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[old_gunner]

Having a somewhat frustrating time trying to source 6mm x 6mm balsa strip wood, there seems to be a national shortage, any help wood be most appreciated.

[Colin Bishop]

SLEC's website states that they have it in stock;

https://www.slecuk.com/balsa-strip/balsa-strip-915mm-36quot

Colin

[old_gunner]

Many thanks Colin, SLEC was the only one I had not tried!
Bill

[Tug Fanatic]

I am reporting something that I read elsewhere without further evidence. The suggested use sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

I read that Balsa is about to rise in price considerably and become harder to source because of the very quickly increasing demand for use as the core of wind turbine blades. If you have seen the size of a wind turbine blade the core would be a lot of balsa!

I don't use much but I do have some in stock.

[ChrisF]

Many thanks Colin, SLEC was the only one I had not tried!
Bill

They're the only one I use for timber!


Chris

[DaveM]

I don't know the situation these days but Balsacraft/Precedent/SLEC had their own balsa plantation in PNG a few years back. I'll mention it next time we speak.
DM

[Navy2000]

Try this company.


http://www.nationalbalsa.com/


Duane

[phil_parker]

I am reporting something that I read elsewhere without further evidence. The suggested use sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

I read that Balsa is about to rise in price considerably and become harder to source because of the very quickly increasing demand for use as the core of wind turbine blades. If you have seen the size of a wind turbine blade the core would be a lot of balsa!

I don't use much but I do have some in stock.

I hate phrases along the lines of "I am reporting something that I read elsewhere without further evidence." so spent 2 minutes on Google.

It's all composite materials - https://www.windpowerengineering.com/blade-materials-manufacturing-changing-keep-larger-turbines/
and
https://www.iberdrola.com/wcorp/gc/prod/en_US/comunicacion/aerogeneradores_curiosidades_1_res/Infographic_turbin_blades.jpg
Wood fibres are being investigated, but I doubt they will use big slabs of balsa. You want something that can be moulded.

[Tug Fanatic]

I hate phrases along the lines of "I am reporting something that I read elsewhere without further evidence." so spent 2 minutes on Google.

It's all composite materials - https://www.windpowerengineering.com/blade-materials-manufacturing-changing-keep-larger-turbines/
and
https://www.iberdrola.com/wcorp/gc/prod/en_US/comunicacion/aerogeneradores_curiosidades_1_res/Infographic_turbin_blades.jpg
Wood fibres are being investigated, but I doubt they will use big slabs of balsa. You want something that can be moulded.

I hate replies that seek to put down a post without bothering to find real complete evidence and instead seek to mislead by ignorance.

2 minutes search found an article that says that the Chinese are using Balsa for turbine blade cores.

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3080227/china-turbine-makers-winded-after-ecuador-lockdown-leaves-them-without

[phil_parker]

I hate replies that seek to put down a post without bothering to find real complete evidence and instead seek to mislead by ignorance.

2 minutes search found an article that says that the Chinese are using Balsa for turbine blade cores.

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3080227/china-turbine-makers-winded-after-ecuador-lockdown-leaves-them-without

Excellent - why didn't you post it the first time? The web is full of unsubstantiated stuff, please don't let Mayhem sink to the level of Twitter or Facebook.

[Tug Fanatic]

Excellent - why didn't you post it the first time? The web is full of unsubstantiated stuff, please don't let Mayhem sink to the level of Twitter or Facebook.

I did not post a reference because I assumed if anyone wanted to know about Balsa cored engineering structures they would either already know it or could look it up. I also didn't include a reference to what Balsa wood is as I assumed that most modellers would know.

I still believe that it is much better to say that you don't have direct knowledge, but still have something to say that might be of interest, rather than state it is absolute fact or not say it at all. This is always provided that you have a reasonable basis for believing it to be true.

I await referred evidence based confirmation of all posts on this, or any other, forum with interest. I gave it a health warning and as this was, until now, a friendly chat forum I thought that enough.

In fact what I said was incomplete in that it is not merely a demand problem but also a supply problem so I learnt something as well. I grovel a thousand apologies to anyone that I misled.

We both now know something that we didn't after having your faulty (but stated as fact) incomplete research corrected.

[TheLongBuild]

WoW , really some people making things out of nothing, no reason for you to really have to post all of that Tug, but done now, some people are getting so techy    dare not ask what sort of battery or servo to use in case just get told to google it !!    or use the search routine on here , which sometimes finds stuff and other times does not, depends what mood the system is in..    .

[tigertiger]

***Can we keep it friendly please***

The discussion about possible causes of balsa shortages is relevant and interesting to some.
However, this is a forum and not an academic paper. People are not writing definitive articles either, just sharing thoughts, ideas, and questions.

Dissecting peoples comments doesn't help and can only lead to bad feeling and reporting of posts.

Lets keep it friendly.