Hi,

Would like to build few tables and chairs for my next dio. I have access to only Balsa wood. Would be great if someone can point me to resources where I can get some tips on scratchbuilding furnitures using Balsa...

Thanks,
Sudeep

There is not a lot to say IMO.

Use a little saw to cut against the grain, oherwise you will squezze the wood to much (or at least use a very sharp scalpel).
I would also advice to paint (with oil washes) most of it before glueing together, as glue marks will seal the wood.

will do however, is there any link on a step by step kind of guide?
I have Shep Paine's book which am referring to but it doesnt have much info on the furniture part, I mean details..

IMO balsa is a very limited medium to work with in scale modelling. If it is all you have then you certainly have a challenge. not that it cant look convincing its just that it is very hard to work with accurately. The biggest dileema is the glue stains - and finding a glue that bonds also is a challenge - usually have to resort to pva or proper blasa adh - both take a long time to cure - superglue sometimes doesnt bond at all but when it does it soaks into the wood leaving a stain that changes the finishes to be applied.

i could go on and on about it but that wont help you i guess..

I would presonally make much effort to source alternatives - amazing what you can find works - think round toothpicks , bamboo/ kebab skewers make good table legs or furniture "feet', ice cream sticks can be trimmed to make planks of timber to build from. If you must have timber then cool, but even shep talks about scribing plastic to look like timber. Ready sources of cheap inexpensive plastic include ice cream tub s and lids - usually several square inches of very straight plastic suitable to build furniture!

how is it you only have balsa as a resource? did u come into posession of alot of it and need to consume somehow in a project? or is it that you dont have access to any other product (remote area)? or cant afford anything else?

some more details and we could tailor our answers to help .

Adam

PS i use balsa alot for prototype designs, but always end up with plastic or plaster!

No hardwoods at all? Pine and basswood are common enough in hobby sizes in my area.

Thanks Adam for the info...I get only Balsa where I stay but never thought about readily available plastic like ice cream tubs which u mentioned...time to dig into the fridge and yep I have thought about toothpicks for making legs and epoxy putty for making the cushion...guess I would be able to pull it off without using Balsa much...

Did you receive an explanation regarding cutting wood?
According to Adan said the cola brands in these parts are even further by the balsa wood having a high porosity.
I use common wood, but put in extraordinary care. I use fine sandpaper on the wood and apply a stain a base suitable for aniline or varnishes.

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showfull.php?photo=176710

Here the chair, talbe, rack and boxes were made this way and is quite compelling.
We just need to have a little more careful when pasting.

Hi Rodrigo, yep it helped...I also happened to locate the book written by Laszlo Harsanyi, it has some good tips on cutting and measuring wood. The book was kept at a corner in my shelf

I am definitely all for using what you have available, but at the same time you have to recognize the limitations of the material at hand. I think for the fine detail that you would want in furniture plastic may be the way to go. All of the pieces in the following pictures were scratch built from plastic just using standard measurements and imagination.


Balsa is great in some applications, but my experience is that furniture is a stretch. I know that's not what you were looking for, but maybe it will give you some more things to think about.

i think it would be easier to use plastic. what makes furniture look the part is the painting. (i cant help you on that, i'm hopeless at painting wood!) I have only used balsa to frame a wall for a figure. glued it, then painted it.