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Post by jackteach on Jul 2, 2018 9:37:11 GMT
I spent the last few years looking into Bamboo as a timber replacement for boat building...
After a while, I came to the same conclusion as every other boat builder, Bamboo is not a good timber replacement for traditional boat building. Why, upon impact it splits; not good for a boat hull or any other water tight structure.
However, the benefits of Bamboo as a sustainable, fast growing material is glaringly obvious. So, there must be a way of using it?
Well, there is a way, but you need to look at Bamboo for what it is.
Bamboo is a grass, and grass is a fibre, with a very weak cross linking holding the individual fibres together. Unlike wood, which has in comparison very strong cross linking between the fibres. Which is why wood has been so successful as a construction material.
So how do you use Bamboo? Don't look at is as wood for start. Treat it as, what it is, a weakly cross linked unidirectional fibre. In the same way you would treat a unidirectional fibre in composite construction.
The best boat building method I can see for Bamboo is Cold Molding. By laying up each layer 90 degrees to the one below it; Bamboo's weakness can be used as a strength. Combine this with other bio-composites, such as SAP Sugar epoxy resins, Flax & Hemp fibres, you could literally "grow" a hull or a seastead module.
What do you think? Am I on to something, or am I barking up the wrong Bamboo shoot?
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Post by jeff on Jul 3, 2018 5:17:39 GMT
I love the Bamboo sheets we have. It is, indeed a great fiber. Have you looked into Bamboo as a total fiberglass replacement? I know there is a surfboard manufacturer that uses it.
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Post by jackteach on Jul 3, 2018 7:07:24 GMT
Yes I have seen the glass replacement, we've got a load of Bamboo cloth products, bedding, towels etc Bought it to see what it is like, for sheets & towels it's great, and clothing too. However, it's about twice the weight of the same cotton product.
I think it'll be an even better hull material, using more like a core material, and to give that "wooden" boat look and feel.
I'd be interested to see how it would perform if used for masts & spars.
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Post by jeff on Jul 3, 2018 8:10:21 GMT
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Post by jackteach on Jul 3, 2018 10:58:46 GMT
Only a Bamboo veneer by the sound of it, the rest is Carbon Fibre... At least that shows it's being used.
Need to dig deeper...
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