How do you get a good straight edge on a sheet of balsa? The same way you get to Carnegie Hall, practice man, practice!

Of course you need a good straightedge. One problem with making the cut is having the straightedge move during the cut. What I do is stick a few short pieces of Scotch double stick tape on the back of the straightedge, this will help keep it from sliding around while you hold the straightedge down. By the way, get the tape off when youre done. If you leave it on it's nearly impossible to get off later.

The next issue is keeping the blade vertical. Here's where lots of practice helps. I find that I tend to tip to the same side so I always go a little the other way and it comes out very close. If your blade is wandering, guided by the grain of the wood, you need to make lighter cuts. The sheeting should be cut with several light cuts, this will make a truer cut with less wander.

By the way, before you make the cut, check the position of your left fingers and make sure they're not over the line of the cut. I've been making cuts this way for almost 50 years and just a few weeks ago I wound up cutting the tip off of my left index finger while cutting poster board. The moral here is watch your fingers while you cut, not ...

After the pieces are cut you should get a fairly good fit. I use a long sanding bar to touch them up if needed, again watching carefully to keep the bar square to the sheet. Or you can make an edge sanding guide that will ensure a straight, square edge. http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform...ture/index.htm

Dave