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I notice that rakes made out of bamboo have curved tines (as shown below).

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How can I permanently bend bamboo like there tines?

Elmy
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Tyler Durden
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1 Answers1

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In most commercial applications, the bamboo is treated with steam to soften it. You can also soften it by soaking in water, but it takes a lot longer. You can even apply heat to the bamboo, which softens it and turns the water contained in the bamboo to steam.

If a specific shape needs to be replicated, like those tines, the softened bamboo is put in a form until it cools and dries out. Steam treatment followed by a form is essentially the same as the process for bending wood.

3 Ways to Bend Bamboo, describes three ways that don't require a steam chamber.

fixer1234
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    Wet bending (of wood) can also be done by applying a little tension, soaking repeatedly, and increasing the tension in small steps over several days. That's more useful for big pieces you can't fit in a tub but could be used on small stuff too, especially if you want to make one former that will hold several pieces. Hot water soaking will speed things up a bit compared to cold – Chris H Aug 11 '21 at 08:23