working with Balsa wood

Working with Balsa wood is according to me not very suitable. Balsa is very soft wood and therefore it’s a good material to work on with your Dremel. And it it’s a dusty job to do, to cut out all the stones from a wall. I start with all the horizontal lines and after that I do the vertical ones. As I like stone walls that are not straight, the fact that it’s not possible to get good straight lines is nice.

But as soon as you start with finishing the wall with stain or paint, the problems start. From all sides the wood fibre become loose. To clear this, first put on a lacquer layer on and after it’s dry you can remove the fibres with scrubbing ( not sure if this is the correct word !?) If you do this before you put the lacquer on, you will loose the colour from the stain. Then finish with two more lacquer layers.

Old entrance from a formar track.

By now I only use Balsa for my tunnel entrances. This because instead of plaster it’s stronger, so there’s less risk for damage when you’re working on your mountains or if you want to use them for a new track

Used materials

Why built building yourselves when you can buy one complete. The plastic buildings have some minus points. First and most important for me is that they often don’t fit in my idea how something should look like. Then of course there is the satisfaction of making something yourself. Besides that I can make for example a bridge in a more natural surrounding, I don’t have to chance the rails to make a bridge fit, no I fit the bridge to the rails, mountain etc. Finally the costs, it’s almost for free. There is also a minus point, those tiny little details that a good plastic models has, it’s hard to get that in a self made building. Fortunately there are suppliers that have for example nice metal sheets with those details, but they are never around when you need them.

some of my plastic models

Let one thing be clear, I do have plastic buildings and I will use them on this new track. I even have some my father made over 30 years ago, including the old mine, which will get an “A”-location on my new track.

Which materials do I use ?

Lady Trix

Imagination

Triplex

Plaster

Balsa

Pine and beech wood

Stain or paint ?

Lady Trix

Lady Trix and imagination are my basics , Without Lady Trix everything must be measured, with Lady Trix an estimation is enough. If she can “walk” through a door or look through a window, your basic measure are good. Without the imagination it’s also difficult to work. I work without making drawings. I just imaging how something should look like, then decide with which materials I want to work and I just start and let it grow.

Balsa wood : http://hobby-bobby.blogspot.com/2007/02/working-with-balsa-wood.html