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I have two vices on different tables. After splitting the whole culm into 2, I figure out how I want to finish it off. Making quads, you really need less strips, but they need to be wide enough to make up the whole depth of the rod. generally .350 or .4 might be needed on a bigger 5 or 6 weight. Anyway, I mark of the splits with a pencil on the end. I start the spilt with a froe and mallet at the butt end. I take the culm to the first vice which holds a thin knife, and I push the split past the first node. On bigger sections (or the first few splits) I can easily control the split all the way down. When the splits get smaller I repeat the same process, except that after getting through the first node, I move over to the other vice. I clamp the tip (far) section into the vice tightly (but not enough to crack or split the strip. It happens if you clamp down too hard). Then I take each side of the split and pull evenly with both hands away from the split/center. If the split strays, I return the strips to the center. I then pull on the thicker side only, until the split returns on target, and then I use even pulling to finish the strip. It works just fine. I don't know how this compares to what Bob Nunley does, but I think it may be almost the same. Bob may very well have told me about this a while back. Give it a shot. (Bob Maulucci)
Splitting in half is always easier than splitting in thirds, but to get 24 strips you have to split in thirds somewhere (3-6-12-24). I split the entire culm in half, then split the half culm into thirds, then each strip into half until I get 12 strips from the half culm, and 12 from the other half. This is for butt strips. For tip strips it's in half all the way until I get 32 from a whole diameter (2-4-8-16-32). Bamboo splits away from compression and towards tension. If you bend the unsplit portion of your strip in the appropriate direction you can steer the split. Make sure your split is lined up as you approach a node, because the split will pop across a node from about 2 inches before to 2 inches on the other side. You cannot steer the split across a node. Practice. Resign yourself to wasting about a third of your culm for your first one or two culms. (Darryl Hayashida)
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