What can I do with a ton of cut bamboo?
September 14, 2006 1:56 PM Subscribe
One of my neighbors has been 'pruning' his 30ft-high bamboo forest recently, and being a bit of a scavenger I've been taking the 5ft lengths he's chopped and storing them in my shed. It seems such a waste to have them shredded.
Having grabbed all this lovely bamboo, I'm now at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. I've made a couple of little holders for odds-and-ends (like my toothbrush), but I'm wondering if there's a great resource out there that would give me some more ambitious ideas.
What would you do with a shed full of bamboo?
(Diameters of the bamboo range from twigs up to 5 inches thick.)
American Bamboo Society
Personally, I'd build a bike. calfee's bamboo bikes are some of the sexiest frames I've ever seen.
posted by gally99 at 2:03 PM on September 14, 2006
Personally, I'd build a bike. calfee's bamboo bikes are some of the sexiest frames I've ever seen.
posted by gally99 at 2:03 PM on September 14, 2006
A raft?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 2:06 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by JohnnyGunn at 2:06 PM on September 14, 2006
Flutes, frames, flooring, flyrods, flyswatters.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:07 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:07 PM on September 14, 2006
I vote for a bike also.
A few more brainstorm ideas:
-Some picture frames.
-A floor lamp.
-A ladder
-wind chimes
posted by gauchodaspampas at 3:13 PM on September 14, 2006
A few more brainstorm ideas:
-Some picture frames.
-A floor lamp.
-A ladder
-wind chimes
posted by gauchodaspampas at 3:13 PM on September 14, 2006
Also, thanks to a brief stint years ago at a temporary zoo panda exhibit, I can report that old, brown bamboo won't be much use to a panda.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 3:15 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 3:15 PM on September 14, 2006
You can make a Bamboo Didgeridoo, but I would be careful about not letting it dry out too much, as they can crack. (I had a beautiful one made by a friend that broke that way, due to electric heating).
posted by jb at 3:18 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by jb at 3:18 PM on September 14, 2006
So much less interesting that previous suggestions, but my darling girlfriend uses them to tie up tomato plants or other vines. Much more attractive than those ugly wire things.
posted by phearlez at 3:54 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by phearlez at 3:54 PM on September 14, 2006
You can make plant stakes to hold heavy blooms (like Peonies) using slender stems stuck in the ground with the branches trimmed to leave a bit sticking up, then wrap/weave the stripped branches into hoops and pop the hoops onto the little "hooks" (bits of branch untrimmed). Wish I had a diagram, it's easier - but you may get the idea. The hoops have to be done when the bamboo is still fresh, but you could make/store them for all your gardening friends (just get the hoop diameters first).
posted by dbmcd at 3:57 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by dbmcd at 3:57 PM on September 14, 2006
How about a shakuhachi for the bigger stuff?
Or go wild and make a bamboo pipe organ.
You might settle on pan pipes for the smaller stuff.
posted by plinth at 5:38 PM on September 14, 2006
Or go wild and make a bamboo pipe organ.
You might settle on pan pipes for the smaller stuff.
posted by plinth at 5:38 PM on September 14, 2006
Stakes/scaffolding for vines (start your own hops farm!)
posted by casarkos at 7:18 PM on September 14, 2006
posted by casarkos at 7:18 PM on September 14, 2006
I would select a few large-diameter lengths and try to cut radial slices from them for use in basket-weaving, like the old asian guy did in that film I saw at the Smithsonian several years ago. He made it look easy.
posted by Rash at 9:18 AM on September 15, 2006
posted by Rash at 9:18 AM on September 15, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Ostara at 2:02 PM on September 14, 2006