Cleaning and Classifying Cane

Cleaning the canes.

Before building an arch we need to be sure that each cane has certain dimensions, shapes, and certain characteristics such as enough flexibility and length at the tip to ensure that it is suitable for inclusion in the arch, and that it will not break when we start to bend the arch after we have built it. So before making the arch we prepare the canes in two phases: first cleaning, in which all the branches and all the knots are removed; and second its classification, in which the canes are ordered according to their size and shape.

Despite heavy rain and less than comfortable conditions the students took to the course with much enthusiasm. Most of the cleaning and classifying was completed during the first week and the columns were well underway by the end. 

Cutting the unusefull tips.

After the cleaning and classification the canes are well stored and identified.