has the bamboo in tension and the hickory in compression and it is lively to say the least. 

I was in the Philippines and brought back some of that bamboo in meter lengths to use for limb laminates. I decided to make a test bow a meter long and maybe a half inch wide with a little handle. It fits a two year old just fine. I fletched up some 1/4" dowel rod, slipped a 22 mag case over the end of the shaft for a blunt, and gave it a try. The first arrow went 125 yards. I made some little broadheads to hunt styrofoam boxes, and my friend slipped those big pencil erasers over the blunts to hunt his wife's cats. We looked foolish shooting that little bow but it was fun, unless you were a cat. 

I can dig up that wood store's name if you want it.

One other thought. You can make a good bow out of small bamboo poles. Take a 6 footer about 3/4" diameter, then one maybe 4.5' and one about 3' long. Center them and tie them together with string at the middle and ends and hook on your bowstring with a timber hitch on each end. It will come out tillered nicely and shoot great, but I made mine out of very old dry bamboo and it finally broke on me. Fresh bamboo would last a long time. It was great for shooting carp because it would float beside me while I pushed thru the thicker weeds and moss while I waded.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

yes Ed, send me the name if you can find it. 

The only can poles we have around here are about the size of a quarter in diameter. I don't think they would be strong enough. The small ones make great arrows.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I'm searching for the name, I may have to call a friend and see if he knows. I know where it is, but that doesn't help.

Poles the size of a quarter will make a good bow if you tie them together. Try it. I didn't believe it til I tried it. Make your shortest one about 2' long, I think 3' is too long after thinking about it.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Friend ain't home, I can't find it.

Do a search for bamboo slats. They look like this: http://www.tikioutlet.com/product/T...ASE&utm_medium=CPC&utm_content=&utm_campaign=

Or this: http://www.foreverbamboo.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=slats

Or this: http://www.calibamboo.com/bambooslats.html

Maybe you can find someone close and not have to have it shipped.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Yep some of those would be a little expensive by the time you add the shipping charges also. I just got to wondering, there's a craft chain store in our area of the world that might carry something. Called "Hobby Lobby". I think the nearest one to me is about 50 miles away. Next time I'm in that part of the country I'll stop and look for one. 

Thanks Ed.


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