Balsa Wood Properties by Connected Lines

Balsa Amount of Figure: Low
Balsa Amount of Natural Luster: Medium
Balsa Availability of Wood: Plentiful
Balsa Available As Lumber: Yes
Balsa Available as Veneer: No
Balsa Available only in small sizes: No
Balsa Bending Strength: Low
Balsa Blunting of Tool Blades: Low
Balsa Botanical Name: Ochroma pyramidale
Balsa Carving: Good, easy to carve
Balsa Clear Finish or Varnish: Insufficient Data Available
Balsa Color of Wood: Creamy - Light Brown
Balsa Contrast between growth rings: Diffuse Porous
Balsa Crushing Strength: Low
Balsa Decorative Figure: No
Balsa Density: Very low
Balsa Drilling: Fair or Satisfactory
Balsa Fill before Finishing: May require a filler depending on the intended result
Balsa Gluing: Good
Balsa Grain: Straight
Balsa Growth Ring Pattern Plainsawn: Faint growth ring
Balsa Growth Ring Pattern Quartersawn: Indistinct growth ring stripe
Balsa Hand Tooling: Very Easy
Balsa Hardness: Soft, easy to dent
Balsa Hardwood or Softwood: Hardwood
Balsa Harmful Properties: Non Toxic
Balsa Interlocked Grain: No
Balsa Kiln-dried Shrinkage: Low
Balsa Machine Tools: Easy to Very Easy
Balsa Mortising: Fair or satisfactory
Balsa Movement after drying: Low
Balsa Nail Holding: Poor - Nails pull out easily
Balsa Nailing: Good - Seldom splits wood
Balsa Natural Durability: Perishable
Balsa Number of Knots: Insufficient Data Available
Balsa Painting: Fair
Balsa Planing: Fair
Balsa Polishing: Fair
Balsa Pounds per cubic foot maximum: 11
Balsa Pounds per cubic foot minimum: 11
Balsa Reacts with Iron Fasteners or Hardware: No
Balsa Sanding: Good
Balsa Sawing: Low cutting resistance
Balsa Screw Holding: Poor - Screws pull out easily
Balsa Screwing: Good - Screwing seldom splits wood
Balsa Shaping: Fair or satisfactory
Balsa Size of Knots: Insufficient Data Available
Balsa Size of Pores: Large Pores - Open grain
Balsa Specific Gravity: Very low
Balsa Specific Gravity maximum: .16
Balsa Specific Gravity minimum: .16
Balsa Staining: Fair - May stain unevenly or change colors
Balsa Steam Bending: Poor
Balsa Stiffness: Very low
Balsa Surface Preparation for Finishing: No
Balsa Texture of the Wood: Moderately Fine
Balsa Toughness: Insufficient Data Available
Balsa Turning: Good
Balsa Weight: Very light
Balsa Wood Defects: Harden
Balsa Work Notes: Requires sharp tools
Balsa Use for Boxes, Crates or Pallets: no
Balsa Use for Carving: no
Balsa Use for Cooperage: no
Balsa Use for Decorative Veneer: no
Balsa Use for Flooring: no
Balsa Use for Furniture: no
Balsa Use for Handles: no
Balsa Use for Heavy Construction: no
Balsa Use for Inlay: no
Balsa Use for Interior Finish: no
Balsa Use for Light Construction: no
Balsa Use for Marine Applications: YES
Balsa Use for Marquetry: no
Balsa Use for Millwork: no
Balsa Use for Models and Patterns: YES
Balsa Use for Musical Instruments: no
Balsa Use for Novelties: YES
Balsa Use for Secondary Furniture Components: no
Balsa Use for Shingles: no
Balsa Use for Sports Equipment: no
Balsa Use for Turnery: no
Balsa Use for Woodenware: no