Cutting replacement balsa core

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Jeremy
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Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Jeremy »

Silly little trick, but I found when cutting some replacement balsa core for a recent repair, once the pattern was marked out, an easy way to make the cuts to put the core to be cut on an empty pizza box and cut it with a multimaster (or knockoff). The core material remained nicely supported, and the blade could slice right through the cardboard into nothing but air.

With enough cuts, the box gives out of course, but for my purposes, and for trimming aboard, this was a helpful trick. Maybe it'll be of use to someone else.
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Rachel
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Rachel »

Sounds like your re-core is coming along: )

Thanks for the tip.
Jeremy
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Jeremy »

Thanks, Rachel. I'm, um, unburdened with experience in this area, but this worked well.

Yes the recore is comng along fine. I'll post an update in the other thread. Thanks for asking!
Zach
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Zach »

A sharp fillet knife is what I use. Balsa shears easily, and the knife works well for cutting the scrim backing too.
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Hirilondë
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Hirilondë »

Zach wrote:A sharp fillet knife is what I use. Balsa shears easily, and the knife works well for cutting the scrim backing too.
Yup, a serrated bread kn\ife works well too.
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builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
Jeremy
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Boat Name: Windrift
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Jeremy »

If only I'd asked in advance! . . .. I figured I needed a saw and what a mess a hand saw made. Perhaps a knife would have worked as well or better, but I must say that the pizza box/Multimaster solution was quick, precise, and handy.
Hirilondë
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Re: Cutting replacement balsa core

Post by Hirilondë »

If you don't try new things and "bright" ideas yourself you will never know. There is just so much you can learn form others, and some things you just have to learn the hard way. I find I have to learn many things the hard way ;>)
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gresham’s Law of information: Bad information drives out good. No matter how long ago a correction for a particular error may have appeared in print or online, it never seems to catch up with the ever-widening distribution of the error.
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