RICHARD WILLS Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 That would have been a size 10 needle by the way chaps . I did drop a couple during the process.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Colbourne Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Excellent idea Richard! The best bit is, if its too big for your available motors, you can just keep sticking it in the washing machine until it's the right size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Richard. What are you knitting next ? A Mosquito net ? (I think it's coat time) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Kulagin Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Just to put my two cents in on the shortage of balsa. I have had a conversation with my nephew who has been working in the off-shore power generation business for over a decade. When I mentioned the shortage of balsa we are facing and it's use for turbine blades, he has assured me that the turbine blades are hollow. Given the size of the things they cannot afford to have something that big made a solid. (waiting to be shot down in flames!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Posted by Michael Kulagin on 12/12/2020 18:41:36: Just to put my two cents in on the shortage of balsa. I have had a conversation with my nephew who has been working in the off-shore power generation business for over a decade. When I mentioned the shortage of balsa we are facing and it's use for turbine blades, he has assured me that the turbine blades are hollow. Given the size of the things they cannot afford to have something that big made a solid. (waiting to be shot down in flames!) Not all of them apparently https://www.ft.com/content/315455ae-021f-11ea-be59-e49b2a136b8d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Not a source of balsa, but a source of free modelling material. I use the light ply sourced from old fruit packing cases that are thrown out by shops/supermarkets. Some have very poor wood, or are wet and warped or are made from thin MDF. However, there are quite a few made from decent flat 3mm light ply which is suitable for some model applications. Some of the larger boxes yield quite big panels of ply. A bit of work to dismantle them - but the wood is free. I have also glued 2 lots together to produce 6mm 1/4" ply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 The balsa shortage seems to be real, but I was surprised when I read of the reason in this thread. I remember a while ago seeing a documentary, or a news item, showing turbine blades being made; and there was definitely no solid core of any kind. Perhaps it's just a patented European construction method that the Chinese haven't been able to copy successfully. But you would have thought that a moulded expanded foam core might be simpler than carving a balsa block into the correct shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip pember Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 does anyone have any idea what procedures will be in place for when and iff we get Balsa in Feb or March [ with Brexit ] will it be a first come first serve basis or would Balsa Cabin or Slec need our orders to be pre-ordered, in a queue as such or will supplies of soft balsa be able to supply our needs, can see a lot of orders going in when word of delivery gets out, probably on here, just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 " and there was definitely no solid core of any kind. " IIRC a glass/balsa/glass composite forms the skin. The unmentionable word shouldn't make a difference to imports from Ecuador or Papua New Guinea? Edited By Nigel R on 12/12/2020 22:04:07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by philip pember on 12/12/2020 21:40:00: does anyone have any idea what procedures will be in place for when and iff we get Balsa in Feb or March Well, I imagine the health care workers will get first dabs, followed by the over eighties. . . . . . .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by Trevor on 13/12/2020 09:17:57: Posted by philip pember on 12/12/2020 21:40:00: does anyone have any idea what procedures will be in place for when and iff we get Balsa in Feb or March Well, I imagine the health care workers will get first dabs, followed by the over eighties. . . . . . .. Oh! Goody!! I should qualify high up on the list then!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by philip pember on 12/12/2020 21:40:00: does anyone have any idea what procedures will be in place for when and iff we get Balsa in Feb or March [ with Brexit ] will it be a first come first serve basis or would Balsa Cabin or Slec need our orders to be pre-ordered, in a queue as such or will supplies of soft balsa be able to supply our needs, can see a lot of orders going in when word of delivery gets out, probably on here, just a thought. Clearly i dont know the inner workings of either company or their reasons, but I personally think slec and balsa cabin should have kept quiet about this balsa issue. While i totally understand their desire to be transparent and honest with us all i think that honesty has done nothing more than increase demand for something that is in short supply due to selfish people buying up everything they can get their hands on just so it can sit in the garage for the next 10 years until they think about building a model with it. The next batch of balsa will no doubt sell out in 5 minutes due to people panic buying excessive quantities of materials that they do not need, making supply even worse and increasing the panic level. Just look at all the threads on it. Everyone is in a right flap about not being able to get balsa when i suspect they dont actually need any today. its the same as everyone loosing their minds and buying up all the bog roll earlier in the year. What was all that about? I have a 1/5 Spitfire to build that needs a substantial supply of 3/32 sheet as well as some strip. I will not be attempting to stock up for this build in feb/march as i wont be building the model for another year at least and its pretty selfish of me to hoard stuff i simply do not need right now when another chap might need that wood to finish something they are actively working on. In terms of procedures, the best procedure is for the customer to not buy any wood if they dont need it that instant to start something the next day. if you do need some immediately, buy only what you need so that everyone can get a look in and stretch the supply as long as possible to allow slec and balsa cabin time to sort out alternative supply before they run out completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McG 6969 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 ... ++ + 10, Jon. Now I can only hope that Alan G - the OP - will be reading your post as well. Cheers & keep safe all Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackinBlack Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Well said Jon, with respect to the panic buying and hoarding. A difficult choice for SLEC and Balsa Cabin when faced with queries from customers as to why balsa was so obviously in short supply. Say nothing or tell the truth? Unfortunately it won't be just modellers waiting anxiously for new supplies, will they also heed the pleas not to overbuy and hoard? Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Very noble of you, Jon, as well as absolutely right. I do have a stock of balsa for 'emergencies' but it's not huge and a lot was bought from club members who were giving up building for various reasons. As for the bog-roll issue - it wasn't a problem for us as we still buy a daily newspaper Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by McG 6969 on 13/12/2020 10:47:30: ... ++ + 10, Jon. Now I can only hope that Alan G - the OP - will be reading your post as well. Cheers & keep safe all Chris I did read Jon's post but if you are implying that I have contributed to the balsa shortage by advertising SLEC and the Balsa Cabin's position then can I suggest that you are wrong. Time has proved that both companies have indeed run out of product to sell to modellers. If you have actual evidence that the lack of stock was caused by panic buying rather than supplies drying up right at the start of the winter building seasons then let's have some evidence Chris.... You can't just pretend there hasn't been a shortage by wishing that nobody buys the existing stock sadly, so please don't suggest that I am in any way responsible. Edited By Alan Gorham_ on 13/12/2020 11:44:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Dilly 1 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 It's not only wind turbine blades that are using balsa as a core material for their skins. Apparently the new US Navy Zumwalt class of 'stealth' warships has a superstructure with a carbon/balsa/carbon skin. No mention of thickness, but I wouldn't want to be behind it with an incoming 30mm DU round heading my way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 My garden shed is made of balsa . We have to peg it down like a tent . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by RICHARD WILLS on 13/12/2020 11:46:53: My garden shed is made of balsa . We have to peg it down like a tent . That was a silly thing to post Richard. You will now have to install extra security to keep it safe ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 13/12/2020 10:21:38: Posted by philip pember on 12/12/2020 21:40:00: Clearly i dont know the inner workings of either company or their reasons, but I personally think slec and balsa cabin should have kept quiet about this balsa issue. While i totally understand their desire to be transparent and honest with us all i think that honesty has done nothing more than increase demand for something that is in short supply due to selfish people buying up everything they can get their hands on just so it can sit in the garage for the next 10 years until they think about building a model with it. The next batch of balsa will no doubt sell out in 5 minutes due to people panic buying excessive quantities of materials that they do not need, making supply even worse and increasing the panic level. Just look at all the threads on it. Everyone is in a right flap about not being able to get balsa when i suspect they dont actually need any today. its the same as everyone loosing their minds and buying up all the bog roll earlier in the year. What was all that about? I have a 1/5 Spitfire to build that needs a substantial supply of 3/32 sheet as well as some strip. I will not be attempting to stock up for this build in feb/march as i wont be building the model for another year at least and its pretty selfish of me to hoard stuff i simply do not need right now when another chap might need that wood to finish something they are actively working on. In terms of procedures, the best procedure is for the customer to not buy any wood if they dont need it that instant to start something the next day. if you do need some immediately, buy only what you need so that everyone can get a look in and stretch the supply as long as possible to allow slec and balsa cabin time to sort out alternative supply before they run out completely. Unfortunately Jon, this is now the way of the world. Not just balsa buyers. If people see a shortage they will either panic buy, or hoover up to make a large profit. This is nothing new (see WWII for details), but modern information communication has speeded up the process and spread it across the entire world exacerbating the problem. You saw the same thing happen with Laser Engines a while ago. There was a shortage, so orders increased and the resale value rocketed. I could be accused of "hoarding" as I purchase many things in bulk (i live out in the country), but that is because I plan ahead. It also means I get good value. Because of the current situation I have not put my (fairly large) order in with SLEC this year. I can "weather it out" until next year. This also means that I am also able to help out the other club members who only buy small amounts balsa on an irregular basis. You will not change human "nature" (for that read greed). You can only try to work around it and anticipate what is going to happen next. So stop wasting time on this thread and get on with producing engines and gearboxes !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Ah you see Kev its the weekend so engine production is not a concern for me. I almost need two accounts, one for weekdays and one for evenings and weekends! Anyway you are right in what you say though. I am looking to upgrade my gaming pc and all the new hotness cpus's and graphics cards are either sold out or have been bought up by scalpers using bots to cheat online checkouts and buy them up. They the sell on ebay for 3 times the retail value. The problem is, people are too stupid to not buy them and so the scalpers are rewarded. Your point about the hoarding of lasers is valid and i took steps to stop it. Its worked nicely as sales are up, availability is much better, out of production engines are returning and new designs are on the way. Some angry people questioned my sanity at the time but the proof is in the pudding. I just have to maintain it now. And im not criticising you for buying in bulk, but that is a different thing to rushing out and buying a load of something you know is in short supply and you dont actually need it. And as you say, you have some in hand to carry on with so are holding back until things improve. Alan, my post was not a pop at you. Looking at your OP you just re posted the info SLEC and BC posted. If we assume your post did add publicity and generate further panic buying leading to the current no stock situation, and that is more than possible, then its still not your fault. If SLEC and BC had said nothing you would have had nothing to post and no one would have got into a panic buying frenzy. My post was mainly intended to make people think about their buying choices and the reasons behind them. There is also the counter intuitive situation where buying something can force the company into financial trouble as empty shelves and nothing to sell does make it hard to stay open. The spike in sales may seem good but if its then months without restocking they are in trouble. If they kept their powder dry, kept orders at normal levels, perhaps tickled prices up a bit to help ease the transition to suspected high prices incoming and cover off reduced sales as stock dwindled with the slightly higher margin, might it have helped stretch their current supply long enough to find alternatives... As i said before, i dont know the inner workings and reasons behind their choice to make this info public. Its just not how i handled the Laser supply issue when we had trouble getting ali and steel. That said, its faster for us to recover once the material is available as we make all our own stuff and turning metal into parts is much faster than growing a tree. Also this is not just about wood. There is a thread running about radio being in short supply, i think another about lipo's and everyone seems to be getting really uptight about it. Just chill, its not life and death here. We are playing with toy aeroplanes, and while its really frustrating its not exactly the end of the world of our project is delayed a few months. Most of us have plenty of models in hand and plenty of things to do so grab a mince pie and relax... Unless mince pies are out of stock, in which case it really is life and death. Edited By Jon - Laser Engines on 13/12/2020 16:59:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Gorham_ Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 13/12/2020 16:53:39: Alan, my post was not a pop at you. Looking at your OP you just re posted the info SLEC and BC posted. If we assume your post did add publicity and generate further panic buying leading to the current no stock situation, and that is more than possible, then its still not your fault. If SLEC and BC had said nothing you would have had nothing to post and no one would have got into a panic buying frenzy. Jon, I did not read your post as a pop at me. In fact it would be impossible for me to take your post personally as, since the supply issue broke, I haven't bought any balsa! I will wait until it becomes freely available again and I can buy it without frustration. However, I did take Chris McG's post as a pop at me personally. All I can say to him is that I trust he is buying his balsa from more local European suppliers and not taking valuable modelling materials out of the UK supply chain to Belgium.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip pember Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 it may be neccessary for Slec and Balsa Cabin to put Supermarket restrictions on private sales of Balsa when in stock to stop the greed / panic buying thus saving us from ourselves, limits to max 10 sheets of various thickness so most models can be finished or started but not silly amounts. we shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Jon. No worries. I make my own mince pies (and I have the ingredients already in the cupboard) . Edited By kevin b on 13/12/2020 18:29:04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 Just seen this on the news. **LINK** I'm not saying anything, but................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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