I show how I go about creating a balsa material library and what you need to consider if you want to precisely control the mass of your device components.
Thank you, Marc! This video is a must-watch for anyone who is a newbie to balsa building as well as for veterans as it contains so many gems of great solid sound advice for builders of any level (like snapping the tip off of the balsa stripper X-Acto blade to reduce drift - which is always a pain!) Send it to all your builders and I guarantee they will place higher than they have previously!
Hi! I'm glad you are finding them useful! Here is the link to the balsa cutting tool I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000WS5OQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hello! I first would like to say that I absolutelty love your videos, but I was also wondering if laser cutting balsa has any large negative effects on its structural integrity if you have any insight on this subject? Thank you
Thanks for the kind feedback, I'm glad you find my videos useful! I haven't had any direct experience with laser cutting balsa, but my guess is that it might be interesting if you need to cut more complex pieces, like maybe the notched pieces for the platform in the Div C build this year, but I don't think it'd be worth it to laser cut the general straight pieces. Regarding negative effects on structural integrity, probably not, especially if the laser cut along the grain similar to how you would use a balsa stripper. If you do have access to a laser cutter and give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. I will usually specify a light density range. I'll only specify grain if I have a very specific need as it's double the price. You can actually specify an exact mass target for a sheet if you know what you're looking for. As you'd expect, that is also very expensive, but it's a nice option to have
Hi! Here is a link to that exact tool: www.amazon.com/Master-Airscrew-Windsor-Propeller-Stripper/dp/B0000WS5OQ You should also be able to find it by searching for "balsa stripper"
No, definitely not. You can safely cut your wood early with no concerns. Wood age overall doesn't seem to matter either as I've used some that is several years old with no problem.
Hi Raja, the Div B bridge angle was around 32 degrees. Over the years I have purchased basswood from a variety of places but recently found this company I like a lot: fnabco.com/collections/basswood-sticks
I haven't heard of that before. For large airfoils, I would think you would want to create that yourself from thin sheet. You can buy 1/64" thick sheets which is pretty fun to play with, but it's not very useful for any of these structural Science Olympiad builds
Hi! I bought mine off Amazon a couple years ago, but it looks like they no longer sell there. It does look like you can buy them directly from the supplier though: www.fourmostproducts.com/our-products/construction-tools/
Thank you, Marc! This video is a must-watch for anyone who is a newbie to balsa building as well as for veterans as it contains so many gems of great solid sound advice for builders of any level (like snapping the tip off of the balsa stripper X-Acto blade to reduce drift - which is always a pain!) Send it to all your builders and I guarantee they will place higher than they have previously!
Hey, your videos are very helpful for me while building bridges. I was wondering where you got the tool for cutting the balsa sheets
Hi! I'm glad you are finding them useful! Here is the link to the balsa cutting tool I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000WS5OQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thank you!
Hello! I first would like to say that I absolutelty love your videos, but I was also wondering if laser cutting balsa has any large negative effects on its structural integrity if you have any insight on this subject? Thank you
Thanks for the kind feedback, I'm glad you find my videos useful! I haven't had any direct experience with laser cutting balsa, but my guess is that it might be interesting if you need to cut more complex pieces, like maybe the notched pieces for the platform in the Div C build this year, but I don't think it'd be worth it to laser cut the general straight pieces. Regarding negative effects on structural integrity, probably not, especially if the laser cut along the grain similar to how you would use a balsa stripper. If you do have access to a laser cutter and give it a try, let me know how it goes!
For your Balsa sheets from Specialized Balsa, did you choose the weight and grain of the balsa?
Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. I will usually specify a light density range. I'll only specify grain if I have a very specific need as it's double the price. You can actually specify an exact mass target for a sheet if you know what you're looking for. As you'd expect, that is also very expensive, but it's a nice option to have
What is the name of the tool that you used to cut the balsa wood vertically into even spaces. Like the one with exacto-blade at 3:44
Hi! Here is a link to that exact tool: www.amazon.com/Master-Airscrew-Windsor-Propeller-Stripper/dp/B0000WS5OQ You should also be able to find it by searching for "balsa stripper"
Does precutting wood months before using them damage the structural integrity or density in anyway?
No, definitely not. You can safely cut your wood early with no concerns. Wood age overall doesn't seem to matter either as I've used some that is several years old with no problem.
I was wondering for building a Div B Bridge what angle would you use for the miter cutter?
I was also wondering where you got your basswood and if you could add the link, it would be great!
Hi Raja, the Div B bridge angle was around 32 degrees. Over the years I have purchased basswood from a variety of places but recently found this company I like a lot: fnabco.com/collections/basswood-sticks
@@balsaengineering6686 Wow, thank you!
When I was a teenager 40yrs ago we had airfoil shaped balsa wood... do you know if it is still available?
I haven't heard of that before. For large airfoils, I would think you would want to create that yourself from thin sheet. You can buy 1/64" thick sheets which is pretty fun to play with, but it's not very useful for any of these structural Science Olympiad builds
Hi, just wondering where you got that miter cutter from?
Hi! I bought mine off Amazon a couple years ago, but it looks like they no longer sell there. It does look like you can buy them directly from the supplier though: www.fourmostproducts.com/our-products/construction-tools/
Balsa Engineering Thank you so much!
Hi where do you get your Balsa wood from?
I like to use Specialized Balsa, but really it matters a lot more what you do with the wood than where it comes from.
What size balsa sheets do you get