Balsa wood

[slemishwoodcrafts]

Hi Folks,

I have been asked to make Christmas Eve boxes for a customer. Initially we communicated through email and it was decided we would use MDF because it paints well. But the customer has brought out a box to my workshop that appears to be made from balsa wood and stated that this is the wood to use. I need a lot ( can't stress that enough) as I was initially going to me using the guts of 3 full 8x4 sheets.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a supplier of decent sizes of balsa, most I find are small short lengths suited to model building.
Or if someone can suggest a similar alternative that is easier to obtain that too would be good!

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Hi Folks,

I have been asked to make Christmas Eve boxes for a customer. Initially we communicated through email and it was decided we would use MDF because it paints well. But the customer has brought out a box to my workshop that appears to be made from balsa wood and stated that this is the wood to use. I need a lot ( can't stress that enough) as I was initially going to me using the guts of 3 full 8x4 sheets.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a supplier of decent sizes of balsa, most I find are small short lengths suited to model building.
Or if someone can suggest a similar alternative that is easier to obtain that too would be good!

SLEC Manufacturing perhaps?

Can you not tempt them to a lovely sheet of baltic birch ply? It looks fantastic if it's good quality.

 

[RobinBHM]

Western red cedar? Soft and low density

You even get a good price by using thin tandg

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Poplar/Tulip wood?

 

[nick winfield]

Hi have you had alook at the balsa cabin

 

[AES]

It's yonks since I was living in UK (and since I've done any aeromodelling), but back then a company called Solarbo Ltd, in Lancing, W. Sussex were a major balsa importer, direct from Equador. They also have/had saw mills and presumably for a special (large) order, would saw logs into non-modelling sizes.

Suggest you Google Solarbo (they do/did supply balsa for other purposes than modelling, e.g. Carley floats & life belts).

But certainly, in modelling sizes, all balsa was (no doubt still is) V expensive.

If the customer wants light wood (weight and colour), why not Obechi instead?

But if they insist on balsa, the corners of the box will be V delicate/prone to bruising & denting when handling the box. An old modellers trick is to lick a small area of each of the 3 faces of each corner and then coat it with cyano acrylate ("super glue"). This will sand smooth OK after it's hardened off, and it significantly strengthens the corners, but please note, it WILL adversely affect any stain or varnish used to finish (assuming it's not going to be painted).

HTH

AES