“Here’s a mild chemical treatment recipe: Mix 10kg boric+15kg borax for 200lts water (warm enough to dissolve the borax in it). Puncture the bamboo nodes and fill it up with this solution. Let it stand saturated for a week. Let it dry and ta-daa, it’s ready to be used!” Best for indoor nature-friendly uses.
YouTube
Sourabh Phadke YouTube channel
Soaking bamboo in sea water for a month is also very effective. Some soak the bamboo in a stream or river.
so i have some question about boric and borax that your guy use.
base on US Borax product
i saw they have 2 types of borax; one is Na2B4O7·10H2O | Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate | Disodium Tetraborate Decahydrate | Borax 10 Mol
another one is Na2B4O7 · 5H2O | Sodium Tetraborate Pentahydrate | Borax 5 Mol
for boric i saw just only one : H3BO3 | Orthoboric Acid | Boric Acid
so which borax we should use 10Mol or 5 Mol
To start, Mol is short for Mole, which is a unit of measure of Molar Mass. A scientist at Rio Tinto Borax explained that chemically the two are identical. The difference is that the 5 Mol product has 5 less Moles of water in it’s elemental makeup, which means that with less water content the 5 Mol is more concentrated…but at the cost of solubility. I asked for a real world conversion of one product to the other and he stated that 4 pounds of 5 Mol is equal to 5 pounds of 10 Mol. The variation sold at the supermarket under the Twenty Mule Team name is 10 Mol, powder… it can be purchased in powder or crystalline form. The powder being more soluble that crystal.
Dear Kelly,
just starting on Bamboo… your recipe above, the Borax + Boric Acid, which Mole type is the Borax: 5 or 10 Mole?
Is this recipe for construction, furniture or both suitable?
thanks in advance!
I would say that the 10 mol variety should work.
Can you compare borax solution treatment compared to heating to 120 degrees and wiping off the oils that come out? Luster and durability differences? Also, once treated by fire and presumably borax, warm bamboo expands to allow oil to penetrate so a final oil coat may be added – any comment?
I suggest that you ask this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APvpo2TKXUs
I want to treat it with borax only, does it effective? And what is the ratio?
The borax treatment is a very good, environmentally friendly method of treatment. But, remember, borax is water soluble – it will leach out with continued exposure to rain, losing its effectiveness. Place freshly cut bamboo in a pail of borax solution. It will soak into the bamboo vascular bundles as it transpires water from the leaves.
Can this solution be used to treat food related bamboo products?
Chopsticks, cups and so on?
A little research suggests that while Borax is actually found in some foods, it should not be used as a preservative in contact with food. “Borax is not safe to ingest. According to the NLM’s Toxicology Data Network, borax is easy for the body to break down when either inhaled or swallowed. However, if inhalation or ingestion occurs, both serious poisoning and organ damage can result.”
Personally I think looking to establishment sources such as the one quoted or the FDA, etc,balanced, unbiased for health-related advice is a mistake. In this context boron and its derivatives are an effective and non-toxic treatment for bone-related issues. The PTB would rather people weren’t aware of this as it threatens their pharmaceutical drug business. There is plenty of info online. A classic work on the subject is The Borax Conspiracy – How the Arthritis Cure has been stopped by Walter Last.
We use this borax/ boric acid/ water solution to strengthen and preserve our bamboo here in Belize. We cut the bamboo in 20ft lengths, harvesting usually around the time of the full moon. With long rebar rods, we pierce the membranes inside the bamboo, leaving the bottom membrane intact. Then we fill & soak the bamboo with the solution, letting it stand & soak vertically for a week. This way the bamboo lasts years longer, and it retains its luster even in the bright sun. Without this soaking method, it cracks, decays and is eaten by molds, termites & insects. In our off-grid lodge here, we use bamboo here for porch balusters, outdoor shower walls, building greenhouses, furniture and other non-structural uses. .
After treat bamboo like this can we use it for bamboo reinforcement.?
For that is there any other thing to do.?
There are entire books written about this. Lots of details, plus it depends on how you’ll use the bamboo structurally. So it’s a big topic. A lot of the information is free online if you spend enough time searching for keywords Bamboo treatment or Bamboo preservation.
I use split bamboo sticks around 50cm height for making lanterns. Can i boil them in this solution instead of soaking? Is boiling harmful for the person? Would soaking be enough? Thanks!
I intend to use split bamboo for the floor of I hut I am constructing.
Can the bamboo poles be split first and then soaked in the borax solution for more complete absorbtion?
For soaking bamboo in sea water, will splitting the bamboo make the treatment quicker.
Will the 2 treatment methods be more effective than just one?
I would say yes to both questions, but this is mostly a guess. You’ll need to keep searching if you want definitive answers.
Why can’t you just paint a sealant on the bamboo? I plan to make an indoor bamboo shower enclosure so do I need to treat it with the borax/boric solution?
Try it and see. Bamboo deteriorates very rapidly (some kinds faster than others) and a surface treatment in a humid area may not be sufficient.
What is advised for outdoor bamboo applications?
Maximum treatment. Maybe use multiple treatment and harvesting methods: Harvesting at the right time of year, choosing the most durable species, soaking in borax solution or pumping it in, smoking it, etc. And, raise it off the ground and separate it from concrete, because concrete wicks moisture.
Why do they treat the bamboo? And why this solution?
Bamboo decays very rapidly in tropical climates if not treated. This is just one low cost method.