I've seen this in the Orvis ads but what is the blank impregnated with, how, and why?

It's the same as the process used to stabilize wood basically, the old rods used a bakelite solution that turned the bamboo kind of a mohagany color, if I envision it right in my minds eye.

Hi Sir there are some co that inpregnate there cane rods in the past and now orvis is one they would soke there cane blanks in a hot solution of bakelite under pressure it would make the cane resistance to water but it would also add a lot of weight to the cane some builders to day use a lamalight mix to soke there blanks in and some use pressure with it but with the newer glues and finishes there is no real reason to to the impregateing of cane

As I understood from the literature, the impregnating process was used to prevent the cane from drying out as all untreated wood does when exposed to the elements. At the time this began, there was an embargoon exporting/imporitng cane from the Tonkin region of China and the stocks present in the US were from the pre-Chinese Communist revolution era. To protect those stocks, companies thought that imprenating the bamboo would prevent the dehydration of the bamboo. As I mentioned this is what I remember reading about why Orvis and others impregnated their cane.

I'm certain that some weight was added by this process, but I suspect that the impregnation did not penetrate deeply into the cane and this weight gain may have been marginal. Those builders who work with cane can better answer this question than I.

Mike Blomme

many current bamboo makers still impregnate their blanks and rods (usually as an option) so it is by no means an archaic practice. sometimes the solution is guarded, other times the recipes are shared among colleagues, and one even offered his formula for sale separately. the older orvis impregnated rods are often regarded as very tough sticks. just what i've gleaned from constant reading...

eric
fresno, ca.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2008 03:13PM by eric zamora.

Impregnated resin rods don't require re-varnishing - they are impervious to the elements. It does add a tad more weight, but not really as much as some would believe. The myth of great additional weight has harmed the reputation of impregnated rods a bit, however. In truth, it's a pretty good process for any bamboo rod you actually plan to use and don't want to have to refinish after a few seasons. Granted, the newer varnishes have improved greatly as well, so this refinishing is not required nearly as often as it was in the early to mid 20th century.

.............

Thanks for the lesson guys, makes sense to me.

tom's right, additionally, impregnated rods do not require varnishing at all and on its own can reflect a cool matte/dull finish instead of the traditional dipped shiny varnish look. but i wonder about imperviousness/ability to the elements. i think a lightning strike might hurt one a bit. just a bit. :-) which reminds me, i've got my first bamboo blank waiting for me in my closet. medium flamed, impregnated AND hollowed. i should finish it out in time for 2009's march brown arrivals...

eric
fresno, ca.