News:



  • June 17, 2025, 10:46:05 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA  (Read 3367 times)

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« on: November 04, 2024, 07:40:32 AM »
IM LOOKING FOR SOME 1/8 X 4X 48  BALSA FOR FUSE SIDES IN 6 TO 7 LB RANGE,I WENT ON NATIONAL BALSA SITE AND THEY WANT $19.10 PER SHEET FOR THERE AERO LIGHT WOOD AND EXTRA 35% TO CHOOSE A POUND WEIGHT  BETWEEN 2 POUNDS..SO THATS GOING TO BE ALMOST $30 A SHEET...THAT WOULD BE ABOUT $70 FOR 2 SHEETS THAT MIGHT BE CLOSE TO THE SAME WEIGHT.
AMA 21449

Offline Crist Rigotti

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4061
  • Electric - The future of Old Time Stunt
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2024, 08:07:23 AM »
No need to shout.
Crist
AMA 482497
Waxahachie, TX
Electric - The Future of Old Time Stunt

Online Brett Buck

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • ******
  • Posts: 14467
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2024, 08:53:38 AM »
IM LOOKING FOR SOME 1/8 X 4X 48  BALSA FOR FUSE SIDES IN 6 TO 7 LB RANGE,I WENT ON NATIONAL BALSA SITE AND THEY WANT $19.10 PER SHEET FOR THERE AERO LIGHT WOOD AND EXTRA 35% TO CHOOSE A POUND WEIGHT  BETWEEN 2 POUNDS..SO THATS GOING TO BE ALMOST $30 A SHEET...THAT WOULD BE ABOUT $70 FOR 2 SHEETS THAT MIGHT BE CLOSE TO THE SAME WEIGHT.

    Please to not post all caps.

     Get in touch with Elliot Scott (BYU on Stunthanger).

     Brett

     

Online Ken Culbertson

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 7040
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2024, 11:43:47 AM »
I don't know where you are but the Hobby Lobby's here in Dallas have consistently had 6-7lb 1/8" and 1/4" wood.  Anything else is a joke.

Ken
« Last Edit: November 04, 2024, 01:00:04 PM by Ken Culbertson »
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Online Dan McEntee

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 7493
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2024, 11:55:32 AM »
  Good balsa is where you find it, and that's why you just have to keep looking and buy it when you find it.

  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2024, 01:07:25 PM »
  Good balsa is where you find it, and that's why you just have to keep looking and buy it when you find it.
BALSA USA has what they call soft,medium and hard balsa for 9.08 a sheet which is 42 inch long


  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee
AMA 21449

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2024, 01:08:45 PM »
I don't know where you are but the Hobby Lobby's here in Dallas have consistently had 6-7lb 1/8" and 1/4" wood.  Anything else is a joke.
the one here only has 36" length and i need at least 42" for the fuse

Ken
AMA 21449

Online Dave_Trible

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6708
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2024, 01:18:22 PM »
I have pretty good luck with Balsa USA.   I order the hand select soft and the majority is in the 5.5-6.5 range.   Length?   I splice as necessary,  usually up in the area where nose doublers are being used anyway,  between the wing and the spinner.

Dave
AMA 20934
FAA Certificate FA3ATY4T94
 Investing in a Gaza resort if the billionaire doesn't take all my social security check

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2024, 01:41:33 PM »
I have pretty good luck with Balsa USA.   I order the hand select soft and the majority is in the 5.5-6.5 range.   Length?   I splice as necessary,  usually up in the area where nose doublers are being used anyway,  between the wing and the spinner.

Dave
i thought about splicing but if i can the longer sheet it would be better so i dont have a joint to deal with,im going with balsa usa,i m going to get a few sheets of soft and a few of medium..
AMA 21449

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2024, 01:43:12 PM »
i thought about splicing but if i can the longer sheet it would be better so i dont have a joint to deal with,im going with balsa usa,i m going to get a few sheets of soft and a few of medium..i just wasnt sure about their service
AMA 21449

Online Dave_Trible

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6708
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2024, 04:24:37 PM »
Their service has been great as far as I'm concerned.  I can order on Monday and it gets to Kansas by Wednesday or Thursday.  BTW they also sell very good epoxy in either 12 minute or 30 minute.  I usually throw some into each order.

Dave
AMA 20934
FAA Certificate FA3ATY4T94
 Investing in a Gaza resort if the billionaire doesn't take all my social security check

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2024, 11:11:38 AM »
Their service has been great as far as I'm concerned.  I can order on Monday and it gets to Kansas by Wednesday or Thursday.  BTW they also sell very good epoxy in either 12 minute or 30 minute.  I usually throw some into each order.

Dave

I ordered from them today maby out of 8 sheets i can get 2 that will work...4 soft and 4 medium, ill let you know what they are like
« Last Edit: November 06, 2024, 12:42:37 PM by doug coursey »
AMA 21449

Online Dennis Toth

  • 2020 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4397
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2024, 05:44:40 AM »
Doug,
National Balsa has sales going on all the time, check out their website and facebook page.

Best,   DennisT

Offline Robert Zambelli

  • 23 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 3054
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2024, 03:28:45 PM »
Brodak has a good supply of balsa.
I'm not sure if they will select various weights for you nor do I know about pricing.

Bob Z.

Offline Mike Griffin

  • 2018 Supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 2837
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2024, 04:16:20 PM »
    Please to not post all caps.

     Get in touch with Elliot Scott (BYU on Stunthanger).

     Brett

   

Sent you a PM Brett.

Mike

Offline doug coursey

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Commander
  • ****
  • Posts: 276
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #15 on: November 11, 2024, 07:43:13 PM »
got my 8 sheets of 1/8 x4 x 42 inch balsa from Balsa USA today  2 sheets were 4.9 lb ,2 were 5.08 lb,2 were 5.4 lb,1 was 6.7 lb and 1 was 7.1 lb it was all B grain  very nice wood...i ordered 4 sheets of soft and 4 sheets of medium
AMA 21449

Offline Gary Dowler

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • ******
  • Posts: 1049
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2024, 04:38:22 AM »
Estate sales where the guy flew, you can sometimes find such listings on Craigslist. I got a ton of glow plugs from a guy in exactly this manner once.   Dont write off  sources like Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  They sometimes have wood selections by the sheet as opposed to the packaged stuff, apparently it varies by location. I recently got a handful of 4x36 1/16 sheets at Hobby lobby that were 6.5-7lb stuff.  Just went through the stack a sheet at a time feeling for the "light" ones.

Gary
Profanity is the crutch of the illiterate mind

Online Paul Taylor

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6598
  • If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
    • Our Local CL Web Page
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #17 on: November 21, 2024, 10:31:16 AM »
    Please to not post all caps.

     Get in touch with Elliot Scott (BYU on Stunthanger).

     Brett

   

He miss ALL CAPS day. 🤣🤣🤣

https://nationaltoday.com/international-caps-lock-day/
Paul
AMA 842917

As my coach and mentor Jim Lynch use to say every time we flew together - “We are making memories

Offline Paul Smith

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6120
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #18 on: November 21, 2024, 11:27:50 AM »
My sources are Balsa USA and The Toledo RC Show every April.

When 80% of the buyers demand the lightest 5% of the crop, not everybody wins.
Most of the time there were three waves of pickers who went over the stock before you got there.
If your wood is heavy, it's also very strong. So alter the design to use less wood.
Paul Smith

Offline Gerald Arana

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1580
Re: WHERE TO BUY GOOD BALSA
« Reply #19 on: November 21, 2024, 01:01:35 PM »
My sources are Balsa USA and The Toledo RC Show every April.

When 80% of the buyers demand the lightest 5% of the crop, not everybody wins.
Most of the time there were three waves of pickers who went over the stock before you got there.
If your wood is heavy, it's also very strong. So alter the design to use less wood.

Yes, this is true. Also heavy wood makes good (strong) spars and other parts where you need strength.

Good luck, Jerry


Advertise Here
Tags: