Balsa Density

I recently ran across the following classifications for balsa density on the Internet. Does this agree with your understanding of these classes?

Very Light - Contest Grade: 4-6 lbs/cu ft
Light Grade Balsa: 6-10 lbs/cu ft
Medium Grade Balsa: 10-14 lbs/cu ft
Heavy Grade Balsa: 15+ lbs/cu ft

I have trouble with 10 lbs/cu ft wood being light and 14 lbs/cu ft wood being medium.

Go to Bill Calkins website
he has a cool downlaod to check the weights

http://clflyer.tripod.com/Downloads/downloads.htm

>I recently ran across the following classifications for
>balsa density on the Internet. Does this agree with your
>understanding of these classes?
>
>Very Light - Contest Grade: 4-6 lbs/cu ft
>Light Grade Balsa: 6-10 lbs/cu ft
>Medium Grade Balsa: 10-14 lbs/cu ft
>Heavy Grade Balsa: 15+ lbs/cu ft
>
>I have trouble with 10 lbs/cu ft wood being light and 14
>lbs/cu ft wood being medium.
>
>Paul

Everybody has their own classification. There was a time when balsa didn't even come in weights as heavy as 15 pound, but now...

Anyway, most will agree with 4-6 pound for very light, contest grade. Medium might be 6-8. You will seldom want to go over 8 or 9 pound density for anything serious in a control line stunt model. Some of the RC guys go for a lot heavier grade of wood for some of their stuff (heavier wing loadings) and hence the grade differences.

There was a time when balsa didn't even come in weights as heavy as 15 pound, but now...

I seem to remember that Midwest and Pactra were almost always in the 12 - 15+ range. LOL

Yep, not to mention the wood sold under the Testors name or the kits by Sterling Oak Works!!

Some years ago I decided to bulk buy balsa from a supplier. $200 yeilded a generous supply of "contest balsa" that 50 % of which was unusable as far as I was concerned. I was luckly enough to sell most to a local RC type at a greatly reduced price. For the last several years I've been blessed with a LHS that lets me bring my gram scale in and finds the lightest balsa I can find. The price may be a little higher but I don't get anything that I don't wnat to use. I've got some wood in my stash that weighs less than 4# pcf. Mind you that amount is very small, but I don't buy anything that is over 6#, and most is in the low 5# range.