buddy wants me to make a nose cone for a model airplane and use balsa. Will it hold a tenon, do I spin at lower speeds, will it cut easily? Any advice re balsa. I’ve never used it. TIA.
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Some balsa questions
- Thread starter Alan Weinberg
- Start date
ever try to shave a slice off a foam cup? Balsa is almost that bad
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From balsa I have used in projects as a kid it is easy to dent and crush.
Typical lathe holding methods would crush the wood or tear free of the wood.
Cutting will require sharp tools and a light touch.
Just for fun I asked google. “ turning Balsa wood”. Lots of hits from rocket forums. Suggest you spend some time with google and get tips from the rocket guys who turn it. A couple just use electric drills as the lathe and shape with abrasive.
Here is one
Turning Balsa
For those of you turning your own stuff, do you use a cutting tool or sand paper to get your shapes? I have a 80 year old guy here who is woodworker and asked him if he would teach me how to turn. When he asked what type of wood was I wanting to work with, he told me it was too light. I told him...
www.rocketryforum.com
On Instagram I follow the work of several British production turners. Gary Rance recently turned a large number of Balsa spindles. Someone asked him his method and he said a skew followed by sanding. I imagine that is the best method.
You might try a glue block for your mounting approach. Or even turn your balsa blank round and then recess into a mortise and hot glue the borders. That should hold reasonably well. Just let off when finished with the nose cone.
You might try a glue block for your mounting approach. Or even turn your balsa blank round and then recess into a mortise and hot glue the borders. That should hold reasonably well. Just let off when finished with the nose cone.
I would just give it a try with sharp tools. I watched Trent Bosch do a demo with styrafoam blocks to play with shapes. I trierd this with blocks l got from Michaels, and it went just fine.
You might consider stabilizing it before turning. I do not know how much it would impact the weight and balance. If it is to be very thin, stabilizing will give some added strength. you can also use a rotary Dremel as a tool and slow the lathe way down.
I have done it but I don't remember how just that I did use a lathe before scroll chucks were available and likely turned between centers.
That was when my sons (early teens) and I were into model rockets but they are now in their mid fifties.
That was when my sons (early teens) and I were into model rockets but they are now in their mid fifties.
If it's small enough, a collet chuck might work for holding the workpiece, kind of like holding a finial. I'd envision turning round between centers, including a longer tenon for the collet. My largest collet is 3/4", and i'd consider a tenon length of inch +/-. Sharp tools, and as noted...sandpaper would be one of my main "tools"!!
Very sharp tools and steep shear angle should help. Balsa has a wide range of density.
I did a nose cone for a friend some years back. I went with some spruce. Can't remember the specific stuff. but it turned well, and would survive crash landings far better than the balsa.
robo hippy
robo hippy
I suggest you shape a sacrificial piece of wood, one side is a tenant that goes into the chuck, the other side is flat. Glue the balsa to the flat side. now you have the balse on the lathe ... but use a power drill with a sanding disc to shape the balsa cone to specs. apply sanding sealer in between to prevent the balsa from tearing out.
and a little tailstock support?
That always helps ! Thanks for bringing it up. I suggest a cork or another small piece of wood between the tailstock and the balsa, it is so soft that the tailstock my leave a "dent".
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When I looked at the rocket builders site. Some use stiff cardboard to keep the tail center from crush ingredients the balsa.