Tim's skill as a professional woodworker pays off. He has clean cuts and does a beautiful job!
I however am an
amateur woodworker, and have occasionally encountered issues in the past when slicing balsa in this manner -- especially when cutting into the grain. So my approach was more like a 5-year-old using training wheels to avoid crashes on a bicycle:
Beings the grain is running parallel to the keel, but I am forced to trim it at an angle, I used a straight edge as a guide -- resistance to help my knife better avoid following a potential split or other weak spot, and accidentally cutting too deeply into the sheeting. I also cut from the front, towards the rear of the fuse, so my knife won't "detour" into the path of least resistance and "bite" into the grain; thus slicing side of my fuse or accidentally splitting my sheeting. I don't know if I am being effective in wording this clearly and accurately or not, but in this way, I am essentially trimming off the un-needed
tips of each fiber, rather than cutting into them more towards their base. All I can say is for what it is worth, "It works better
for me." As always, you should do what works for
you.
Note I am trimming at a bevel.
The alignment of the cut-outs for the wing bolts are also visible in this shot.
I trimmed the sheeting "close," with an Exacto knife. But will finish with a razor plane and sanding block.