Bamboo Stain for engraved art???

[Thaddeus Marckesano]

Aloha :)

I was hoping somebody on this forum could lend me some advice, I have been cutting sections of bamboo and carving with a knife designs on the sides while the bamboo is fresh and green on the outside. What results is the white "pulp" where I engraved surrounded by the fresh green skin... Looks nice until the bamboo dries and the green fades to a grey-ish tan and the carved area simply stays quite lighter, but not really visible -

I am trying to have the finished work show the engraving without fading - Is there a way to either preserve the original green of the skin, OR a way to stain the "pulp" as I call it which is the white underneath the skin so that when the green fades the carved area darkens or something???

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[CaroleMeckes]

Hello,
There is no way that I know of to preserve the green color of bamboo. (you can't stop nature)

Here are some ideas for what you can do to make your etchings show after the bamboo has dried:

* try to use some dye and immerse the bamboo in the dye solution

* use a majic marker

* use paint and rub it off the shiny bamboo surface - the paint will color the eching

* try rubbing the etched area with some berries or other natural dye

Carole

[seagatemike]

hi. hope this helps i have carved many tiki's out of palm trees as you know they are not trees but in the grass family like bamboo.to bring out the background contrast that the carving makes i use a torch and burn the palm which provides a dark counterpoint to the work. i have also carved and ingraved faces and designes on bamboo clums i use a torch and then sand the piece with a light grit sand paper.i also use a metal cicular grinder to make the designes which will leave a burned looking surface.you could which i have also done is to heat your metal tools to a high temp. and "brand" your designes into the clums. later mike