TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

It would appear that Balsa USA and National, are the only sources for bulk balsa & ply purchases.
What kind of experiences have you with either?
Anyone know af any others?

Chad Veich

My Feedback: (60)

I've never received a bad order of wood from Balsa USA and I've never received a good order from National. Just my .02 cents.

FYI - Nelson Hobby Specialties is/was also supplying balsa.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Busa for me. Placed about a $250 order last summer.
Edwin

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

I'd go with Balsa USA; placed a $300.00 order with them earlier this year and had very good wood products delivered. No complaints other than the individual wood sizes are only rubber banded as a unit and not shrink wrapped.

Joe

mmattockx

What about Dynamic Balsa? I have never dealt with them, but I have heard good things from others.

http://www.dbalsa.com/


Mark

Nathan_L

I made a $500ish order earlier this year from National Balsa. Was not impressed. Much of the stuff was the wrong size. If you ordered 20 of one size 18 in the bundle would be right and 2 were the size smaller/larger and just stuck in. Plywood was the wrong thickness. Some bundles of stuff would have 19 pieces of balsa and one piece of bass in the same size. I ordered a lot of contest grade balsa to keep the tail light in a giant build. Almost 100% of it had holes in the sheeting from pin holes to the size of dimes. Nearly almost all unusable. Others have said they got everything just right so I guess it just depends.

Edit because the computer censored pin p-r-i-c-k-s.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Way out here on the wset coast, tend to find that National packaging is less than desirable. They find the smallest box, then cram the wood in, and it then gets destroyed either in shipping or when packaging. You get about 90% of what you ordered as useable. Am not the only one, for have three friends not far away got same results. Odd, in that they argued one time. The woold was smashed on ends, and the resulting broken off pieces were not in still sealed box. What does that lead you to beleive.

Oh, but we will issue you a credit slip? If you order OVER $500 worth, and am still awaiting for it to come in mail.

Must have something to do with the distance away.

I tried Balsa Depot once, and they were slow, cheap, but were also limited as to types in stock.

Wm.

dhal22

used national once and once only. i use some of the bigger pieces for plan weights, 2 x 4's from home depot would have been softer and lighter. everything i've ordered from balsa usa is usable.

david

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I use Tower and have been very satisfied

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...A+++&search=Go

dhal22

me too. better prices at balsausa sometimes but i always need something from tower. might as well have it thrown in on the same shipping fee.

david

ppljr

My Feedback: (94)

I buy from Balsa USA. Good service and quality wood. I buy 50=75 sheets at a time and sort them out. There is a mix of very light to rock solid, with the majority (75%) being AA grade (6-8 lb.). Shipping gets pricey. I heard a rumor that Lone Star was considering starting up again. I liked the convenience (I live 35 minutes away from the old place), but the wood was sometimes a little inconsistent. Hopefully the rumors are true.

Pedro

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I used Lone Star before

WALKERS210-RCU

My Feedback: (36)

Before Lone Star had the fire, Riley was the only source that I even looked at. I made a purchase from National that was to say the least less than satisfactory. I have never purchased wood directly from Balsa USA but in the last three kits I built from them, two had excellent quality of wood the third was fair but other issues. Guess Balsa USA is the way to go now unless Riley reopens Lone Star.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have a friend that is a prolific scratch builder and since Lone Star went out, he has used BUSA. He has always been pleased

Deadeye

Don't forget SIG!

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

I placed an order with SIG a bit ago and was not happy at all with the way the order was handled. My first order with them was nice; waited and waited and waited for the second order (needed the balsa for a build) and my on-line order checking kept saying "pending". Pending what? Finally called SIG and a female voice answered with a much less than enthusiastic response...she didn't really appear to give a damn one way or the other about my order and when I asked to speak with Mike was told he was out "sick" for the day...

Finally she got around to telling me that SIG ran out of balsa wood. WHAT?? When I asked her why SIG hadn't emailed me with a delay notice so I'd at least have some idea of the situation...she just flately said "...we don't do that". She then told me when SIG got around to cutting the balsa sizes I'd ordered they'd get around to sending my order out. What a bunch of crap. I cancelled my order with SIG then and there. Her attitude towards a customer did not make me want to reach in my back pocket for my wallet.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Joe

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I had a stash of Sig Balsa and plywood that I had forgotten about for 30 years. When I came across it still in the shipping box and started to use the wood, I discovered the dimensional tolerance of the sheet wood was terrible. The thickness was plus or minus .010" and length was within 1/4" and width within 1/8". The grade of the wood itself was fine with uniform density, no warps, knots, or worm holes. I doubt it would come that way today but I was surprised. I used up the wood in ways that all this made no difference.

I bought some 1/8 & 3/32 Midwest balsa at the LHS last month and I had to really pick through the selection because of the variability of balsa density and grain from one end of the sheet to the other.

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Just curious: went to the Tower site and noted they sell both the Midwest balsa and the Tower brand balsa with the Tower prices quite a bit less expensive i.e. 3/32"X4"x36" as an example.

Where does Tower get their balsa from...just whose balsa are we buying when we purchase Tower balsa?

Thanks,

Joe

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

It comes with no notation on the balsa. The bundle is in shrink wrap with a plain sticker that says Tower and the size

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Well...that's interesting. Somebody's cutting/wrapping that balsa and I'd bet it isn't Tower. Who then?

Joe

WALKERS210-RCU

My Feedback: (36)

I attempted to send E-mail to this company for pricing on their wood, but it was returned. Has anyone had any contact or experience with them?

dhal22

their prices are exactly the same as balsausa. i do not like the fact that balsa usa requires you to agree to shipping and handling charges before you order. so i emailed the same order to dynamic balsa and every single price was exactly the same. at least they don't charge a handling fee.

bps

My Feedback: (3)

I just received a $100 order from BUSA for a scratch built 1/4 scale Bede BD8. Shipping was ten dollars for this order and the balsa looks like high quality balsa to me. I am satisfied and shipping was more than fair in my opinion.

shootnstarz

I have gotten two orders of balsa from Tower. First was a sheet assortment that was terrible, they must have put all their crap in it. The other was a large order of different sheets in same size bundles. This wood was great for the price. Consistancy was a bit off but all in all it was a great deal. They only have up to 36" lenghts though.

I also ordered 48" wood from National earlier this year and was pleased with the wood and the ply I got from them. Packaging was good enough that the wood wasn't damaged but it could have been a bit better. I've since emailed them twice and called once inquiring about purchasing a pallet of balsa. I've received no response from them ever. With the other post I've read about them I don't think I'll give them another chance.

Rick,
Pensacola, FL


I've since done a price comparison between BUSA and National with National blowing away BUSA on prices of balsa and ply. So I guess you just pays your money and you takes your chances.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Just an update. I finally got around to placing an order with Balsa USA. Wood arrived today in fine condition. 1 small corner of a piece of lite ply was damaged, by UPS' gorillas. The corner of the box was crushed right where it says "fragile". No biggie though. The wood is really nice looking wood. No blemishes or splits. I ordered 1 large sheet of lite ply, some aircraft ply, and quite a bit of 6" wide 3/32 sheeting, in both 36 and 48" lengths. Have to say overall I am happy with the order.[sm=thumbs_up.gif]