Phyllostachys nigra as a craft material

[Angel]

Hola Group,
First, my apologizes for language mistakes, I'm Argentine, Spanish native speaker. thanks for your patience...

Since I started my work with bamboo -1985- I love Ph. nigra.
but my experience with this material is that is very crackable.
I also see that the beautiful Ph. nigra henonis is very hard (good for your harps, Mark), but its culms also tend to collapse.
A time ago I got a couple of packets of Ph. nigra, very black ones, an inch or a bit more in basal diameter, short and marked internodes. Only a few of these culms cracked -well below the average for this specie.
It is an excelent material for small shakuhachi flutes, and also quenas, as well as many lamps-frames for Mariana.
When I got them, something told me that this was a good stuff -mean no cracks.
The wood of these no crackable nigras is not very hard, being the result flutes light, and it has a strong, strange smell, specially when you machine or sand it. Outside they were covered by a dark fungi, also smelly.

Any experience with Ph. nigra?

Saludos,
Angel

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Angel,
I too have noticed that Phyllostachys nigra, Ph.nigra'Bory' and Ph.nigra 'Henon' want to split open, usually a single line opening if it's a strong piece, and if it has been weathered, more cracks.
This doesn't happen to all of them, just more then some varieties.
I also have noticed that when purposefully splitting a piece with a cleaver/splitting knife, that it splits very smoothly.
It must have something to do with the lignins (sugar-starch-glue) between the fibers, possibly the thickness of the starchy stuff between the fibers,
and density too, so that when the strong fibers dry, it pulls apart a crack.

I've also noticed that pieces of (any) bamboo of less then about 1 inch (2cm), are less likely to split, if it is properly dried etc.
I have also used young poles of ph.nigra Hennon, and also Ph.dulcis (which also has a tendency to split), that were immature (probably 1-2 years old),and made pen/pencil holders vases etc.from the 2-3 inch dia.pieces. Though the wood was noticebly softer then a mature piece, these haven't split or cracked.
I think this is because the fibers haven't gotten strong enough to create tension, or that the starchy stuff between the fibers is more elastic.
Immature culms like this would break down fast if they were out in the weather.
I brush-coat the item with a water based acrylic `satin' sealer (a few light coats
works best - it dries in a few minutes), or use paste wax and have made
items for non-outdoor uses, and they are in great shape.
I know a flute maker who likes to use these immature pieces sometimes, to make beautiful end blown flutes.
They have a special quality of sound, because of the light density of the culm walls.

I also know of someone who uses large 4 inch(10cm) diameter Phyllostachys nigra `Hennon' to make long drums and dijeridoos (sp?).
He heats the outer surface of the GREEN/MATURE culm with a propane torch (after knocking out the inside node with a pipe).
Beswax is rubbed on and wiped off during the heating process, till the outside is darkened, looking like nigra...
Only a small percentage will split openafterwards, and if they split, they will do it during the final stages of the drying process (after it has been set aside for a couple weeks), and rarely there-after.
If they split open, then the piece is used for another project. :)

~ Mark