NEW Lumber! Is Bamboo for You?

NEW Lumber! Is Bamboo for You?

It’s time we took a stab at demystifying some grass that’s great for woodworking. That’s right, we’re talking about bamboo! I picked up some bamboo to build a shelf for my bathroom. So what better time to break down the intricacies of working with bamboo, and what you need to know for your woodworking. Hopefully, this helps show you the joy of working with bamboo and inspires your next project.
***
Chapters

00:00 Who and why?
00:53 What’s Bamboo?
1:36 Tips for Using Bamboo
3:09 Help with Finishing
4:57 Let’s Build a Shelf
7:15 Thanks for Watching!
***
See our selection of Bamboo lumber
https://www.woodworkerssource.com/lumber/bamboo.html

***
Visit us for hardwood lumber!
https://www.woodworkerssource.com/

***
Follow us for absolutely no good reason!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodworkerssource
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woodworkers.Source.Hardwoods
Twitter: https://twitter.com/woodwrkrssource

***
Sights
Stock Media provided by azuri / Pond5
Stock Media provided by DogoraSun / Pond5

50 Comments

  1. SK Jung on January 15, 2022 at 9:01 pm

    Hi if do you know how to bleach MERBAU? i want it lightly oranged color on natural merbau condition . .



  2. Keith Gutshall on January 15, 2022 at 9:02 pm

    Can it be glued to form a bowl turning??



  3. Chris Morris on January 15, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    I’m in the UK, so unfortunately, I’m unable to deal with your store (well, I suppose I could if I was rich), but either way, this channel is superb. This was another great video and I never would have thought of bamboo. Once again, thanks so much for the tips and tricks 👊



  4. Todd Dammit on January 15, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    I’ve been dying to work with bamboo. I just can’t find it locally anywhere yet.



  5. Puddin on January 15, 2022 at 9:06 pm

    Hey.. i want to make bamboo cutting board but I’m not sure of idea to hole joining sticks of bamboo side way. Please help



  6. bob vargas on January 15, 2022 at 9:06 pm

    I thought you are going to show us how to make one from raw bamboo.



  7. LeadingLife on January 15, 2022 at 9:07 pm

    Well done!!!



  8. 40redfox40 on January 15, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    This is fantastic! Great video. Thank you!



  9. Mark Ireland on January 15, 2022 at 9:11 pm

    How much did materials cost?



  10. Original Design & Development on January 15, 2022 at 9:13 pm

    Anybody know a way to get bamboo to bend? I tried steam bending with very thin strips, even veneer. My intuition said it would be great for bending, but my intuition is clearly rubbish. It just cracked at modest radii. But I’ve seen plenty of bent bamboo furniture. How’s it done?



  11. energem on January 15, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    You forgot to mention a couple of things. One is that laminated bamboo plywood and lumber is made from flat rectangular bamboo strips that are cut from the bamboo stem. These strips or "slats" are then glued together end to end and in overlapping layers to form a "solid" sheet. Sometimes when thicker panels are cut, any voids between the ends of the strips are exposed which will need filling with matching wood filler. Sometimes the side and end edges of a cut panel will need edging to conceal the voids and end grain. This can be done by cutting strips from a 1/4" bamboo "ply" sheet and reducing the thickness down to 1/8" then gluing on and finishing the edges like veneer. This "void" problem is especially true for larger and lower grade 1" thick sheets sold for table and bench tops and not intended to be cut into planks.
    Also Bamboo is a grass with long fibres that contain sap with high sugar content that mold spores and mildew love to feed on. It’s not good enough to just finish with wood oil e.g Dutch Oil if it is to be exposed to moist conditions e.g. outdoor furniture or bathroom and kitchen steam. After just 3 months the bamboo will soon be discoloured with black stains contained within the fibres (not easily removed). If exposure to high humidity or moist conditions are expected at least 5 coats of marine grade mineral-based poly will be needed. When choosing a finishing oil or stain, read the label carefully as the manufacturer will often exclude Bamboo because of the mildew and mold problem.



  12. error on January 15, 2022 at 9:15 pm

    is it water resistant



  13. Randy Rice on January 15, 2022 at 9:15 pm

    This was hugely informative, thank you!
    How does bamboo stand up presentation-wise when making things like bowls and trays out of it?



  14. Vince Janeczko on January 15, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    Nice to see bamboo in the shop. Fun fact; bamboo isn’t wood, it’s a grass. Thanks for sharing Mark!



  15. Thomas Bridges on January 15, 2022 at 9:18 pm

    Love the woodworkers wood selection. My problem buying from them is The shipping from the west to Pa is unbeleavable. Not worth the overcharges they want. I go to Rockler for most specialty woods



  16. Gowtham Rajasekhar on January 15, 2022 at 9:19 pm

    Can you try working with hemp wood?



  17. Ronald Treitner on January 15, 2022 at 9:19 pm

    would have been a good video except for the music you started blasting halfway through.



  18. Daichi _ on January 15, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    In Greece unfortunately bamboo plywood isn’t available 😭😭



  19. Ts c on January 15, 2022 at 9:21 pm

    I love the tone that came up with linseed oil



  20. Garlapati Upender reddy on January 15, 2022 at 9:22 pm

    Hi mark
    Infuture market mahogany or bamboo witch is the best cultivation iam pkaning pls telme thanq



  21. V on January 15, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    But never, ever plant that shit in your yard because it will take over your yard, house and anything else!

    The bamboo he is using is the great bamboo varieties, they grow in Asia and the Indian sub-continent, it grows 30 – 40 feet high and 24 inches or more in diameter. Without lamination though, you will not find thick boards, however an inch thick bamboo is super strong.



  22. RRAD on January 15, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    How does it look as it ages?



  23. Steven Marcinkowski on January 15, 2022 at 9:29 pm

    Bamboo smells like feces when you cut it. IT IS NOT LUMBER ! ITS A PLANT ! DO YOUR RESEARCH



  24. Peter Garcia on January 15, 2022 at 9:30 pm

    Good to know…you can preserve lumber and give it more time to recooperate. Use Bamboo lumber.



  25. Doug Prentice on January 15, 2022 at 9:35 pm

    So is it basically thin plies?



  26. Ray Dreamer on January 15, 2022 at 9:35 pm

    What does its cost compare to ?



  27. Bill Conz on January 15, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    what a price on that it would have to be a special project and I enjoy this channel I buy all my good wood from them great people fast shipping



  28. John Beeck on January 15, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    Love the sustainability of Bamboo too!



  29. Stanky Piece of Bluecheese on January 15, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    Keep it away from moisture is my expierence.
    It will delaminate.



  30. Daniel Dekowski on January 15, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    Why dont you have stores on the East Coast?



  31. Miles Margritz on January 15, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    Would love to see more content from you! One of my favorite guys to watch!



  32. Matthew Harrold on January 15, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    During a composite bamboo kitchen benchtop install a contractor "stuffed up", replaced the $240 benchtop material (no charge for labour), and promptly quit. I was left with two benchtops with one slightly ruined. After a bit of YouTube tutorial learning, I bought a trim router, finished the job, and now have a killer composite bamboo workbench under my house basically for free. I love this material, but score the cut line every time with a marking knife to avoid a mess. $0.02 Nice video, cheers.



  33. Rude Dude on January 15, 2022 at 9:40 pm

    Here, a 8′ x 4′ ,1/2" thick board costs around 200 dollars ….for one board, that’s insane. Great material though..



  34. Stellar Nomad on January 15, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    engineered dimensional bamboo is an excellent candidate for use in astroponics.



  35. Fernando A. Torres on January 15, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    I need that processed wood in my country, it looks so nice, export it to te rest on American continent



  36. Tim Fevens on January 15, 2022 at 9:47 pm

    I’m so glad you posted this. I’ve heard about bamboo plywood. So glad to learn more about it



  37. Darrell Reed on January 15, 2022 at 9:48 pm

    Not exactly affordable



  38. Tazante Nature on January 15, 2022 at 9:49 pm

    Bamboo has a secret, that nobody talks about. Bamboo is not a tree, bamboo is not wood. Bamboo is a weed.



  39. Jose V on January 15, 2022 at 9:49 pm

    Thanks! Great video. Would Bamboo be strong enough for a van build cabinetry?



  40. Steve Bettany on January 15, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    What a relief someone talking about wood instead of just making gadgets for the workshop. Thanks for some real information.



  41. James Spence on January 15, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    New?? – I remember trying it out after seeing a This Old House episode where Norm Abrams used it for some custom built-ins. Back in the mid 90’s.
    Found it prohibitively expensive then and it’s no better now. Most exotic’s are cheaper(though admittedly more wasteful).



  42. handyman on January 15, 2022 at 9:53 pm

    let us know when they start making 2×4’s with it, but it needs to cost a lot less



  43. Jonathan Peter on January 15, 2022 at 9:55 pm

    Is this channel still alive? I hope so I really learn a lot here



  44. PrincessTS01 on January 15, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    are your lumber prices out of normal right now?



  45. Starr Stewart on January 15, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    My adventure with the tree began with projects from Woodprix.



  46. Hisham Hamdan on January 15, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    Pro video.. From a pro.
    Well done from Syria.. All respect



  47. Fantasy Team Shorts on January 15, 2022 at 9:57 pm

    You didn’t mentioned the best advantage, it grows in just one and half year



  48. Bamboo Man on January 15, 2022 at 9:59 pm

    Looks awesome



  49. V on January 15, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    Bamboo is a strong as steel… The build scaffolding 6 – 7 stories high in Asia with it, have been for centuries.

    I lived in Asia for over a decade, and it’s used throughout Asia, has been like I mentioned for centuries



  50. Manfred Marshall on January 15, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    This is fantastic! Thank you Mark!
    Where can I source bamboo boards? Looking to build a cabin for the beach.