The fever to build..

"This" is proper PPE gear for all modelling activities.. (actually a fellow employee where I work)

Geez roddie....where do you work? HAZMAT plant?

But no goggles? Don't you wear goggles?

Geez roddie....where do you work? HAZMAT plant? wrote:

Bee Careful out there !!

I have the means to try finish-sanding some of my rough-cut balsa sheets using a "time-saver" sanding machine in our shop at work. I went through some of my stock.. and found there to be rough-cut thicknesses of .140"/.150" (nominal) which I would finish-sand to .125" (1/8") thickness.. and another bundle measuring .200"/.220" (nominal) which I would finish-sand to .187" (3/16") thickness.



I've mentioned before; that this stock is all 1.75" wide.. and varies in length from 19"-30".



This was a condition on getting a LARGE amount of it free. I've had it for over ten years, packed in boxes in my shop. It is now time to turn it into usable model-airplane lumber.

The weight/grain-type varies widely.. and will need to be graded/sorted after sanding.

I love to build model airplanes. Having a decent selection of balsa really helps.

Yea Man thats cool that they will let you do the sand down so you can get that stuff made into something useful, i know you had been wanting to do this for some time now

We had a Timesaver at work. It was only used on aluminum sheets. I used it a fair bit. Probably 3-4 ft. wide with a rubber belt to feed it through. I like the trademark symbol with the guy holding onto the giant minute hand of the clock. Always thought that was genius as advertising agencies go. Don't have the building fever, but have to get lots of little details done. New battery packs, hook up controls, exercise batteries, make lines...

Where do you find Balsa in quantities like that?

1.75" width would be good for making laminated 1/2A c/l plank wings. (hard up front, soft to the rear)

I'd hoped to use this machine today..




.. but I was just too busy. A few weeks ago I became the full-time CNC router operator. Since then; it's gotten a LOT busier. I just hope and pray that we as a people can stay healthy enough to keep commerce running..

The "Ironwood" machine can be set to sand within .001" so I'm really looking forward to running some wood through it. The grain-types in my wood are mixed.. because the balsa was originally sourced for graphic-art panels.. without regard for weight or grain-structure. The panels were ordered; 96"L. X 24"W. X 1.75" thick.

A CNC router-program would cut X4 "blanks" in the shape of a rolling-pin and spoon.. (X-oriented) for a customers' bakery dept. sign. The "excess-scrap" was put in refuse. I saved some of the wood.. by running the scrap through a panel-saw. That is why the stock runs thick. I knew that someday I'd be able to finish-sand it.

When I think back........ on the amount of balsa that was thrown away, it makes me wince.

getback wrote:Yea Man thats cool that they will let you do the sand down so you can get that stuff made into something useful, i know you had been wanting to do this for some time now  

Yo budd! If you "need sum wud".. let me know..

Yea.. your memory's fine bro. I've been mackin' about getting all this rough-cut balsa finish-sanded since we were young boys..

I'm back. A guy that I worked with.. just moved away.. and offered me a box of assorted exotic hardwoods.. that he just couldn't justify making space for in the planned U-Haul trailer. His family had worked in the musical instrument manufacturing business.. and I now have a boxful of interesting hardwoods.



Beautiful wood..



I see all kinds of model aircraft applications for this wood. The dark-tone hardwoods are gorgeous.. "heavy".. yes.. but maybe a heavier pair of engine beams would make the difference on a vintage design.. being built for a more modern/lightweight engine?

Whatever the case.. some of this wood is perfect for ripping into beam-stock.

Nice roddie. Engine beams would be good. I just finished my wing rebuild and I got to use soem of that very nice triangle stock from you for supports in a few areas. They worked awesome. And when I get onto the fuselage repairs, I am sure I will be using a bunch more of them. Thanks!

NEW222 wrote:Nice roddie. Engine beams would be good. I just finished my wing rebuild and I got to use soem of that very nice triangle stock from you for supports in a few areas. They worked awesome. And when I get onto the fuselage repairs, I am sure I will be using a bunch more of them. Thanks!

Chancey, You're welcome bro. I have a LOT more of that stock. Let me know if you need more.  

I'm trying to set some thoughts aside for designing a new Cox engine-powered model...something you could build... if you wanted to.. likely an airplane.

Does one ever have enough things on the go? But, now bitten by the RC bug again, things are indeed happening!

I'm sizing-up my wood-stock for a biplane.

Biplane's it be



Scratch building from 150% Sterling Fokker D7 plans, going to be for slow R/C electric park flying.  I had no fuse former plans, making those really makes you appreciate kit designers. Going to silkspan & dope.