Chambered Balsa

I am building a Balsa board from scrach. started with 4x6 planks. I am going to put 7, 1/8 ceadar stringers. I want to chamber the balsa, so here are my questions. Do I glue up the planks & stringers, pre shape the board then re-cut it to do the chambering or??? It seems that the closer I am to a finished shape the more accurate I can be with the chambering process. If I cut the chambers in the planks first I stand the chance of having thin spots or worse planing thru while shaping. Also is there a way to temporary hold the thing together while shaping?

I am building a Balsa board from scrach. started with 4x6 planks. I am > going to put 7, 1/8 ceadar stringers. I want to chamber the balsa, so here > are my questions. Do I glue up the planks & stringers, pre shape the > board then re-cut it to do the chambering or??? It seems that the closer I > am to a finished shape the more accurate I can be with the chambering > process. If I cut the chambers in the planks first I stand the chance of > having thin spots or worse planing thru while shaping. Also is there a way > to temporary hold the thing together while shaping? That’s an ambitious project. I’ve worked with balsa and found it much more difficult than foam – and I didn’t try chambering. I remember seeing a picture of Diffenderfer putting chambers into a balsa gun, and it was definitely after the board had been shaped (at least roughed out). My guess would be that you should tack-glue the planks and stringers for the rough shaping, then break them apart, mark up your planks, and then chamber. Good luck!! (By the way, how much did you pay for your balsa?)

Hey there. I’m also interested in how much you paid for your balsa…and if you can get more? I’ve tried to find someone to supply me with balsa in suitable sizes for board building, but with no success. As I live in Canada, there is no one local of course, but all my calls to the US have been in vain. Thanks Dee

Hey there.>>> I’m also interested in how much you paid for your balsa…and if you can > get more?>>> I’ve tried to find someone to supply me with balsa in suitable sizes for > board building, but with no success.>>> As I live in Canada, there is no one local of course, but all my calls to > the US have been in vain.>>> Thanks Dee Thanks for the interest, I got my planks a few years ago from Gary Fuller (Rhino Balsa) in Santa Barbara Ca. They were left over stock. He sells the pre glued & rockered blanks w/ styrofoam cores. Nice stuff, but very expensive. I belive he is still doing his thing. www.rhinobalsa.com I still am looking for the sage advise on gluing & chambering, I started this project more than two years ago & have been waiting to find some one willing to share there knowlege. I am in no hurry to finish this one but, it has been a while sence I cut the planks & dry clamped them together. A year or more of drying & clamping should help keep the twists out!!

Thanks for the interest, I got my planks a few years ago from Gary Fuller > (Rhino Balsa) in Santa Barbara Ca. They were left over stock. He sells the > pre glued & rockered blanks w/ styrofoam cores. Nice stuff, but very > expensive. I belive he is still doing his thing. www.rhinobalsa.com I > still am looking for the sage advise on gluing & chambering, I started > this project more than two years ago & have been waiting to find some > one willing to share there knowlege. I am in no hurry to finish this one > but, it has been a while sence I cut the planks & dry clamped them > together. A year or more of drying & clamping should help keep the > twists out!! If have the styro filled blank, your screwed. I repair them for every one south of LA. I do the absolute best chambering there is, but you’ll have to wait for the video. You have to spot glue the blank , shape, crack apart, chamber, then re-glue.

If have the styro filled blank, your screwed. I repair them for every one > south of LA. I do the absolute best chambering there is, but you’ll have > to wait for the video. You have to spot glue the blank , shape, crack > apart, chamber, then re-glue. Thanks, Jim, should I use regular carpenters (white glue) for the temp. gluing? I would spot in the center of the planks so as not to come apart while shaping I did two of those foam core jobs but I was always worried about the thickness. They look ok, but it isn’t the same as working from scratch, Much more work, but I don’t have to worry about thickness while working the solid planks. P.S. there was a balsa gun hanging dowm at Mitch’s in Solona a while back with some curved stringers. was that one of yours? One of the finer examples I have seen.

Thanks, Jim, should I use regular carpenters (white glue) for the temp. > gluing? I would spot in the center of the planks so as not to come apart > while shaping I did two of those foam core jobs but I was always worried > about the thickness. They look ok, but it isn’t the same as working from > scratch, Much more work, but I don’t have to worry about thickness while > working the solid planks.>>> P.S. there was a balsa gun hanging dowm at Mitch’s in Solona a while back > with some curved stringers. was that one of yours? One of the finer > examples I have seen. That was actually one of Steve Clarks boards, the curves are used to step the wood upwards at each intersection to create rocker.