Tiki Central / Tiki Carving
Making Fake Bamboo
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pariartspaul
Posted
posted
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12/22/2003
Here are some tips on making fake bamboo for your backyard projects that will last for years and years:
I tried this on one of those pvc mister kits and it turned out great! You can make just about anything you can dream up with these two methods. If anyone has any other ideas I'd love to hear about them! |
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FLOUNDERart
Posted
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12/22/2003
Lets see some photos. |
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pariartspaul
Posted
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12/22/2003
Okay, hope these images upload okay, I'm just learning how to do it! This is a project I did about 5 years ago in our old house - converted a 1935 garage into a tiki bar. In the first picture you can see welded steel for the overhang supports and also for the window on the right. The steel was attached into the framework before the stucco was applied to the building. On the far right what looks like a bamboo ladder is made of welded steel and was bolted to the wall to provide access to the roof. In the second picture you see welded steel doors made of steel tubes painted to look like bamboo. The bamboo in the center under the overhang is actually a functional drainpipe and it is made of pvc. The third picture is a far shot of the same building about a year later. Look closely and you will see a waterfall on the right overhang falling into the pool. There is a fake water tower up on the roof and it looks like the water is being fed from the tower via bamboo (pvc) piping - but the waterfall is fed from the pool from a hidden pipe and routed up to the overhang. You can see a lot more pictures of the finished project at: [ Edited by: pariartspaul on 2003-12-22 15:11 ] |
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Kono
Posted
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12/23/2003
Damn, it looks like your taking things to a new level of unattainability. In other words...awesome work! Me? I can't even hang my pictures right. :( |
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TikiStitch
Posted
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12/23/2003
That is the most beautiful backyard i've ever seen! Absolutely incredible! Keep the tips coming guys. Thanks so much! |
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Swanky
Posted
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12/23/2003
The Mai Kai sign actually had me fooled. It is of course steel, about 6 inches in diameter, but painted to look like bamboo. I felt like such a dolt when I had to touch it to be sure. So much creativity in the tiki community! |
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Traderpup
Posted
posted
on
12/23/2003
I am absolutely amazed....! Must.... go.... spend..... countless hours.... working on East Indies Room..... to... catch.... up....... !!! Incredible work.... I'd love the chance to see in person some time! |
BS
Bike Shack
Posted
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12/26/2003
Hi all |
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DawnTiki
Posted
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12/27/2003
|
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pariartspaul
Posted
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12/27/2003
Yes, that's exactly it! And a great job too, the paint looks real good. Too cool! |
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Swanky
Posted
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12/27/2003
But we must add lots of twine wrap on that bike's joints to make it "right." ; ) |
BS
Bike Shack
Posted
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01/02/2004
Hi all |
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RevBambooBen
Posted
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01/02/2004
Bike Shack- You ever been to Sams? Tons of square Bamboo in the bar. It was real popular a while back. Edit your post fast and no one will even notice. There is such a thing as squared bamboo. |
BS
Bike Shack
Posted
posted
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01/02/2004
Hi |
TH
Thorsten Hasenkamm
Posted
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01/02/2004
VERY nice backyard! |
TT
Tacky Tiki
Posted
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01/06/2004
Hi guys! How about paint colors? Any that work better than others? I'm a landscape design student and I'd love to be able to make some fake bamboo! Bondo-at auto parts stores? Mahalo! :drink: Tacky |
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pariartspaul
Posted
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01/06/2004
Yes, Bondo that you get at the auto parts place is the stuff! You have maybe 5 minutes to work with it before it get rock hard. After you can sand it. |
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Biotron2000
Posted
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03/18/2004
Would you (or anyone) mind sharing the painting techniques used to attain the bamboo look? I can roll paint onto a wall but my expertise ends there. :) |
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pariartspaul
Posted
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03/21/2004
Yes, as I said Rustoleum works really well on the metal and bondo. I use the regular glossy Rustoleum, it gives a nice finish. First a light sanding overall, then I mix an ochre type color for the base coat using Rustoleum's off the shelf yellow ochre mixed with just a little brown and white to tone it down and give a more natural look. Then let it dry all day. |
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captnkirk
Posted
posted
on
03/29/2004
I have seen the PVC bamboo before, but it was a commercial product called "Duracane". It is PVC and already painted exactly like bamboo some one in Flordia sells it. |
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tikiboy
Posted
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03/31/2004
This PVC trick works great. I used it for a bar rail around the edge of my Tiki Bar. I used 2inch PVC and glued it together using elbows at the corners. Next I used Plumbers Putty, a epoxy product with the consistancy of clay. I just sliced off a piece of it, kneaded it until pliable, then wrappped it around the PVC and formed it into a ridge like bamboo has at the joints. I even poked it with a pointy stick to form the little holes where the branches would have been. A little sanding and paint and Voila, Instant Bamboo. |
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pariartspaul
Posted
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03/31/2004
tikiboy, great tip! That plummer's putty is amazing stuff, it can get it expensive if you need to to a lot of areas, but it does sculpt wonderfully and dries rock hard. |
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Spaceboy
Posted
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08/01/2007
I just tried the score with a knife and blow torch method on some old PVC I had laying around. Wow! I was amazed. Look: This is just painted with amber shellac afterward, no paint. I'm sure with some paint it would look better. I think the shellac melts the surface of the PVC a little, so it's difficult to get a smooth coat. It's easy to bend the PVC once it's hot. You can make it slightly crooked if you want and you can control how much the nodes bulge out by compressing or pulling the segments. The thinner PVC works better (faster). Thanks Paul! -Don |
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tikiskip
Posted
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08/02/2007
Those look great Don! |
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Tornhalo
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08/02/2007
I'd really like to see a step by step photo series for that one Spaceboy.. |
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Vinman
Posted
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08/02/2007
Wow, that looks great. I'm definitely gonna have to try that for some of my backyard projects. What is the diameter of the larger piece in that picture? |
JC
Jeff Central
Posted
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08/02/2007
:o |
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Benzart
Posted
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08/02/2007
COOL! |
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harro
Posted
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08/03/2007
great thread!!! |
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Spaceboy
Posted
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08/03/2007
Thanks. It's a piece of schedule 40 2" (inside diameter) pipe. The smaller one I believe is schedule 20 1.5" |
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Tiki-Atari
Posted
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08/08/2007
Wow. Just wow. I'd like to second the request for the step by step (such as can be done). |
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Vinman
Posted
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09/09/2007
Here is my attempt at PVC bamboo. I used 1 1/4 160 psi pipe from Lowes I sanded off the printing and rip sawed it into half round. Next I scored with a carpet knife and used a butane torch to create the nodes. Then they were painted with Krylon Fusion spray paint, glossy buttercream color and finally a coat of thinned amber shellac. These are gonna go on my pool shed with some Lauhala matting to create a hut facade. I'll post pics of the final product when we are through.
|
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TheBigT
Posted
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09/10/2007
Pretty amazing results - wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the pics! |
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Bogielocks
Posted
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09/21/2007
Hey experienced fake bamboo makers... I found some cheap plastic shelving at a local store for $6. My plan is to show some of my mugs on them. I was wondering if it would be easy to turn these shelves into a fake bamboo shelf? One problem I have is they are a black pvc plastic. Any ideas if it would work with black? Maybe painting white first. Too much trouble? Hey, maybe I'll find some white ones at another of the same store chain. Here's what they look like, just so you have an idea... Cheers! Rick |
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Vinman
Posted
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09/21/2007
Well white tubing would be better, but Krylon Fusion would probably cover well enough to hide the black. I found the buttercream color to be just about perfect as a base coat. |
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Benzart
Posted
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09/21/2007
Are you sure that's not the real Stuff and you're not trying to pull the bamboo over our eyes? |
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Bogielocks
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09/21/2007
Hey Vinman, Thanks for the pointers. While shopping today I found a few identical shelves in white. Woo Hoo! I'll keep ya posted on how they turn out. Cheers! Rick |
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Vinman
Posted
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09/22/2007
Benzart- It's 100% fake I swear. Bogielocks- If you use the torch method to create the bamboo nodes be very careful not to over do it or your shelves might wind up crooked and it could weaken them. Can't wait to see how it turns out. Good luck. |
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CheekyGirl
Posted
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09/22/2007
Wow, looks great. Can't wait to try these methods. |
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Vinman
Posted
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09/24/2007
Here's where the lions share of my faux bamboo went...
|
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djflex
Posted
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on
12/30/2008
Hello everybody, well it was christmas and my lovely New Caledonian wife wanted something special so i went to the nearest hardware store and bought a heap of stuff to build my first water feature as a gift. here is the result. let me know what you think? |
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kountzyro
Posted
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12/30/2008
I'm in the scenery business, so I know a good fake-bamboo when I see it. And I must say damn fine results all around. |
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Vinman
Posted
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12/30/2008
Looks great! You have a much better touch with the larger stuff than I do. |
PT
pia tiki
Posted
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02/06/2009
This is a lamp I made in my dorm. Well, went outside for the blowtorching and spraypainting. I must say, I got plenty of odd looks from the drunks wandering by. With Flash Without flash Also, I have it plugged into one of those remote controll outlets you can get during Christmas so i can operate it with the push of a button. Keeps the ladies impressed. :P |
BD
big daddy
Posted
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02/06/2009
the clapper. you rock. bd |
BD
big daddy
Posted
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02/06/2009
seriously, nice work |
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seeksurf
Posted
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02/06/2009
Nice work on sprucing up the yard. I like the lamp looks like you |
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DejaVoodoo
Posted
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03/19/2010
It's next to impossible to find large diameter bamboo poles in the north east part of the country. Sure I can order it online but shipping ain't cheap and I'm on a budget! Plus, I only need a few pieces. So...I think I'm gonna try my hand at the PVC bamboo. I love a good faux painting project and this just sounds too easy NOT to try! There's just one snag in my plan. I don't have a table saw and can't quite figure out how to rip the pipe down the center so I have two pieces with a flat back. If I buy my PVC at Lowe's or Home Depot, do you think they'd be willing to cut it for me? Also, is it better to slice the PVC in half AFTER you've done the torching for the knuckles or can I do it beforehand? Thanks! |