Got an E-mail from a balsa supplier I've used in the past. He said Balsa prices are going up 40% in September.
No idea the validity of this but the claim is the power generating windmill blades are raising demand.
I spoke to an engineer from our power company the other day, whose job was closely involved with wind turbines. He said he's never seen one with any balsa in it.
__________________ Max
Clayton Bay
South Australia
My LHS has a quite good selection of balsa. Every time I go there go through what they have. In particular 3/32 sheeting. Then buy all that meets standard. I swear over the past couple of years the lighter/good stuff is much less.\
I agree with you 100%. It seems the LHS is getting heavier and heavier stock in for their supply. Bud Nosen still has some good stuff but you need to get it right away before it is picked through "creaming" as we used to say in the lumber business. The trick is how does one know when the LHS gets new stock in?
I've been lead to believe the Balsa being used in wind turbine blades is old school and no longer being done.
I remembered last century a model magazine article mentioned balsa was used in insulation for the LPG tanker ships, they had the big round tanks in the hull quite an odd looking ship. I might add that before that they were used in the rigid life rafts aboard ships. I know several modelers had bought the rafts as surplus and had these balsa logs stored in their workshops for cutting into workable sizes for modeling.
Dave Platt rule #7 Scarfology.....
Sparky
__________________ Brown County, Indiana
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