Bamboo for stickers

[gemniii]

I've got a lot of bamboo. Has anyone tried using them for stickers?

 

[2506]

Not a Good Idea

The bamboo will probably get crushed, and it is not of a consistent diameter.

 

[brookpederson]

I agree with the inconsistent size theory. But I don't think 1" bamboo would crush that easily. One could run a experiment to find out,
but if it failed all you would have is some busted bamboo and a bunch of warped twisty boards.

 

[imagineero]

I'd be thinking no.

Flat stock has been the way to go, of a consistent thickness for each sticker and stickered at intervals dependant on the weight of the slabs and height fo the stack, can be one every couple feet. If you're using, say, 1/2" stickers then they all need to be 1/2" or pretty close. Bamboo is going to be round for starters, of inconsistent diameter, and containing knuckles. You might as well ask the question "how about using twigs for stickers?"

The second issue is compatibility with the timber being milled. In my limited milling experience I've always used stickers made from the offcuts of the same log, because it reduces the chances of incompatibility and staining. Be a shame to Spend all that time falling, bucking, milling, loading, stickering and drying... only to find after a year or so that your lumber is all stained, bowed and warped.

You may have plenty of bamboo kicking around, but you'll also have plenty of offcuts from the logs you are milling. Use the offcuts from the logs you are milling.

Shaun

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't worry about useing the same specie, and i don't have staining, BUT i DO make sure my stickers are DRY! I mill them ahead of time, bundle them and always use DRY stickers.

I mill flitches off a short log, stack them together on edge and make stickers!

I like them at least 3/4" square and mine run 7/8" because that's a easy setting to use on my mills setworks,

They dry right in the bundle, and the straps keep them straight.

I'm betting bamboo won't work for the reasons already stated.

SR

 

[imagineero]

Nice post!

How long do you dry them for?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Nice post!

How long do you dry them for?

I keep them where they will not get wet and have plenty of air get to them, so a month or two is plenty, BUT i cut them waaay ahead of that, so i never run out. Also, i like to have some around, in case someone else comes by and needs a few.

The guys that buy a new starter BSM, the first things they should mill is stickers, and bunks to put their mill on. Also 6x6's to stack lumber on. All of those are good things to learn how to use your new mill, and all of them are things you will need the day you start milling. AND, all of them can be milled out of short low quality logs.

SR

 

[Cody Colston]

The guys that buy a new starter BSM, the first things they should mill is stickers, and bunks to put their mill on.

Amen. I bought my mill second-hand and it came with laminated 2"x6" bunks but one can never have too many stickers.

Sticker species doesn't matter as long as they are dry. I save flitches and mill my stickers on the tablesaw vs using the sawmill. I mill them 3/4" square and 48" long. I have a bunch out of Pine, some Cedar and even some Walnut stickers.

 

[brookpederson]

I heard someone say once that each sticker is worth about $1.00 apiece. That seems about right to me.

 

[Nato]

i use surveyors lath and my cut offs. i rip the lath in half on my table saw. i can get a bundle of 50 lath for ten bucks. so far they seem to be working great.

 

[gemniii]

I was only asking if anyone had tried it.
Since it seems noone has I might as well experiment.

Back in the early '90's a hardware chain was closing down and they had just put some 1x2x10' lathing out for clearance. I asked the manager how much, he sold me the entire stack for $10, it was a 4' high stack, 4'+wide and half filled my full size Dodge van with the seats out. I've about a quarter of it left so I still have a lot of sticker material.

But the bamboo looked interesting, and I always liked big bamboo.

 

[BobL]

The last thing I want to look at is bamboo. I spent a couple of hours of the last 3 weekends grubbing out a small (2 x 5 ft) patch of Japanese bamboo (It's almost as tall but thinner than the regular stuff) from our back garden. I had it contained from spreading into the rest of the garden by a limestone block wall but it got through a 1" gap at the back and was moving quickly into the adjacent garden bed. The process started with pruning the top off with the 441 and the grubbing the roots out with pick, axe and crow bar.

Back to the OT - I would't I use bamboo.