How do you harden balsa wood?

Answer 1

I came to the same problem with a bridge that i made... if you want a light model Eg. model airplanes you can simply soak tissue paper with glue and wrap around the wood. then you can use super glue to re-enforce places likely to break. If you are building a bridge or somthing of the nature soaking the wood itself with a glue - water mixture can help fill pores which will make the wood itself stronger... also instead of meeting egdes and having corners barely touch, try overlaping the wood.

Answer 2

Well, for starters balsa wood is very diverse in its hardness as it depends on what part of the tree it is from. Apparent hardness however can be increased more on wood that appears to be almost papery soft. There are several ways of accomplishing this. First a simple adhesion of thinly layered ballistic nylon layed over the balsa wood and baked in the oven at about 275 degrees will produce fairly stiff balsa. The second method involves soaking the wood in egg whites and then applying a small amount of pressure to the the perpendicular surfaces of the wood. Let this cure for approximately 2 days. The preferred method I have found is counterintuitive, but works wonderfully. It is however out of reach of most normal people and involves detonating a small charge of high velocity explosive (PETN, RDX, TNT) near the balsa. the resulting shockwave compresses the fiber to form stronger excilinated layers. The simple solution is not to quarter saw the balsa, but to eighth saw it. This yields balsa that is harder and stronger than is usually available.

Answer 3

There are a couple of products on the market that can help you, Minwax Wood Hardener, and PC-Petrifier Wood Hardener, Balsawood is a light, porous wood, it might take more hardener then other wood with a more dense grain. 2 tips: apply hardener until the wood won't accept anymore hardener, Tip #2: if you have access to a vacuum press, sumerge wood in wood hardener and put it in the vacuum bag and apply 25HG's of pressure for about 10 minutes, remove and let cure or dry for 24 hours. (This method is much like marinating meat with a food-saver, your are forcing the liquid deeper into the wood by removing the air in the wood, [where the air leaves the liquid goes] which in turn gives you a much deeper, almost complete saturation of the wood) This however is contingent on the density of the wood you are treating, Balsawood should give you excellent results. You can also laminate several thin strips together with epoxy or plastic resin glue, the resins in the glue when dry is what gives the balsawood the structural integrity you might be looking for.

Answer 4

Balsa wood is very strong even though it's also very light. This makes it a great choice for activities such as woodworking.