Domebuilding: Day One
January 13th, 2009
The bamboo I’m working with is an interesting local variety; some call it “Oregon Bamboo” but I have no idea what the latin name is. I harvested a bunch of this years ago, using a Forest Service permit to remove non-native species from parks. Unlike store-bought, kiln-dried bamboo, this stuff doesn’t split and remains fairly flexible. I love working with it. It has an interesting anatomical feature: each node is armored with a single flat-growing leaf that wraps almost the entire surface. So I have to “shell” each node by twisting the leaf until it breaks off. Somehow it reminds me of unwrapping fine cigars. Also, the leaves of this bamboo are slightly itchy — unless you’re allergic, like my friend Chet, in which case they’re extremely itchy and will cause you to break out in hives. So no leaves, please.
Because I left my pile of bamboo sitting outside for years in slightly damp conditions, a black must began growing on the uncovered ends, feeding on the natural waxy coating of the bamboo. So before I can use the stuff, I have to wash it off with some Murphy’s Oil Soap and some bleach.
Cleans up nice, don’t it?
Unfortunately, it looks like I don’t have nearly enough of the stuff to finish my dome. I have some other bamboo, but it’s all either too stiff or too brittle. Thursday I’m headed to my local State Park with a bamboo-cutting permit, hoping to bag 100 more sticks without significantly ruining the landscape.