Wow those look great!

I know they have sealant wax as Dom mentioned. I thought they had a brand available named Sex Wax (yes, it's a real surf product)? Is that the one you were thinking?

I still think wrapping with string as decor would look good too.

There is a wood stabilizer that has been on the market for some time called "PEG" which is an acronym for Polyethelyne Glycol. Rockler and other woodworking merchants carry it.

I read about it in Fine Woodworking Magazine some years ago. I don't know how well it will work on bamboo.

There is another called Pentacryl that may also work.

One problem with resin based finishes is that they can shrink, so if you don't apply them both inside and out, they may cause the bamboo to warp, if that's possible.

Check this out Tabby:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5433805/description.html

Also, some info on asian flute makers techniques...

http://www.navaching.com/shaku/oil.html

and

http://www.primitiveways.com/bamboo%20(1).html

Bri

Cool everybody!! PEG and surfboard resin!! Ill check them out tonight when I get some chair time. Thanks Bri, for the links too.

Pete, you might be on to something. Kozak sent me a thread wrapping rig for flyrods. He wants me to build him a custom rod which Im working on in fits and spurts. Maybe a tight decorative wrap might be in order. I'll have to give it some thought.

Peace - Out!!

You can read that first one here, without having to register for Patent Storm:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parse....../5433805

No not wax! This is what I am referring to: http://www.foamez.com/glassing-resin-epoxy-c-3_33.html

My friends built their own boards and used this.

Cupamagically,
Dom

Wahooo! I've been wanting one of these for a long time. Just ordered mine. THANK YOU TABMAN!

Wahooo too. Thanks for ordering one of them. Ive been experimenting with the bamboo all day. I got in touch with James Tong and he will make some special balls to match the cups. I'll have a cup going to him in Malaysia next week. James originally tried to locate giant bamboo in Malaysia but wasn't able to. Funny I found some within a few miles up river here. It made me feel like an explorer and I found a hidden temple or something. Funny what makes us happy.

This picture is of my personal bamboo cup. Ive been using it awhile, banging it around. Today I coated it with two doses of polyurethane inside and out. You know you're spending way too much time with magic when you make your own bamboo chop chop theater for photography. That close up pad is by Patrick who does excellent work. Its a custom 7" pad especially for the bamboo box in the bg.


http://bamboochopcup.info

The cup is one I consider small and that's a 2" sponge ball in the picture.

Turns out the smaller sized bamboo cups are almost identical in size to the nice old leather dice cup Pete Biro gave me about 20 years ago when he showed me the basic moves for dice stacking. Ive enjoyed doing it since then and have spent a lot of time with the leather cup in my right hand. I found it interesting that I crafted some bamboo cups to the same size naturally.

Here's a picture of my personal bamboo chop cup and the leather one Pete gave me about 20 years ago. The sides of the bamboo cups are straight and allow for stacking.

I'll keep working on the bamboo cups and looking for more magic with bamboo projects. And I like the idea of the natural materials and the primative look and feel of them.



My thoughts on splitting are this: If a cup cracks during the first year and you don't like it any more just mail it back to me and I'll mail you another similar one. It would be great if you'd include postage but not necessary. After the first year and for my lifetime just put a tenner in the cup and mail it back to me and Ill be happy to send you another.

I think this is a pretty good way to approach the natural splitting of bamboo. Remember not all bamboo cups will split but it sometimes does. This way you won't be stuck with a cup you can't use or don't want to.

There's more coming but this is a good place to start. Thanks for the great information and participation.

What if you have one from Tabman and store it in a damp place, maybe soak in water every couple of months.

OK, I'll try it.

Right now Im drying them in the barn and moving them around some. Ive about 50 cups in various stages of dry right now.

Jim Riser told me he made some "bamboo" cups from PVC pipe and turned them on a lathe to resemble bamboo. Jim is an amazing craftsman with a lathe but I still like the naturalness of the native bamboo.

Epoxy in a lining of thin plastic?

That's a similar solution to the surfboard resin which is basically fiberglass resin and I will definately try it on the inside. The natural patina of the bamboo outside is nice looking to me and feels good in the hands.

Now that MY cup with the polyurethane coating has had a couple days to get really dry it looks good and feels good too.

They coat a lot of wood boats with epoxy paint these days. I'll have to check to see if I can get it in a clear spray. That might be good too.

Thanks for all the tips, and thanks for taking a chance and ordering a Bamboo Chop Cup or three from me. Remember, lifetime replacement guarantee.

Krylon used to make a clear epoxy spray. I must have purchased a dozen or so cans of it. Then it seemed to disappear. Bummer.

Thanks. I'm going on a hunt for clear epoxy tomorrow.

Posted: Mar 29, 2010 12:16am
... OK, today I brought home a couple different clear plastic sprays. I have a dozen cups that I will coat tomorrow. The bags I started with are not quite what I wanted but Ive got the "right" ones coming in on Tuesday so I'll be packing the cups on Wednesday and shipping on Thursday. This is a fun project. Thanks for y'alls participation.

Tabby:

That's fine! I'm not in a big hurry. I appreciate the fact that you are doing this right.

That's great. Ive been working at a fevered pitch the past few months. I appreciate the fact that you will let me catch my breath. From one old man to another, thanks a million.

My grandkids are here for a couple days anyway. My oldest grandson is into magic. He's 13 and is very knowledgable because of the internet and especially Youtube. It's obviously more than just a casual interest. He's planning to hang out with me in the shop tomorrow.

Thanks for the gift of time.

I'll second what Bill said. Do what you need to do. And add as always, let me know how I can help.

Bill, does the Krylon, get old or stale? If not, I got a can for you!

Thanks kind sirs. I will start shipping mid week next and will let everybody know via this thread.