Weight of contest grade balsa
03-04-2003, 05:57 PM
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Weight of contest grade balsa
Can someone please help me what to expect the weight of 1/16" contest grade balsa should weigh.
I recently purchased a kit from a well known supplier, and the weight of the wing sheeting varies greatly. A 1/16 x 4" by 42" sheet has weights from 18 grams to 33 grams. Am I expecting to much to assume that all sheets should weigh less than 20 grams?
Some 36" sheets 14, 20, 25, and 30 grams. What does contest grade mean with this much of a spread?
Thoughts appreciated.
Mark
I recently purchased a kit from a well known supplier, and the weight of the wing sheeting varies greatly. A 1/16 x 4" by 42" sheet has weights from 18 grams to 33 grams. Am I expecting to much to assume that all sheets should weigh less than 20 grams?
Some 36" sheets 14, 20, 25, and 30 grams. What does contest grade mean with this much of a spread?
Thoughts appreciated.
Mark
03-04-2003, 06:24 PM
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Weight of contest grade balsa
I looked at the Sig website and that info isn't there but it's in their catalog. The website lists contest grade as 4-6 lbs. and AAA balsa as 8-12lbs., whatever that means. I know the Sig contest balsa is very light and soft.
Jim
Jim
03-04-2003, 10:21 PM
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Weight of contest grade balsa
Thanks all.
Can someone weigh their 1/16" sheet on contest and let me know. The 4-7 lb is the block of balsa. How much do you lose in the cutting and sanding operations though!
Mark
Can someone weigh their 1/16" sheet on contest and let me know. The 4-7 lb is the block of balsa. How much do you lose in the cutting and sanding operations though!
Mark
03-04-2003, 11:06 PM
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Balsa Weight
ML3456,
Don Ross' "Rubber Powered Model Aiplanes" gives the following balsa densities for 1/16".
Size 4x36"
4lb density 9.4 grams
5lb density 11.7 grams
6lb density 14.1 grams
8lb density 18.7 grams
10lb density 23.4 grams
Hope this helps.
Sean
Don Ross' "Rubber Powered Model Aiplanes" gives the following balsa densities for 1/16".
Size 4x36"
4lb density 9.4 grams
5lb density 11.7 grams
6lb density 14.1 grams
8lb density 18.7 grams
10lb density 23.4 grams
Hope this helps.
Sean
03-05-2003, 08:38 PM
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It's just math...
There are 1728 in^3 in a cubic foot of wood
If you cut a 4" wide piece 12" tall and 36" long, that is a cubic foot.
So if you stack 192 pieces of wood 1/16" thick, 4" wide, and 36" long, you have a cubic foot of sheets..no worry about cutting or sanding loss.
Now if this cubic foot of wood weighs 4 lbs, or 64 oz, then
1728in^3/64oz = 27in^3/oz.
One sheet is 4" X 36" x 1/16" = 9 in^3
So each sheet is .33 oz
1 oz = 28.34 grams
28.34 X .33 = 9.35 grams for a 4" wide X 36" long X 1/16" thick piece of 4 lb balsa.
Hey! That's just what Sean T had!!
The 4lb isn't what a block of balsa weighs unless that block is one cubic foot of 4lb/ft^3 balsa. And that is some light balsa.
If you cut a 4" wide piece 12" tall and 36" long, that is a cubic foot.
So if you stack 192 pieces of wood 1/16" thick, 4" wide, and 36" long, you have a cubic foot of sheets..no worry about cutting or sanding loss.
Now if this cubic foot of wood weighs 4 lbs, or 64 oz, then
1728in^3/64oz = 27in^3/oz.
One sheet is 4" X 36" x 1/16" = 9 in^3
So each sheet is .33 oz
1 oz = 28.34 grams
28.34 X .33 = 9.35 grams for a 4" wide X 36" long X 1/16" thick piece of 4 lb balsa.
Hey! That's just what Sean T had!!
The 4lb isn't what a block of balsa weighs unless that block is one cubic foot of 4lb/ft^3 balsa. And that is some light balsa.
