Bamboo kite supplies

[Fred Scharmann]

I wish to build a kite using bamboo framework.

I could go out and buy a bamboo shade and cut and trim to make the slats
work, but I would prefer to get slats close to the size I want.

Who are some of the kite parts suppliers who sell bamboo for kite making?

Thanks,

Fred
Avon, Ohio

[johnsen]

Post by Fred Scharmann
I wish to build a kite using bamboo framework.
I could go out and buy a bamboo shade and cut and trim to make the
slats work, but I would prefer to get slats close to the size I want.
Who are some of the kite parts suppliers who sell bamboo for kite making?

Look in the local phone book for garden or fencing suppliers.
They often have bamboo in various lengths and diameters that you can
adapt to your project.

Here in Seattle we have a business that specializes in live bamboo
for landscape installations. They also import 12 foot lengths of
any diameter and species.

If there is a local live bamboo supplier, they need to thin out their
stock clumps periodically and they may have cuttings available.

[g***@earthlink.net]

Check out the Drachen Foundation Store at drachen.org
They have a machine pressed bamboo that is great for kite building.
This type does not split well.

[Fred Scharmann]

It got to the point where getting appropriate bamboo strips was a real pain
or cost too much to have it shipped.

I ended up going to a World Market store and buying a bamboo shade. Using
and splitting the slats worked out fine and I have enough bamboo to last me
for a long time.

Slat size is 1.2mm x 10mm. That works out fine for the kites I want to
build.

Thank you for all of the suggestions on where to look.