balsa wood is a
lightweight wood variety taken from trees of the same name that hail from the
rainforests of Central America, South America, and a few other regions. The warm
and humid conditions in these areas are ideal for the growth of this plant.
Balsa trees grow quite rapidly - it usually takes less than a decade for a tree
to be mature enough for cutting. However, once past the ten-year marker, an
unharvested tree would harden on the outside and rot inside, rendering it a
useless piece. Initially, balsa wood was only taken from the forests.
But due to wide consumer interests and the profitability of the industry,
farmers have begun their own plantations. Ecuador is largely responsible for the
world supply of the wood, followed by suppliers from India, Indonesia and the
Caribbean. Attributes of Balsa In spite of its light weight, balsa wood has
incredible strength. In fact, among all the lightweight wood varieties, balsa is
considered to be the strongest. This is because each cell of the tree is
naturally infused with water that makes it rigid enough to withstand the jungle
setting. However, when pooled together with the rest of b1giodhxr the wood
varieties, balsa is only third or fourth in the strength category. There are
different grains of balsa wood, and each has attributes of its own.
A-grain balsa lumber is the most flexible type. When immersed in water, it
can easily be manipulated into the required forms and shapes. On the other hand,
A-grain balsa changes very easily, affecting its life span. Balsa of the B-grain
variety is the most readily available kind. This is the ideal type because
B-grain balsa can be used for numerous purposes. Lastly, there is the C-grain
balsa which can easily be recognized through the evident grain line patterns.
Among the three grain types, C-grain balsa is the most brittle and
warp-resistant.
Common Uses for Balsa wood was first used during World War I as a
substitute for cork. During this period, life rafts and armor plates were
constructed of balsa. In World War II, balsa use was upgraded for the making of
airplanes. It became the primary material for the famous British de Havilland
Mosquito combat airplane. Apart from being lightweight and durable, balsa wood
also has the ability to float, which makes it an ideal material for surfboards
and other water sports equipment. Another popular use for balsa lumber is model
kits, usually that of airplanes. Again, because the material is light, model
airplanes constructed from balsa generally perform better than its other
counterparts. The more related article comes from http://www.balsafactory.com/.
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