When building wood structures for my HO layout, I am told to use only basewood, which I have done. My question is, what is wrong with using balsa wood.
thanx ccg
There's nothing "wrong" with using balsa. Many people object to it's rather coarse grain, but it can be sealed and painted if that is an issue. E. L. Moore, one of the hobby's most prolific author of structure articles years ago used it almost exclusively. He preferred it for its low cost and easy availability. Use what you can find and afford and what you're comfortable with.
Lou
Apparently people have trouble with it warping and loosing shape. even if or when painted, as sometimes the paint can warp it.
I used to have problems even with even glue warping it.
Balsa wood is nice and easy to use, but I, too, woul d stay away from it for MRR projects..
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
You can usually sand basswood smooth without sealing it. Balsa usually has a lot of fuzzies on the egges & has to be sealed numerous times during construction which takes tine & prevents the glue to work properly & also causes problems if you want to stain it.
I have used it 50 plus years ago when we didn't have the choices we have today. You will be much happier with basswood. jerry
I find basswood easier to work and easier to get and it stains up nice. I have scratch build a few structures with Walnut I cut up into strip wood and it realy looks nice. It took some doing to make the strip wood and it cuts to length a little hard but it adds a great look.
I have scratch build quite a few N scale structures and found Basswood much easier to cut accurately and to finish. Also you can use thinner pieces of basswood . One thing i found balsa does really well is when i use it as a cement foundation, it looks alot like old cement when painted gray
ccg When building wood structures for my HO layout, I am told to use only basewood, which I have done. My question is, what is wrong with using balsa wood. thanx ccg
"Wrong" is a word that is overused, especially in our hobby. Trying to fasten wood with sheet metal screws, installing a decoder on the outside of your locomotive or using your $2000 cherry dining table for a layout are things that might be considered "wrong", but even then, there's probably a case to be made for it.
There are few actual rules -- even the NMRA standards are guidelines. The point is, many people have discovered, usually through trial and error, that some things work better than others (and even here, this is largely a matter of individual preference rather than absolutes).
As others have pointed out, balsa has several qualities which other modelers have found objectionable, or at least less than ideal, for modeling. I, too, find the qualities of basswood to be much superior for modeling, and, when properly sealed or primed, I've seen no warping during or after painting. The appearance of basswood on the market was precisely in response to the less than ideal qualities of balsa, although it has been used in wood carving and crafts for centuries.
So, if I were you, I would use basswood in preference to balsa for modeling, but you're certainly free to do otherwise if it suits you.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
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I have found that balsa is very soft and easy to mark or dent. I can be ham fisted sometimes. Kind of ruins a project in a hurry. However I do use it for rear walls of structures that will not be seen from all sides. In shotr it has its uses but stick with basswood, its harder and has a denser grain.
Dave
I have used 1/4" square balsawood for retaining walls, a sand house bin and a coal hopper for a power generating plant. It is easy to work with and the rougher texture adds to the detail (IMHO). There are some drawbacks. One is that the glue between the pieces interferes with staining so the structures have to be painted. No big deal. Also, I recommend cutting it with a razor saw instead of a knife blade because the knife blade tends to crush the ends even with a fresh blade.
I have also built some structures using clear pine sliced from a 2 x 4 into 1/16" strips on my radial arm saw. So far the pine has been very stable even with seasonal humidity changes, with the exception of an icing platform that is 21" long and lacks sufficient bracing to keep it from warping. I will cure that problem by attaching the platform to a solid base strong enough to resist the warping. The base will then be buried in the scenery. I draw lines in the pine to simulate individual boards using the back of a #11 blade and a straight edge.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!