Best tool to cut bamboo?

[Dan Epstein]

I've got uncontrolled bamboo forest with stalks rising to approx 40-50
ft (some black, some green in color). Stalks have a diameter of approx.
2" as the base, max. (I would guess).

Is it best to cut the bamboo stalks with a BYPASS looper or with an
ANVIL looper? Are there any recommendations? I'm looking at Fiskars
and Gardena brands (amazon.com).

I've been using an anvil looper approx. 24" in length but the blade is
now very dull and can't be easily sharpened, nor replaced.

My guess is that bypass loopers must be much more robust than anvil
loopers as the two blades can get pushed apart and the slippery bamboo
get stuck between the blades as they "bypass" each other. Therefore I'm
gravitating towards an anvil looper.

Thanks much for your advice!

Dan

[Beecrofter]

I've been using an anvil looper approx. 24" in length but the blade is
> now very dull and can't be easily sharpened, nor replaced.


There is nothing difficult about sharpening this tool.
It can be done with little more than 220 grit silicon carbide
sandpaper glued to a wooden paint stirrer.
Some are even soft enough to file.
A scythe stone would be good too.

[Dan Epstein]

On 3 Apr 2003 09:24:39 -0800, (Beecrofter) wrote:

>
>
>There is nothing difficult about sharpening this tool.

Thanks but that does not answer my question, which is as follows:

Is it best to cut the bamboo stalks of 2" diameter approx. with a BYPASS
looper or with an ANVIL looper?

Here's the full msg:

I've got uncontrolled bamboo forest with stalks rising to approx 40-50
ft (some black, some green in color). Stalks have a diameter of approx.
2" as the base, max. (I would guess).

Is it best to cut the bamboo stalks with a BYPASS looper or with an
ANVIL looper? Are there any recommendations? I'm looking at Fiskars
and Gardena brands (amazon.com).

I've been using an anvil looper approx. 24" in length but the blade is
now very dull and can't be easily sharpened, nor replaced.

My guess is that bypass loopers must be much more robust than anvil
loopers as the two blades can get pushed apart and the slippery bamboo
get stuck between the blades as they "bypass" each other. Therefore I'm
gravitating towards an anvil looper.

Thanks much for your advice!

Dan

[Chris]

Dan Epstein > wrote in message >
>

Dan,

The best way to deal with the uncontrolled bamboo problem is to mow
down the shoots as they come in. As they are shooting, they are very
soft and easy to cut down, you can even kick them over. Large timber
bamboo (as you are describing) will shoot April, May and June, with
some wimpy shoots about a month on either side of it.

As for cutting down established and hardened off culms, good luck.
I've used a sawzall and a chainsaw. They are both pretty effective,
but the "fiberglass" nature of the plant will dull many blades.

Ask around if there are people in your area interested in it. You
described what sounds like Phylostachys Nigra "Bory", usually pretty
sought after. Some people will be happy to help you harvest your
problem. What part of the world are you in?

Good luck!

Chris
Chino,CA

[Dan Epstein]

Thanks, Chris. I'm in the SF Bay Area.

BTW: the best way to manage the shoots seems to be to let them grow to
5-6 ft. and then snap them off. Otherwise they just keep coming up.
Folklore has it that once the bamboo root structure musters the energy
to drive the shoots to that height and then gets cut down, it can't
muster enough to continue spreading. In any case it seems to work for
the new shoots.

Dan

On 3 Apr 2003 20:44:39 -0800, (Chris) wrote:

>Dan Epstein > wrote in message >
>>
>
>Dan,
>
>The best way to deal with the uncontrolled bamboo problem is to mow
>down the shoots as they come in. As they are shooting, they are very
>soft and easy to cut down, you can even kick them over. Large timber
>bamboo (as you are describing) will shoot April, May and June, with
>some wimpy shoots about a month on either side of it.
>
>As for cutting down established and hardened off culms, good luck.
>I've used a sawzall and a chainsaw. They are both pretty effective,
>but the "fiberglass" nature of the plant will dull many blades.
>
>Ask around if there are people in your area interested in it. You
>described what sounds like Phylostachys Nigra "Bory", usually pretty
>sought after. Some people will be happy to help you harvest your
>problem. What part of the world are you in?
>
>Good luck!
>
>Chris
>Chino,CA

[Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.]

Chris wrote:
>
> Dan Epstein > wrote in message >
> >
>
> Dan,
>
> The best way to deal with the uncontrolled bamboo problem is to mow
> down the shoots as they come in. As they are shooting, they are very
> soft and easy to cut down, you can even kick them over. Large timber
> bamboo (as you are describing) will shoot April, May and June, with
> some wimpy shoots about a month on either side of it.
>
> As for cutting down established and hardened off culms, good luck.
> I've used a sawzall and a chainsaw. They are both pretty effective,
> but the "fiberglass" nature of the plant will dull many blades.
>
> Ask around if there are people in your area interested in it. You
> described what sounds like Phylostachys Nigra "Bory", usually pretty
> sought after. Some people will be happy to help you harvest your
> problem. What part of the world are you in?
>
> Good luck!
>
> Chris
> Chino,CA

How about a Japanese Ryoba or Dozuki-style pull saw? I've seen very
similar tools marketed under the "Shark Saw" and Stanley brands.

[plantsman]

Unless you've got plenty of time and energy to spare, I'd use a small
chainsaw. The silica in mature culms will dull most cutters fairly quickly.
Forget anvil-type cutters, they just smash and splinter any culms that are
very large. If you insist of upon using a bypass shear, get a good one that
has ratcheting action. It will make larger cuts much easier.

David

"Dan Epstein" > wrote in message
...
> I've got uncontrolled bamboo forest with stalks rising to approx 40-50
> ft (some black, some green in color). Stalks have a diameter of approx.
> 2" as the base, max. (I would guess).
>
> Is it best to cut the bamboo stalks with a BYPASS looper or with an
> ANVIL looper? Are there any recommendations? I'm looking at Fiskars
> and Gardena brands (amazon.com).
>
> I've been using an anvil looper approx. 24" in length but the blade is
> now very dull and can't be easily sharpened, nor replaced.
>
> My guess is that bypass loopers must be much more robust than anvil
> loopers as the two blades can get pushed apart and the slippery bamboo
> get stuck between the blades as they "bypass" each other. Therefore I'm
> gravitating towards an anvil looper.
>
> Thanks much for your advice!
>
> Dan
>
>
>
>
>
>

[Robert L. Chehey]

There is a cutter designed for cutting black polyethylene tubing, up to 2"
in diameter. you can find it in the sprinkler irrigation repair section of
any store, like Fred Meyer or Home Depot. It looks like a pair of pliers,
one side of which is made of plastic and is concave to recieve the pipe. The
other side has a thin sharp blade. If you want to use the mature culms,
this device will cut them easily, if you rotate it around the culm, while
squeezing. It will not crush the culms, as pruners do.

I have used it to cut mature culms up to 1 1/2". Sorry, I dont know the
name of the device. It may be just called a tubing cutter.

--
********************************************
Robert L. Chehey

Boise, ID, USA, USDA Zones 6a, 6b. Heat zone 7
Cold, Mediterranean Shrub-steppe
and deciduous riparian forest
N43º38.67' W116º13.68' Altitude: 816M
********************************************

[TERRAV]

Dan,

One of the best tools for cutting down your bamboo would be a reciprocating
saw. Power tools are almost always preferable to hand tools if you have much
bamboo to deal with. Most any blade will do for the saw but the best one is
called the Ugly Blade, which I get from Home Depot (other stores probably carry
them too).

Where in the Bay Area are you. I am in El Sobrante.

Regards,

Bob Johannessen


Bob Johannnessen

[Dan Epstein]

Thanks Bob,

I'm in Palo Alto. I might try your solution. I purchased the top of
the line anvil looper from OSH, ratcheting mechanism, extension handle
etc. but it couldn't cleanly cut through the more substantial timbers.
It was a pathetic performance and I brought it right back to OSH.
Fiskars and Gardena are probably of higher quality and I might try one
of them via amazon.com. I looked for a PVC cutting tool at Home Depot
and OSH (recommended in this thread) but could find only a small one
which looks more like a rose pruner. I didn't try one of these but
doubt it would work. Reciprocating saw sounds tempting--I was hoping to
solve this without a motorized gadget, given the tranquility of the
bamboo forest I am up against -- I don't want to disturb the peace!

Dan

On Fri, 04 Apr 2003 20:45:35 GMT, Dan Epstein > wrote:

>Thanks, Chris. I'm in the SF Bay Area.
>
>BTW: the best way to manage the shoots seems to be to let them grow to
>5-6 ft. and then snap them off. Otherwise they just keep coming up.
>Folklore has it that once the bamboo root structure musters the energy
>to drive the shoots to that height and then gets cut down, it can't
>muster enough to continue spreading. In any case it seems to work for
>the new shoots.
>
>Dan
>
>On 3 Apr 2003 20:44:39 -0800, (Chris) wrote:
>
>>Dan Epstein > wrote in message >
>>>
>>
>>Dan,
>>
>>The best way to deal with the uncontrolled bamboo problem is to mow
>>down the shoots as they come in. As they are shooting, they are very
>>soft and easy to cut down, you can even kick them over. Large timber
>>bamboo (as you are describing) will shoot April, May and June, with
>>some wimpy shoots about a month on either side of it.
>>
>>As for cutting down established and hardened off culms, good luck.
>>I've used a sawzall and a chainsaw. They are both pretty effective,
>>but the "fiberglass" nature of the plant will dull many blades.
>>
>>Ask around if there are people in your area interested in it. You
>>described what sounds like Phylostachys Nigra "Bory", usually pretty
>>sought after. Some people will be happy to help you harvest your
>>problem. What part of the world are you in?
>>
>>Good luck!
>>
>>Chris
>>Chino,CA

[Dan Epstein]

Thanks Bob,

I'm in Palo Alto. I might try your solution. I purchased the top of
the line anvil looper from OSH, ratcheting mechanism, extension handle
etc. but it couldn't cleanly cut through the more substantial timbers.
It was a pathetic performance and I brought it right back to OSH.
Fiskars and Gardena are probably of higher quality and I might try one
of them via amazon.com. I looked for a PVC cutting tool at Home Depot
and OSH (recommended in this thread) but could find only a small one
which looks more like a rose pruner. I didn't try one of these but
doubt it would work. Reciprocating saw sounds tempting--I was hoping to
solve this without a motorized gadget, given the tranquility of the
bamboo forest I am up against -- I don't want to disturb the peace!

Dan

On 12 Apr 2003 14:44:43 GMT, (TERRAV) wrote:

>Dan,
>
>One of the best tools for cutting down your bamboo would be a reciprocating
>saw. Power tools are almost always preferable to hand tools if you have much
>bamboo to deal with. Most any blade will do for the saw but the best one is
>called the Ugly Blade, which I get from Home Depot (other stores probably carry
>them too).
>
>Where in the Bay Area are you. I am in El Sobrante.
>
>Regards,
>
>Bob Johannessen
>
>
>Bob Johannnessen

>

[Chris]

Dan Epstein > wrote in message >...
> Thanks Bob,
>
> I'm in Palo Alto. I might try your solution. I purchased the top of
> the line anvil looper from OSH, ratcheting mechanism, extension handle
> etc. but it couldn't cleanly cut through the more substantial timbers.
> It was a pathetic performance and I brought it right back to OSH.
> Fiskars and Gardena are probably of higher quality and I might try one
> of them via amazon.com. I looked for a PVC cutting tool at Home Depot
> and OSH (recommended in this thread) but could find only a small one
> which looks more like a rose pruner. I didn't try one of these but
> doubt it would work.

There are a couple variants of PVC cutters that would work with
bamboo, although very time consuming. One is a standard pipe cutter,
but for plastic. It looks like a big "question mark" it has a single
roller blade and adjustment screw.

> Reciprocating saw sounds tempting--I was hoping to
> solve this without a motorized gadget, given the tranquility of the
> bamboo forest I am up against -- I don't want to disturb the peace!

But won't you disturb the peace and tranquility of the grove with your
swearing?:-)

I had difficulty with a reciprocating saw cutting B. Vulgaris Vitatta.
I couldn't get a good hold on the culm with the stop and it was a
very thick culm. Chainsaw baby... chainsaw!!!

Chris
Chino, CA

[Bob Doyle]

I harvested a couple of 30+ foot culms from my clump timber with just a hand
held coping saw. A hacksaw would do just a well, it seems.

Bob Doyle

"Chris" > wrote in message
om...
> Dan Epstein > wrote in message
>...
> > Thanks Bob,
> >
> > I'm in Palo Alto. I might try your solution. I purchased the top of
> > the line anvil looper from OSH, ratcheting mechanism, extension handle
> > etc. but it couldn't cleanly cut through the more substantial timbers.
> > It was a pathetic performance and I brought it right back to OSH.
> > Fiskars and Gardena are probably of higher quality and I might try one
> > of them via amazon.com. I looked for a PVC cutting tool at Home Depot
> > and OSH (recommended in this thread) but could find only a small one
> > which looks more like a rose pruner. I didn't try one of these but
> > doubt it would work.
>
> There are a couple variants of PVC cutters that would work with
> bamboo, although very time consuming. One is a standard pipe cutter,
> but for plastic. It looks like a big "question mark" it has a single
> roller blade and adjustment screw.
>
> > Reciprocating saw sounds tempting--I was hoping to
> > solve this without a motorized gadget, given the tranquility of the
> > bamboo forest I am up against -- I don't want to disturb the peace!
>
> But won't you disturb the peace and tranquility of the grove with your
> swearing?:-)
>
> I had difficulty with a reciprocating saw cutting B. Vulgaris Vitatta.
> I couldn't get a good hold on the culm with the stop and it was a
> very thick culm. Chainsaw baby... chainsaw!!!
>
> Chris
> Chino, CA

[janegoldsmith]

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