# glassed bamboo pushpole (?)



## robbiewall

Anyone try it? I just started a soak on a nice piece about 16ft and am going to give it a shot. Will probably end up heavy but its worth a try, was wearing through untreated pieces about every three months. any pointers welcome, plan is to soak for a month they dry it flat and strapped in place to help straighten it.


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## skinny_water

Have you thought about heat treating a piece instead? No need to add glass afterwards. 

http://whambamboo.org/2010/06/heat-treating-bamboo/


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## robbiewall

thats what i have been doing for the past year. they last about 10 trips and have nothing for a foot. I'm loking to do a paddle/foot type end. we will see how heavy it gets-


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## WhiteDog70810

I have considered this quite often, but I just can't see how I'd get a good product out of the deal. You'd have to spiral presaturated 4 oz FG tape up the pole and I think you'd still get terrible wrinkles in addition to the ridges from tape overlap because of the taper. Maybe if you had a buddy rotate the pole while you keep slight tension on the tape...? I wish you the best and hope you prove me wrong. I am just going to get a 14 ft closet dowel, coat it with neat epoxy and paint it. Once I can afford a 20 ft Loop, I'll upgrade.

Nate


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## fishy82

I will be doing one soon. Vac bagged epoxy. Tape will give more wrinkles and ridges, so I will be using the leftover 4oz I cut off while glassing surfboards. Will let you know how it turns out.


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## mmurray

you could also use a fiberglass or carbon sleeve, that would eliminate any seams and minimize the wrinkles.


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## fishy82

Baydog, I am not familiar with sleeves.. Any more info would be great


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## Rooster

I went with the Home Depot closet rod route and (I think) that it works quite well. I made mine 15' and it weighs around 6 lbs. - a little more than I would have liked but it serves for now and seems indistructable. I put a cap on the end and even fashioned some "feet" by a combo of pvc supplies...


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## mmurray

Google Soller composites. They have all different sizes of sleeves in different weights and the prices are pretty good. 
the tricky part would be getting a good 360deg bond on all parts of the bamboo. Vacuum bagging would be ideal but it could be done without.
It would also help if the bamboo is pretty consistent in diameter for the whole length.


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## fishy82

Thanks bay, in that case I will use something else other than bamboo.. I might look into and aluminum male mold.. Thanks for the info


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## paint it black

One could also consider looking into buying a real push pole.....
just saying....

If one cannot afford new, there's some great deals on used poles to be found.


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## robbiewall

I'm hoping to be able to do a decent job with light tape pre-soaked and someone turning it as i wrap tight. 

Got a 18ft section soaking in a PVC chamber right now, hoping to leach out starch and also take some memory out to straighten. Will dry it either on a tray made of riped PVC or some other straight edge, loosely ziptied every foot or so and rotating daily. we will see...


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## robbiewall

> One could also consider looking into buying a real push pole.....
> just saying....
> 
> If one cannot afford new, there's some great deals on used poles to be found.


why fish? can just go buy em at whole foods...

:


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## paint it black

I guess since a push pole is one of the most important things to me, I see it differently. That's why I have a 23.5' loop push pole...


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## fishy82

> One could also consider looking into buying a real push pole.....
> just saying....
> 
> If one cannot afford new, there's some great deals on used poles to be found.



I have 3. For me this is just for the fun of it.


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## Megalops

I'm getting into this one late, but anyone watch Bucaneers and Bones?  Had a guide in the Bahama's poling a Dolphin skiff with a pole made from a young pine tree. It was doing the job, but dang, what a workout.


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## robbiewall




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## nate.

ADMIN EDIT:


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## DSampiero

Nate, buddy, I think we don't say things like that..


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## cutrunner

Im late to this too, but i gotta say im kinda on both sides with this.
If i poled 10 hours a day like paint it black i would have the same thoughts, but on the other hand, if one was to own an original fibercraft or challenger, the bamboo push pole would look pretty nostalgic and cool. 

Back in the days (1950's) what do you think outriggers on ocean boats were made of?
You guessed it Bamboo.
Now all the hype is carbon fiber, too bad it snaps in rough seas... Lol


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## robbiewall

anyone who tries this in the future the fiberglass drywall joint-tape may have been a mistake. It molded to the pole great in dry runs but the epoxy made it kick up, especially the edges. still couldn't beat the price though.


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## Andrewp

So .............. I wonder if in the next version you try a regular strip of cloth -- something smooth and silky so it's not as rough. Don't want too heavy a weave of cloth so you don't drink up the epoxy (and make it heavier) but enough so you get the spiral strength you were looking for.

Ahh, just a thought ..... still, good job doing it. 

AP


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## beyondhelp

Thanks for posting, I was considering doing the same thing. I think there's still a big stand of bamboo at my dad's house. 

I tried the closet rod, way too heavy and wasn't long enough. I'll buy a real one eventually but I like making stuff.


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## robbiewall

soaking worked very well, its like light balsa wood after that and drying/sanding. build a 1 1/2-2" pvc tube the length you need with a valve at the bottom and strap it to a wall. just swap the water often. 










If you could find a 3oz 2-3" good glass tape cheep that would be the way to go.


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## Rediculous

I have a 20' bamboo push pole, I got it already dried and just sanded and put several coats of marine spar. I made the foot out of a "Y" of a oak branch. It looks as good as the day I made it and it's about 6 months old. weighs about 7-8 pounds, a little heavy but only about 30 bucks in material.


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