Bambo fiber as a glass substute

[Boston]

stumbled on this site selling oriented bambo fiber cloth as a substitute for fiberglass on surfboards.

thought it might be worthy of discussion here, eventually my own build might just end up with a coat of glass on it somewhere and I'm just looking for alternatives. Gotta do the eco friendly thing you know, although this stuff, unlike the ecopoxy peanut based epoxy this bamboo stuff is waaaaaaaaayyyyyy expensive.

http://greenlightsurfsupply.com/bamboo-fiberglass.aspx

[gonzo]

If you want to go ecofriendly, recycle an old rowing boat. The fibers have little or not impact on the environment. It is the resin, hardener, fairing compound and solvents that do.

[PAR]

Look up the tensile and compressive strengths of Bamboo fibers, then compare this to 'glass and you'll see why it's not taking the industry by storm Dan.

[Boston]

I think its main advantage is its flexibility, but its price and its weight raises some questions. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see what folks might have used it and what they thought of it.

Its something like 1.5x heavier than glass of the same strength, so a 6 oz of bamboo is about as strong as 4 oz of glass. But its got huge flexibility before it fails. Seems like as a dressing for say strip planking it would have some advantages.

I don't know I was just throwing it out there. Might have applications in the boating world might not

[MechaNik]

Sounds like another half attempt at a Green concept. Focus on one aspect and ignore every thing else.......
If the fiber hasn't got the strength you possibly using more epoxy than needed which is the real issue?

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by gonzo

If you want to go ecofriendly, recycle an old rowing boat.

It's wooden thou but anyway..

[gonzo]

Considering the density difference, the laminate will be about three times thicker. That is a lot more goo and I'd say less green.

[PAR]

The green thing aside, bamboo has an elongation issue with most resin systems. You can use one of the modified epoxies (like G-Flex), so your fibers fail about the same time as the resin, but you take a huge stiffness and strength hit when you play with reinforcements like this in regard to a hull shell.

[Boston]

and the search continues

the majority of the issues with going "green" can are resolved for me by using the peanut based epoxy.

If I used the bamboo cloth, and its expense is going to be just one of the issues involved, I'd be looking to it as a dressing for the outside of a wood build. Its stiffness wouldn't be as much of an issue as its weight, which is a definite issue. For less money I could go with kevlar except that I'm a small fish in a big pond and cant really afford kevlar.

[gonzo]

You can build a wooden boat fastened with trunnels and lashings.

[PAR]

Popsicle sticks and the sticky remains of the lollypop?

[yellowcat]

i was also considering bambo (seems ecolo for its regrowth) , but it seems that okoume ply from china is way less expensive and does the job. But i am looking at Innegra hybrids with glass. I am also looking at the "skin" designs, no more foam "fatigue" . This is a new way of thinking for me, but perhaps the outerskin can be thin-ply for the fairness of the outer paint job. Looking at Alexseal paint system, sexy stuff.
This opens the mind to an hovercraft catamaran possibility, in shallows and hightides seems so practical. Compromise compromise ...
We use carbon fibers on a regular basis, it is light and stiff, but ...

[Boston]

you might avoid Chinese ply, it gets a pretty bad rap by most of these guys

[michael pierzga]

Speaking of Chinese ply...I recently bought a sheet of no name , 12mm "Marine" okume, chinese stuff from a local lumber supply. 100 euro, not cheap. The ply was for bilge storage boxes so I wasn't to concerned about quality. Well I built the boxes and left the cutoff scraps of 12mm outside on the shipyard hardtop , under a work bench, to be used in future as clamping pads. It rained for a few days and those rainwater wet scraps of 12mm chinese marine ply delaminated before my eyes !!!!! I could separate the plys with my fingers. BEWARE

[Petros]

The measure of the resources consumed is the cost. If it costs more to manufacture than it is not "green". Fiberglass is not even as stiff as wood, so using something even less stiff than fiberglass means you will not be adding any strength, only a resin and fiber "cover".

Bamboo has little rot resistance compared to some types of wood, so any moisture intrusion would soon rot. If the whole assembly does not last as long as fiberglass, than is also indicates it is not a "green" way to build. Costs more (uses more resources) and does not last as long is NOT green.

Making something more durable that lasts longer is more green than using a labor intensive "natural" fiber that will break down too fast.

Do not get suckered into spending more money on infirior materials thinking you are doing something good for the environment. The "greenest" thing you can do, as Gonzo pointed out, is restore an old boat that was otherwise going to the land fill. Even greener is to stay at home and watch radio, you use far fewer resources than building or using a boat.