PROCEDURE

Step 1. After selecting the good bamboo poles, use a saw or bamboo pole cutter to cut them to size as specified  below:

• Primary parts: 9 pcs kauayang tibik, 80cm long x 10cm diameter
• Secondary parts: 3 pcs bayog, 80cm long x 4cm diameter
• Tertiary parts:
  

            4 pcs bayog dowels, 40.5 cm long x 4 cm diameter
            2 pcs bayog dowels, 20.3 cm long x 4 cm diameter
            4 pcs bayog dowels, 15.2 cm long x 1 cm diameter

• Accessory parts:

            30 pcs kauayang tinik split, 15 inches long x 1 inch wide
            6 pcs bayog splits, 15 inches long
            18 pcs woven rattan, 14 cm wide
            18 pcs plywood (round), 10 cm diameter

The 15.2 cm-long dowels are made of mature bayog poles. To make a dowel, split a bayog pole into six using a CITC-fabricated hand-splitter. Do the same for the bayog and kauayang tinik splits. Get one bayog split and a dowelling gadget clutched by pliers. Then, using a mallet, pound the bayog split into the dowelling gadget until you get the desired dowel.

Step 2. Treat the bamboo poles so they won’t rot. To do this, mix a kilo of boric acid into a kilo of borax, get 1 kg of that mixture and mix it in 20 liters of water over medium heat. Soak the pole into the mixture and allow them to simmer for an hour; don’t let the mixture boil as this will make the chemicals evaporate. You may use a CITC-fabricated treatment vat made of stainless steel that can hold 12 pieces of bamboo. (If your budget is limited, use as your vat a metal drum that has been cut lengthwise. A disadvantage here is that metal drums react with the mixture and corrode easily.)

Step 3. Wind-dry the bamboo for two weeks, but don’t place them directly under the sun to prevent them from cracking. The bamboo can also be dried indoors but this will take two months, and it won’t look as good as those dried outdoors.

Step 4. After drying, mark the poles with a pencil: the 80cm-long kauayang tinik should be marked from 1 to 9; the 80cm-long bayog, from 10 to 12. The markings should be placed at the end of the pole so it can be hidden later.