Balsa is like Gold

[Ratz (Bruce)]

I have been harboring all the balsa I can claim. As I build larger projects, I never let any scrap balsa out of my posession. The scrap wood from a project is evaluated for its overall size, thickness and length and then separated into approximately sized long boxes categorized by wood thickness. From scrap boxes, I can keep finding wood for various purposes in a particular build. The wood gets smaller as do the projects that scrap wood can be applied to. Certainly I can build free flight projects for decades to come with just the scrap balsa I have on hand. But, from time to time I do buy sheet wood only 2 sheets per thickness to stock the new wood box when I can buy new wood. I feel that balsa is the most fantastic material in existence. But when you grow up with Balsa and work with it all your life, you feel this way regardless.

Bruce (Ratz)

[3view]

I agree, there is no substitute for balsa. I've picked through my own stash of balsa wood so many times, most of the good stuff is long gone.

A lot of the remaining wood has both hard and soft areas. So I'm having to strip spars from one half of a sheet and cutting ribs from the other.

Most of the better quality sheets with a more even density is just too heavy, so I just use thinner wood.

Steve

[Ratz (Bruce)]

Good observation 3view, I  am  also experiencing the same issues with the balsa I have. Getting good light weight balsa at the local hobby supply is fine by hand.and only to get the lightest heavy wood available.
I have yet to mail order any wood yet. But I have plenty of basic wood to do the projects that I like. I am not working to a contest level by any means.

Bruce

[Jez Wilkins]

Hi all

I try to get as much use out of all of my materials, as possible.

I save balsa, basswood, ply, beech bearer, carbon fibre tube and epoxy glass sheet separately - and try to end up throwing away as little as possible.

Offcuts of beech bearer are very useful as 'hard points' to mount tanks, bellcranks and the like on profile fuselage control line models.  Small pieces of ply as extra security when mounting control horns on thin balsa.  Small pieces of epoxy glass board as bellcranks, or control horns.  Short lengths of carbon fibre tube as 'conduit' to run wires through, for 'remote glow' on profile fuselage control line team race models. 

Cheers,

Jez Wilkins

       

[PB_guy]

I am exploring alternative materials; posterboard and bamboo. This is a fuselage I am working on for a 75% model of the Joe Ott Kingfisher.
The posterboard is like metal in that it can 'oil-can', destroying its structural integrity. However, properly constructed with bracing in place, it is very sturdy, and not as heavy as you might think.
ian

[Ratz (Bruce)]

That look innovative PB, other materials are good for sure. The foams have established themselves in the hobby for sure. Another forum member, Monz has done some impressive larger scale RC airplanes using Foams. The carbon and glass are a feature in model building but need to I don't have. Now we see 3D printed model airplanes that are highly engineered but again with tools out of the reach of my budgets.

Balsa, plywood, glue, razor saw, coping saw, sanding blocks and sandpaper allow me to build airplanes that can end up with 10 foot wingspans.

So many advantages to balsa.

Balsa still stands the test of time.

Bruce

[fred]

Consider using  Paper prints from 3d Card models.. Many to choose from if one looks. Spray glued to thin foam.
  Likely  DIY 2 or 3mm Slices of Blue foam, now that Depron is Unobtanium.
 Advantage  being;  a fully painted /finished model results as the printed paper forms the finish as well as structural rigidity to the foam. 
Very little balsa or CF tube structure needs be fitted.
 Size of Model dependent tho.
 Google for examples of  such models.  Many have built this way.. It's impressive.

[stupid]

  I asked Herb Kothe how he went about picking the the balsa wood sticks out for his model airplanes. His reply was.
  "Go to the hobby shop balsa wood rack and pick out all the heavy sticks that you can find, sort through them and take the stiffest ones for the longeron and spars and the next heavy sticks for everything else and build your models."
  Herb doesn't worry about the weight of this models whatsoever, he likes his model strong enough to hold the huge rubber motors that he would put in them.
  Take a look at the diameter that rubber motor he's putting into that Chambermaid.
  The last photo shows Herbs chambermaid in the top right. If you look close you can see the other two red models underneath his. Look at the attitude of the climb, it's still going up.
   The type of models you build all depends on your venue.
  Herb Kothe a long time contest recordholder. The photos were taken at the MMM 14 rounder September 4- 21.
                              Bob

[fred]

erm.. Hobby store ?? you have one... local... that stocks balsa ?
Extinct  creatures in MY part of the world.
Only balsa is by mail order where postage rates combined with the elevated pricings of wood... seriously curbs  enthusiasm.
 Once my current stock of Balsa is gone. So are my Toy airplane building days.
  And I've been doing 'it' since 1960.

[lincoln]

I don't know if they still do, but recently my local hardware store was carrying balsa.

Are the prices all that much out of line with the prices of other things, or is our sense of prices just stuck back in the 20th century? Of course, I don't know what your shipping prices in Canada are like. Hmmm.. I just checked a couple of Canadian sources of balsa, which seem to be much more expensive than here in the US, even after accounting for the exchange rate.