Balsa

Post by **Cliff Evans** » 30 Oct 2020, 13:34

SlecUK are more or less out of Balsa!

Keith · Post by **Keith** » 30 Oct 2020, 13:42

I'm told the Chinese are buying up all the mills, I dont know how true this is but if it is they will have the monopoly, so I can see the price going up.

Keith

Keith · Post by **Keith** » 30 Oct 2020, 13:46

Just checked with balsa cabin they are in the same boat, they are waiting on agreement details for there suppliers

Keith

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » 30 Oct 2020, 21:39

Hopefully its just a temporary supply glitch due Covid. Just as building your own models appears to be growing, the raw materials run out.

So far so good in this part of the world, balsa is expensive, but is available. I just ordered some to cover my upcoming builds in case.
Spruce is crazy expensive here, if you can even find it. Luckily some local timbers are a reasonable substitute, but you have to cut your own to get the size you need.

So what alternatives?
Balsa ribs can be substituted with ply with larger lightening holes per many ARF kits. Easy to cut on a laser cutter, more challenging to cut manually. 3D printing, foam and glass can replace some of the parts we used to carve from blocks like noses and wing tips. I was given a big box of odd sized balsa blocks years ago that will see me out. Sheeting is the tough one. I have thought about slicing thin sheets from blue foam on my foam cutter and glassing that after install. Would need to adjust plans to cope with a thickness of say, 5mm?

Modellers are an adaptive lot, what else might be used?

Post by **Cliff Evans** » 30 Oct 2020, 22:30

According to Slec, there will be nothing here until Feb and even then the price may have trebled! I am quite happy to cut parts normally cut from balsa sheet from poplar ply as it is very light and just as good to use and available in the same thicknesses. However, from experience, modellers will want what is stated on the plan!

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » 30 Oct 2020, 23:35

Truly FFS.

Pat Marsden · Post by **Pat Marsden** » 31 Oct 2020, 06:47

Cliff Evans wrote: ↑30 Oct 2020, 22:30 According to Slec, there will be nothing here until Feb and even then the price may have trebled! I am quite happy to cut parts normally cut from balsa sheet from poplar ply as it is very light and just as good to use and available in the same thicknesses. However, from experience, modellers will want what is stated on the plan!

What about putting a disclaimer on your orders stating that balsa will be substituted for ply where possible, I know some people will still complain but if the choice is a kit with ply or no kit I suspect even the diehards will accept it. If the Chinese are buying all the balsa for wind turbine blades then this isnt going to be a short term thing. I read the other day that old turbine blades is the USA are being buried in landfill as they cannot be recycled. I am assuming the design of these doesnt use balsa as surely that could be reclaimed?

Post by **Cliff Evans** » 31 Oct 2020, 07:40

Yes Pat, have done that on my website already.

Post by **Cliff Evans** » 31 Oct 2020, 10:35

Very worrying.

https://www.ft.com/content/315455ae-021 ... 9b2a136b8d

Pat Marsden · Post by **Pat Marsden** » 31 Oct 2020, 15:04

You would have thought that with modern technology and materials you wouldnt need to use balsa wood in wind turbine blades

Scale Soaring UK

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