Hello everyone, I just wrapped up a bamboo project, and it was fun, challenging, and time-consuming. This was a request from a previous client to recreate a full replica of a dilapidated handrail. I took it down, measured everything, and prefabricated the new pieces off-site. Bamboo definitely works differently from typical wood. It is strong and lightweight, but you have to respect it. Pre-drilling was key to avoiding splitting, and even then, you have to be careful. I also created multiple jigs to drill holes where the smaller bamboo pieces met at different angles. I used a hole saw to shape the ends so the transitions and joints aligned cleanly, held tightly, and followed the natural curvature of the poles. Fresh saw blades are a must since bamboo tends to splinter and peel. I did a light sanding and finished it with a protective sealant formulated for bamboo, which helped bring out the color and even everything out. I also incorporated braided seagrass accents to hide joints and transitions. It added a really nice texture and paired well with the bamboo. Overall, I am happy with how it turned out and would love to know what you think. It was a great change of pace from standard materials. I am heading back this weekend to finish a few sections with more braided seagrass and am considering adding a spar urethane to the seagrass portions for extra protection. Curious what others are doing for finishing and long-term durability with bamboo and seagrass... Update: Project complete; pics added. I decided against the urethane because I wanted the fibers of the grass too remain pliable and I already had a coat of sealer on them anyway; I just added another coat. Thanks for checking it out! -Mark

Hi everyone, my name is Levi. I started my woodworking journey around two years ago from making some wooden knifes, after some time I started to try to make some wooden yo-yos which got me to buy a lathe(my first power tool that I bought) that was last year in March. I am a Christian Home schooled teenager, if you would like to support me here's my YouTube channel and a link for my handmade wooden yo-yos. https://www.youtube.com/@levishandmadetoys https://shop.wwstudios.org/products/handmade-wooden-yoyo