I found this manufacturer of plywood made from bamboo. It seems really nice:
I ordered a few samples. It’s clear they did some sanding on them. When I get some free time, I am going to go to a local reseller and try to convince them to sell me a few small sheets. I am sure it is more expensive than construction plys, but hopefully it isn’t as much as an entry level CNC machine
Has anyone tried this before? Done any projects (specifically furniture) with it?
I would love to use Plyboo. I have not seen it anywhere in Ireland yet. I have been buying various bamboo chopping/cutting boards at Ikea and discount stores to use as stock for my projects, and bamboo is my new favorite “hardwood”. (It is actually really tall grass, believe it or not, and grows very fast, so it is more sustainable than real hardwoods)
It has very little tearout, is very strong (assuming it was glued with quality glue) and machines about like maple. I believe I have already shared this bamboo project here but here are some vids of carving it,
That’s really helpful. It is always good to see videos of your beast chewing through a project.
I have a guess that the natural product is very porous and they do something to fill it with glue and compress it, like plywood. But the bamboo adds excellent properties over something like MDF (the looks, especially).
I’ve used similar in benchtops and commercial fitouts, and of course it’s also similar to the IKEA chopping boards I used on my printed side tables.
It machines really nicely and sands well (also made the bench tops on my camper out of it), as Tom says the end grain is a bit porous - not a problem but it won’t come close to having the same texture as the edge, so use the contrasting textures to your advantage!