Treating

Design Resource

Bamboo Craft - Wayanad

Bamboo Crafts of Kerala

Prof. Bibhudutta Baral, Aruna Kumari Y. andAnushree Kumar

Treating

Different Stages:
Different processes stages are conducted for making different bamboo products. But each bamboo to be used goes through a common treatment process which helps to prevent any fungal attacks on the bamboo. The initial process can be categorized under following points:

- Cutting
- Treatment
- Slivering

• Cutting:
Once the bamboo is bought from the farmers or the agencies it is cut into desired shape on the cutting machine. Initial cutting segregates the bamboo into following parts:

1. Cutting in desired size of 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 cm.
These sizes depends on the size of the blinds.
2. Removal of nodes.
3. Cutting off the damaged part.

• Treatment:
Once the basic cutting is done the poles goes for treatment in the treatment plant. The process is conducted both by men and women. The treatment process takes at least one day after which the poles are dried in sun.

• Slivering:
After final drying of bamboos they are further sliced into thin strips as per the requirement in weaving of furniture. Bamboos are cut into thin strips using slivering machine and then further with using hand tools. These strips are again kept under the sun for drying. Thereafter using small kati women further smoothen the strips. This process is called as silca removal.

Pressurized Treatment Tank (PTT):
PTT is used to treat the bamboo against borer attacks. The plant can treat bamboo up to 20 feet tall. These bamboos are generally used for construction purposes. The tank is filled with bamboos (up to 60 poles) and supplied with steam mixed with 25 Boric acid solution and 2 % Borax chemicals in water. The whole process takes up to 3 hours. After the treatment the tank is opened after 2-3 hours so that the temperature inside is cooled down. Then the nitrogenous products, which ooze out of bamboo, are wiped out. The bamboo due to steam absorbs the chemicals and thus become borer or termite proof. The pieces are dried under the sun on the bed of sand. Sometimes they are also applied with 15 of sodium penta chlorophenete in alcohol to prevent further damage during monsoons. Small bamboos are boiled in large containers with the same chemicals in order to treat them. These bamboos are used for making curtains or weaving. In larger containers 1000 poles can be treated at a time. The process takes 2-3 hours and after that they are taken out the next day and then sun-dried to be used in the next stage. For burning scrap bamboo is used.

Traditionally the artisans performed a rigorous method to treat the bamboo. Bamboos were soaked in water for 2-3 months. This helped in removing all the glucose content from the bamboo and thus making it permanently borer proof. Since the process was time consuming therefore the Pressurized Treatment Plant replaced the traditional method.

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Bamboo Craft - Wayanad