Balsa wood is unique from all other woods. Its properties make it valuable to bridge builders, wood carvers, surfers, and many others. Bridge builders have to be careful, however, when using Balsa. You can’t simply pick up two pieces of Balsa with the same dimensions and expect them to perform the same.
This post is continued from How to Test Your Model Bridge Loading a bridge by placing weights on top of it has become my method of choice. This is because I have access to a weight set with ample weights to to break any bridge I have created so far. This method is quite and … Read more
This article is continued from the page: How to Test Your Model Bridge. The above photos give you several examples of the hanging bucket method used in real life situations. This method is fairly versatile, and you can adapt it to fit your needs. Please notice that in each of these photos there is a … Read more
The method you use to test your model bridge will make or break it. Okay, most of the time the bridge breaks no matter what. How much weight your bridge holds before collapsing is partly determined by how you test the bridge. Whether you have a popsicle stick bridge, balsa bridge, toothpick bridge or other type of model bridge, these testing tips will give you a jump start and help you make an informed decision on how to test your bridge.
Probably the question I get asked the most is “What bridge design holds the most weight?” or “What bridge design is the strongest?”
The answer to that question is not simple and probably is not going to be what you expect. The truth is, I cannot answer the question. There are too many variables that are not being defined.
There are several reasons you should cut your own strips of wood: Video Tutorial Video is about 4 minutes long. I am not responsible for any injury caused by someone using this technique. I recommend that students cut strips of wood only under adult supervision. The Tools Here is a list of the tools you … Read more
This ebook, 5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge, answers the most common questions people have about building bridges. In the ebook I outline the steps of building a model bridge, and then walk people through the actual construction of a bridge. The ebook contains many photos and illustrations, as well as 25 bonus tips.
Objective: To build a boomilever with the greatest efficiency. There are two basic types of boomilevers. First is the tension boomilever, where the tension chord is longer than the compression chord. Second there is the compression boomilever, which is the opposite of the tension. It is generally accepted that the tension…
Lateral what, you ask? If you don’t know what this is, you aren’t alone. In fact, it took me quite a while to understand how important lateral bracing is to the success of a model bridge, especially when striving for high strength or efficiency. Definition of lateral bracing Lateral bracing is the term we use to … Read more
Advanced Technique: Calculating the stiffness of your wood, most commonly balsa wood. The tips in this article will help you go to the next level in choosing good wood for your model bridges. Not only will you know how to choose good wood, you can pick wood with different qualities to fit different applications.