Post #776786 by Prikli Pear on Thu, Jun 8, 2017 12:40 PM

Incremental progress to share. For an array of reasons, I've decided to go with bamboo tambour panels for the wall. I liked the tortoise shell pattern, so went with that. In the process, I realized it would look good to clad the back bar in this, "tying the aesthetic together," so to speak. I found out what so many of you probably already know, that bamboo in almost any form doesn't like to absorb penetrative weather protectant. I ended up coating the tambour in clear Flood. Although the panels are sheltered directly from the elements, humidity can be high around here and I learned from the speakers that reflected UV is a concern.

I took the cabinet doors off the back bar and applied Titebond III to the edges and filled in the rest with Titebond II. Then I spread it evenly, more or less, with a folded scrap of paper.

Next, I laid the cut-to-size tambour panel atop the glue. The glue started oozing up between the slats, so I wiped it away then laid down a covering of wax paper. Atop this I laid scrap boards, which I then clamped tightly for 24 hours to allow the glue to set. The wax paper worked nicely--the excess glue didn't stick to it, and I was able to rub away the dried excess easily with my fingers.

Next, I needed handles for those cabinet doors. They're secured with magnet clasps, so they don't open easily. I'd harvested and torched some local bamboo back in December, and had it drying in the garage since then. I picked out some appropriately-sized pieces, used my band saw to cut to length and popped out the nodes. I marked and drilled holes where I thought the 2" bolts needed to go... maybe this is the point where I explain I really didn't know what I was doing? I had a vague notion how to make the handles, but having never done this before, wasn't sure it would work.

Regardless, I soon found that there was not enough clearance within the bamboo to insert the slender bolt through the hole. Hrm. Okay, so to address the problem I put the drill bit through the open node and enlarged the existing hole at an angle. Now I could slip those bolts into position!

I didn't want the bolt head tearing through the bamboo, though, so I added a washer for strength and durability. Alas, the bolt with the washer on it wouldn't fit through the node. I ended up slipping the washer in first, fishing the end of the bolt through it, then maneuvering the bolt into the hole. Not as simple as it sounds, with those darn washers skittering around inside the bamboo. But I eventually prevailed. Then repeated it five more times.

I cut a smaller piece of torched bamboo into 1/2 inch segments to sheath the bolt, then slipped the assembly through holes I'd marked and drilled through the cabinet doors. From the back side, I added a washer then tightened a nut on the bolt until the washer inside the handle bent into a shallow U shape.

Those handles, I'm happy to report, are pretty darn solid. They work well and look nicer than I expected. At some point I intend to seal off the holes in the handles at the nodes, otherwise I'll have mud daubers and spiders taking up residence. From prior experience, I've found that regular wood putty will crack when regularly stressed, so am not sure that'd be a good choice. I've used almond-colored silicone sealant to good effect, but it won't take a stain and won't be a close match for the color. What have other folks here used to seal up bamboo when needed?

As always, I've got a more detailed write-up on my blog.