Timberwood
Balsa
Balsa
Balsa (Ochroma lagopus)
Balsa is the lightest and softest timber used commercially. It exhibits an unusually high degree of buoyancy and provides very efficient insulation against heat and sound. The wood can be adapted to a great number of special end-uses where these properties are essential. The timber is white to oatmeal in colour with sometimes a pinkish tinge near the hart. Still most commercial material is from the sapwood. It has a coarse and even texture resulting from the large and infrequent sap conducting vessels.
Straight grain. It is a short lived fast growing tree native to tropical South and Central America but it is widely cultivated in the tropics. Trees grow to 21m high and diameter of approximately 0.5m within seven years, reach maturity in 12-15 years after which they deteriorate with increases in density leading to the formation of hard and heavy wood and heartwood which tends to become waterlogged.
Although when planted outside their natural range, the wood produced tends to be heavier and outside the commercially accepted density range for balsa the species has been planted successfully in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Fiji, and Indonesia.
Characteristics of balsa wood make it a unique hardwood albeit, when weight for weight basis is excluded, it is the weakest of all commercial species. The logs must be converted promptly after felling to prevent extensive splitting. Kiln drying is preferred to air-drying due to low moisture movement and very high green moisture content (200-400%). The timber works well with tools but cutting edges must be sharp to avoid crumbling and to ensure a good finish in planning. Material can be nailed, but its holding power is poor. Glues well, stains and polishes satisfactorily but it is very absorbent. Timber is prone to attack by Anobium, termites and longhorn beetle. The sapwood is permeable, heartwood resistant to impregnation. Timber cut form old trees is often brittle and decayed. Traditional uses include: surf boards, laboratory mounting boards, fish net floats, aircraft construction and model making.
Grown in South American rain-forests, Midwest's Balsa is kiln-dried to produce a light-weight and high strength-to-weight ratio wood. Balsa cuts easily with a hobby knife and can be stained or painted to represent and wood type. It is the premier wood for modeling.
Presentación
Variedad: Ochroma lagopus
Class: Class I or Extra Class
Presentation: Balsa glued blocks (Industrial Quality) for the production of wind energy blades, aircraft, boats.
Density: 150 Kg/cbm, +/- 10Kg/cbm
Loose blocks of balsa wood (AA quality) used in the production of models.
Density: 105 kg/cbm to 200 kg/cbm
Loose balsa blocks (Industrial Quality) Used in the production of wind power blades, aircraft, ships. Density: 105 kg/cbm to 200 kg/cbm
Balsa wood sheets (AA quality) Used in the production of models Density: 105 kg/cbm to 200 kg/cbm
Balsa rigid panels and flexible panels Used for various construction applications, wind energy, marine transport and other industries.
Size: 610 mm x 1220 mm
Thickness: ¼'', 3/8'','' ½, 5/8'', ¾'', 1'', 1 ¼'', 1 ½'', 2''.
Humidity: Ancho Oven dried to a maximum of 12% humidity
Size: As required by the client.