Bending Bamboo

After more work on the driveway this morning, we went up to our workshop to learn about bending bamboo. The most basic bamboo bending technique is quite simple: add heat to a bamboo pole and bend as needed. We used a propane torch, and experimented with different bamboo species and varying degrees of dryness. In our rather unscientific analysis, we found that partially dried guadua (a few weeks after cutting, but still green) seemed to yield the best results. It’s important to gradually heat the pole rather than burn it too quickly, as the pole can split if there is too much pressure or heat applied at once.