A reader is trying to work with bamboo and wonders how to work it. Sanding makes it look bad and it gets moldy. Shellac peels right off. Can he do anything with this besides wind chimes?
Michael Dresdner: The unsanded exterior of uncut bamboo is waxy and shiny and needs no finish. If you want to put anything on it, stick with wax. If you use cut bamboo, the interior areas will take both oil based and water based coatings.