Creating a Balsa Library and the Impact of Material Density

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 34

  • @drmikecubbin
    @drmikecubbin 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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!

  • @karthikkurapati9410
    @karthikkurapati9410 ปีที่แล้ว

    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

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  ปีที่แล้ว

      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"

  • @v.-jc1fp
    @v.-jc1fp 8 วันที่ผ่านมา

    hi balsa engineering! i’m currently doing tower in science olympiad and watched your videos last year which helped me medal! i’m interested in learning how to cut balsa but i’m a bit confused on how i’m able to cut 1/16” x 1/16” balsa cross sections because it’s just so small. are there any tips and what specific steps you do to cut it? the balsa stripped cuts to 1/2” but that’s still too wide 😭

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  8 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Hi! At the 3:17 point in this video I actually show exactly how I cut my strips using 1/16" x 1/16" as an example. Have you tried this and it doesn't work for you? You definitely need to get a balsa stripping tool like I show in the video, but that is much cheaper than buying individual sticks. Good luck!

  • @Kanoee64
    @Kanoee64 ปีที่แล้ว

    When I was a teenager 40yrs ago we had airfoil shaped balsa wood... do you know if it is still available?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  ปีที่แล้ว

      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

  • @ethanhinds-bu5zt
    @ethanhinds-bu5zt ปีที่แล้ว

    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

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  ปีที่แล้ว

      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!

  • @Anan-c9u
    @Anan-c9u 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Does precutting wood months before using them damage the structural integrity or density in anyway?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      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.

  • @dripvik6158
    @dripvik6158 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hey, your videos are very helpful for me while building bridges. I was wondering where you got the tool for cutting the balsa sheets

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

    • @dripvik6158
      @dripvik6158 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank you!

  • @jeffreywilliams9655
    @jeffreywilliams9655 ปีที่แล้ว

    For your Balsa sheets from Specialized Balsa, did you choose the weight and grain of the balsa?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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

  • @rajagopal9743
    @rajagopal9743 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I was wondering for building a Div B Bridge what angle would you use for the miter cutter?

    • @rajagopal9743
      @rajagopal9743 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I was also wondering where you got your basswood and if you could add the link, it would be great!

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

    • @rajagopal9743
      @rajagopal9743 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@balsaengineering6686 Wow, thank you!

  • @JP-gu2sm
    @JP-gu2sm 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hi where do you get your Balsa wood from?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I like to use Specialized Balsa, but really it matters a lot more what you do with the wood than where it comes from.

  • @armaancooks
    @armaancooks 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hi, just wondering where you got that miter cutter from?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      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/

    • @armaancooks
      @armaancooks 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Balsa Engineering Thank you so much!

  • @farhanahmad4611
    @farhanahmad4611 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    What size balsa sheets do you get

    • @farhanahmad4611
      @farhanahmad4611 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The 36 inch or the 48 inch ones

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I prefer the 36" sheets. The 48" ones are much harder to cut perfectly straight, at least for me. I also like 4" wide as that is usually the most cost effective.

    • @farhanahmad4611
      @farhanahmad4611 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@balsaengineering6686 thankyou

  • @butterflyindisguise3838
    @butterflyindisguise3838 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Why do you buy balsa sheets and cut it yourself instead of pre cut strips?

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It’s much cheaper to buy sheets and cut your own. It’s also more flexible if you want non-standard sizes

  • @judechopper
    @judechopper 11 วันที่ผ่านมา

    My supplier has all shapes sizes rods and square,

  • @judechopper
    @judechopper 11 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Never worried about densities and my planes fr
    Ly well, why build a balsa library coz i buy at the local shop! And dont have wastage

    • @balsaengineering6686
      @balsaengineering6686  11 วันที่ผ่านมา

      For airplane building, small differences in density probably don't matter too much. This video is mostly about the Science Olympiad structural event where we worry about every 0.1g so getting the exact perfect mass/density for each piece is critical