Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Model Boating => Topic started by: old_gunner on April 25, 2020, 04:48:42 pm

Title: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: old_gunner on April 25, 2020, 04:48:42 pm
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.
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 25, 2020, 04:53:25 pm
SLEC's website states that they have it in stock;

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

Colin
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: old_gunner on April 25, 2020, 05:08:57 pm
Many thanks Colin, SLEC was the only one I had not tried!
Bill
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: Tug Fanatic on April 25, 2020, 06:00:45 pm
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.
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: ChrisF on April 25, 2020, 06:14:40 pm
Many thanks Colin, SLEC was the only one I had not tried!
Bill


They're the only one I use for timber!


Chris
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: DaveM on April 25, 2020, 06:18:35 pm
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
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: Navy2000 on April 26, 2020, 01:22:03 am

Try this company.


http://www.nationalbalsa.com/


Duane
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: phil_parker on April 26, 2020, 02:48:21 pm
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 (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.
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: Tug Fanatic on April 26, 2020, 02:57:08 pm

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/ (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 (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 (https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3080227/china-turbine-makers-winded-after-ecuador-lockdown-leaves-them-without)
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: phil_parker on April 26, 2020, 03:14:08 pm
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 (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.
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: Tug Fanatic on April 26, 2020, 04:14:19 pm
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.
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: TheLongBuild on April 26, 2020, 05:37:42 pm
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    O0 O0 O0 dare not ask what sort of battery or servo to use in case just get told to google it !!   :police: :police: or use the search routine on here , which sometimes finds stuff and other times does not, depends what mood the system is in..   %% %% %% .
Title: Re: Balsa Stripwood
Post by: tigertiger on April 26, 2020, 06:27:30 pm
***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.