Author Topic: new balsa supplier discovery! (Read 7314 times)

Will Hinton · « **on:** December 14, 2013, 07:48:57 AM »

I just might have stumbled onto a new balsa supplier for us. I screwed up in keeping my balsa cabinet properly stocked and discovered anything thicker than .070 did not exist!! (Big dummy.) Knowing my favorite supplier, Lonestar, is no more, I simply googled balsa and the first site that came up was called Balsa Wood Inc.
I clicked on it, liked the prices, so made out an order.
Wow, that was Friday the 13th, and I got an email later in the day giving me a tracking number with Fedex!!! That order was in Chicago the same day!! Should be here to Ohio by Tuesday! Talk about service.
The company is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and is a branch of a RC kit supplier called AK Models or something like that.
I don't know what the balsa will be like in quality for our clpa stuff, but since my current project is just a fun build that I'll never compete with, this is a good time to experiment. (See my SBC3 build thread over in building techniques)
A little sidelight - I needed some 1/8 x 5 ply plywood and hit the only two LHS's here, they both had 1 foot by 2 feet sheets, but THEY WERE 23 BUCKS!!! No way!!
The cost at this new place? $8.95. I made out an order for $33.00 worth of wood, the shipping was 12 bucks and it shipped the same day!!
I'll let you know how the wood is when it arrives. (Another little side note, he has 6" wide stuff at reasonable prices.)

KenP51 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 14, 2013, 08:06:55 AM »

Thanks for the info. Looks like good prices. Let us know what you think of the wood.

Here is the link

http://www.balsawoodinc.com/

Ken

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #2 on:** December 14, 2013, 03:35:54 PM »

I am flummoxed. Why not order balsa from Stunt Hangar Hobby? It's drop shipped from Bud Nosen, and is VERY nice stuff.

There's another Stunt Hangar sponsor that has a banner ad (National Balsa?), but unless I'm missing something, there's no way to find a link to them without just blind luck and waiting for the banner ad to arrive by random draw. Can't understand why there's not a button/tab/folder for board sponsors. I know Sparky said he was working on it at one time, but I can't find anything that resulted. Or maybe their nickle ran out...

Steve

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #3 on:** December 14, 2013, 04:18:31 PM »

I order "contest balsa" from National. That's exactly what I get. (some of the sheets have to be trimmed with a 36" straightedge, but that's my only complaint),. So a 3" wide piece ends up 2 7/8".

Floyd

Douglas Ames · « **Reply #4 on:** December 14, 2013, 05:35:19 PM »

I've found balsa racks at local craft stores - Michael's, Hobby Lobby and even Ace Hardware, but the quality was all over the map.

KenP51 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 14, 2013, 06:06:47 PM »

Quote from: Douglas Ames on December 14, 2013, 05:35:19 PM

I've found balsa racks at local craft stores - Michael's, Hobby Lobby and even Ace Hardware, but the quality was all over the map.

Same story here. Mostly iron wood or pretzel wood. But the 1/4" 5 ply birch ply is good at very good price. Have not seen any lite ply, and the lhs has been out for over 6 months.

Ken

55chevr · « **Reply #6 on:** December 14, 2013, 06:42:39 PM »

National has been great ... only issue is getting hard balsa for flaps ... theirs is light contest ...
Joe

Will Hinton · « **Reply #7 on:** December 14, 2013, 07:16:30 PM »

To start with, I can't find a link to stunthanger hobby. How do I find it? Secondly, I want to have the freedom of knowing many, many places to get balsa. Thirdly, the wood I need right now NEEDS to be hard stuff. These are sheet flaps, spars, and tail feathers.

KenP51 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 14, 2013, 07:23:01 PM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on December 14, 2013, 07:16:30 PM

To start with, I can't find a link to stunthanger hobby. How do I find it?

I googled it

http://www.stunthanger.com/hobby/

Ken

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2013, 09:29:56 PM »

There's usually a Stunt Hangar Hobby banner ad at the top or bottom of the forum page. I'm thinkin' that National Balsa didn't re-up. Probably because I forgot to mention I was from Stunthanger.

Steve

Will Hinton · « **Reply #10 on:** December 15, 2013, 05:42:08 AM »

Ken - Thanks for the link!!!!!
Steve, maybe ya need to order a couple thousand bucks more.

Some of us here will help you use it up!

KenP51 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 15, 2013, 06:07:26 AM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on December 15, 2013, 05:42:08 AM

Ken - Thanks for the link!!!!!
Steve, maybe ya need to order a couple thousand bucks more. Some of us here will help you use it up!

I will help ya use it

Ken

john e. holliday · « **Reply #12 on:** December 15, 2013, 07:39:42 AM »

If you want hard balsa that is straight and firm. Go to your local craft store that stocks balsa. My Hobby Lobby stocks Midwest balsa. I have found pieces for my liking depending on what it is going to be used for. But for bulk balsa since LoneStar is no more I go to National Balsa. They have full page ads in the magazines.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #13 on:** December 15, 2013, 12:34:45 PM »

If you're ever in the mood to drool all over yourself, come to the Toledo Show in April and visit the National booth! It'll mess with your mind!

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #14 on:** December 15, 2013, 02:33:28 PM »

If it was in Toledo, WA, I'd be there like a duck on a junebug. Maybe Duke Johnson can make it happen?

Steve

Will Hinton · « **Reply #15 on:** December 15, 2013, 02:43:52 PM »

Okay Duke, the ball's in your court!

john e. holliday · « **Reply #16 on:** December 16, 2013, 07:41:18 AM »

Hey, it only takes one or two individuals to make something happen. Go look at the history of the Toledo Show and a few others. Start small though and watch it go. I think the group here in KC tried to go to big to start with.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2013, 07:36:47 PM »

The balsa arrived today, Tuesday, and I only ordered it Friday. Not bad from Iowa City, Iowa to the Toledo area.
The wood is exactly what I need and what everyone here predicted, HARD as the gates of...well, you know where.
Thing is, the grain on every piece is straight and clear. I can build the tail section using 1.4 inch and it will be fine. I ordered some 1/16th that is 6" wide in hopes it would be hard enough to skin the fuse' with, and it is just that. Again, straight and clear.
Now for the negative part; while the 1/8th plywood is 5 ply, it doesn't look as good a quality as Midwest or the others I've typically used. Thing is, this was the stuff that influenced me to go with them. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly usable, but still - I'm used to really great ply.
Now to get my contest balsa list ready for Toledo and I'll be in great shape. (I have enough 4-6 pound 1/16th and .070 on hand for three PAMPA ships, so that's cool.) I will use some of that up sheeting these wings, but I stockpiled a LOT of Lonestar's finest before I retired!

Tom_Fluker · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2015, 03:51:14 PM »

Picking up on an old thread.

Has anyone tried to get custom thicknesses? I need some .077 (~5/64?) to match some that I picked up from Lonestar a looooong time ago.

Any recommendations appreciated.

Tom

Howard Rush · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2015, 04:52:55 PM »

Tom,

See Bob Hunt.

Bill Little · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2015, 05:08:07 PM »

Quote from: Tom_Fluker on January 20, 2015, 03:51:14 PM

Picking up on an old thread.

Has anyone tried to get custom thicknesses? I need some .077 (~5/64?) to match some that I picked up from Lonestar a looooong time ago.

Any recommendations appreciated.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Me, too! I use it in Bob Hunt's Lost Foam system to skin the wings. Better than 1/16th (.61 piped size wings) and smaller/lighter than 3/32. I don't need a lot right now, but enough to finish up a Geo Bolt I wing. I might even use it on the bigger OTS spark models.

Let me know if you find a source, OK?v

Thanks!
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

dave siegler · « **Reply #21 on:** January 21, 2015, 07:24:09 AM »

I have used the same guy for laser cutting, a very positive experience.

http://www.ak-models.com

Sean McEntee · « **Reply #22 on:** January 21, 2015, 07:47:41 AM »

I've been having great success with getting good wood from Hobby Lobby. Armed with a digital pocket scale and the NCLRA balsa density calculator bookmarked on my phone, I go into the one in Killeen once a month and go through their sheets. Typically walk out of there with no less than 40 bucks in wood. I've even found good wood at HobbyTownUSA's. Like the old man said, "Good wood is where you can get it". When tax return comes in, I think I'll spend a day one weekend by going down to San Antonio and, working my way back, hit every HL on the way.

eric rule · « **Reply #23 on:** January 21, 2015, 10:03:05 AM »

If you are looking for a few boards of really good balsa try your local Hobby Lobby store.

I ran out of 1/8 x 4 x 36 contest grade balsa the other day and had to get a couple of kits sent out to customers so could not wait until my regular supplier got the order here. Drove down to the store and was very surprised to find contest grade balsa. While there I checked out the rest of their stock and was pleased to see that it all seemed to be a very high grade of contest level balsa. OK, the price was twice what I normally pay for balsa but I was not purchasing $10,000.00 worth of stock. The price I paid was in the same general range as the Midwest garbage available at the local hobby shops yet the quality was superior.

Tom_Fluker · « **Reply #24 on:** January 22, 2015, 07:23:32 AM »

Thanks for the feedback (both here and some via direct email). The general consensus seems to be that unless you need a bunch, order the closest larger size and sand it down and save the money. Lots of good sources for wood, I was just hoping to skip a step.

dave siegler · « **Reply #25 on:** January 22, 2015, 09:48:28 AM »

All the local Meanrds building stores now have balsa as well.