MATERIAL AND CHEMICAL HANDBOOK（材料和化学手册）.pdfVIP

MATERIAL AND CHEMICAL HANDBOOK UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design BALSA WOOD VARIATIONS Sheets, Rods DESCRIPTION Tan, heavy grained and slightly textured wood. USES Balsa wood is easier to cut and lighter than basswood, but much more difficult to make into a good looking model. The very apparent and sloppy looking grain keeps balsa in the realm of mostly massing or sketch models. Because the wood is so light, it also distorts under pressure from anything but the sharpest blade, making clean joins more difficult to make. Can be laser cut. MANUFACTURE Trees harvest for balsa wood can be found in northern South America, and 90% of all balsa wood comes from Ecuador. These trees don’t grow in farms, and tend to be harvested directly from the jungle. Balsa wood enjoys a relatively quick regrowth rate of 6-10 years. NOTABLE INGREDIENTS Ochroma Lagopus (Balsa Wood Tree) DISPOSAL Usable scraps to Reuse Stations, unusable scraps to wood dumpster behind shop. Untreated wood will completely biodegrade without any issue. SAFETY NOTES Always be careful when cutting- use a sharp blade. Almost all cuts are best made with multiple, low pressure passes- this reduces the chance of slipping and increases the precision of the cut. A A - tangent B C B - quarter B C C - random Grain Types BASSWOOD VARIATIONS Sheets, Rods, Dowels, Structural Shapes DESCRIPTION Pale, smooth, fine grained wood. USES Excellent modeling material. Basswood accepts all types of glues, especially craft glues, and can be cut by hand at thicknesses up to 1/8”. Cuts with the grain must be carefully made to ensure the blade does not follow the slight curve of the grain