Thread: Planes, Trains, and Balsa Wood Hones?

Balsa is such a special wood! It's so soft that it is great at "taking" the compound and then conforming to irregular surfaces. I've seen guys use it with compound on gouges and veiners because it is so conformable. It has a variety of unique uses. When they first landed the Apollo spaceships on the Moon, they tested many materials for the actual feet of the craft and they ended up using balsa. I believe it was because it was light and it would crush in a predictably controlled fashion and would conform to the surface thereby contributing to a level landing. If anybody wants to play with some, you can get it at Hobby shops in the modeling section. They usually have a variety pack of different sizes and shapes. I always have a pack on hand as when children come over, I start them off with a Dremel and a hunk of wood and they usually end up with something like a little sailboat they set out on our koi pond. They light up when they find they can do something else with their hands besides push buttons on a video game. Balsa should be in everyone's life.

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I have a few old paddles made from what seems to be basswood. Much harder than balsa but with a fine pore structure that takes pastes well.

I'm sure Forestry Proff. will stroll by shortly and add his expertise. he has done some nice all wooden paddles, one of which I am proud to own.

Tony

It took awhile, but Tony was correct in that I can't stay out of these conversations .

As Howard said, balsa is fairly unique, but from my perspective, other than the fact that it is easily obtainable and cheap, I think there are better woods available.

After trying a large variety of woods for use as a hone, I've found that the only requirement is that it be a diffuse porus wood (as opposed to ring prous). You can tell the difference if you look at a cookie cut from the tree; in ring porous wood, the annual growth rings will have two distince layers, springwood which is composed of fairly large vessels and latewood which is finer grained and more uniform. Oak and ash are good examples of ring porous woods. Diffuse porous woods do not have large open pores. Although the wood density does change from spring to summer growth, the vessel diameter does not change. Maple, basswood, sweetgum, yellow-poplar, and balsawood are all good examples. The main reason that ring porous woods are less (un)suitable for uses as a strop is that the abrasive paste will collect in the pores making it useless, unless of course you happen to be sufficently wealthy to not care about filling the pores with inexpensive diamond paste...

The main reason I am not a huge fan of balsa is that it is so easily damaged. When gluing a balsa sheet to any substrate, most methods of clamping will deform the wood and because it is so soft, the clamping cauls have to completely cover the surface because the clamping pressure will not be uniformly applied otherwise.

I have tried both hard and soft maples, basswood, poplar, and eastern red cedar. I like the cedar because of the scent and unique color, but prefer the hard maple because of its stability and strength. I have found no difference in the quality of razors edge following honing among any of these woods (assuming they have been finished dead flat after being attached to the base).

One last point (this may sound sacreligious coming from me), I prefer leather over wood for a strop/bench hone.

Just another data point,
Ed

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

One last point (this may sound sacreligious coming from me), I prefer leather over wood for a strop/bench hone.

Just another data point,
Ed

And there folks you have it! <g>

Thanks Ed.


Tony

...but just stay away from the ring porous hides?

--I have the sneaking suspicion that I'm learning nothing while having a damn fine time doing it--

Bruce

Very Good Idea man! Thanks!

I've never had any problem clamping balsa to the oak board as I use another oak board on top and clamped the balsa like a bologna sandwich.

bj

Thanks for bringing up this topic Bruce. I have been curious about the balsa and chrom ox and hadn't tried it yet. Following the informative replies I have something to go with.