{"id":1348,"date":"2009-04-09T18:10:02","date_gmt":"2009-04-10T00:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/?p=1348"},"modified":"2020-12-29T04:44:46","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T09:44:46","slug":"balsa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/balsa\/","title":{"rendered":"Balsa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_3891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3891\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3891\" title=\"Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-200x200.jpg\" alt=\"Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"#pics\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-424\" title=\"View More Images Below\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/down-arrow.png\" alt=\"View More Images Below\" width=\"196\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"The Common Name lists the name(s) that most laypeople use when talking about the wood. It can sometimes be vague, because there are some instances where two different species of wood are called by the same common name. This field may also include trade names that are used by wood dealers to help sell the wood by making it sound more attractive.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/common-name\/\"><strong>Common Name(s):<\/strong><\/a> Balsa<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a id=\"\" class=\"\" title=\"In contrast to a wood\u2019s common name, using the scientific or botanical name is a much more precise way of referencing wood: the only downside is that it\u2019s Latin, and doesn\u2019t make much sense to most English-speaking people. The name is listed in two parts: [\/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/scientific-name\/\" name=\"\"><strong>Scientific Name:<\/strong><\/a> Ochroma pyramidale<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"The distribution indicates the location(s) where the tree is commonly found; that is, where it naturally grows. Additional source data will be included on a wood species if it is commonly grown on a plantation or is harvested from some other non-native area.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/distribution\/\"><strong>Distribution:<\/strong><\/a> Tropical regions of the Americas; also grown on plantations<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"Beyond just giving a good visualization of how large the tree of a given wood species grows, (in height and diameter), these measurements can also help to give an idea of what size boards\/lumber is available.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/tree-size\/\"><strong>Tree Size:<\/strong><\/a> 60-90 ft (18-28 m) tall, 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) trunk diameter<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><a title=\"This is a measure of a wood\u2019s weight in relation to a preset volume. Usually it\u2019s pounds per cubic foot (lbs\/ft3), or in metric units: kilograms per cubic meter (kg\/m3). However, a wood\u2019s weight will also greatly depend on it\u2019s moisture content (MC); all readings are standardized to reflect the weight at a 12% moisture content.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/average-dried-weight\/\">Average Dried Weight:<\/a><\/strong>\u00a09\u00a0lbs\/ft<sup>3<\/sup> (150 kg\/m<sup>3<\/sup>)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><a title=\"Technically, specific gravity is a measure of the ratio of a wood\u2019s density as compared to water. (So if a wood is of the same density as water, the specific gravity would be 1.00.) The first number is the basic specific gravity, based on the botanical standard of ovendry weight and green volume. The second number is meant for woodworkers, and is simply a snapshot of the wood\u2019s specific gravity at 12% MC, (that is, both 12% MC weight and volume).\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/specific-gravity\/\">Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC):<\/a><\/strong> .12, .15<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"The actual number listed is the amount of pounds-force (lbf) or newtons (N) required to imbed a .444 inch (11.28 mm) diameter steel ball into the wood to half the ball\u2019s diameter. This number is given for wood that has been dried to a 12% moisture content, unless otherwise noted.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/janka-hardness\/\"><strong>Janka Hardness:<\/strong><\/a>\u00a067 lb<sub>f<\/sub> (300 N)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"Modulus of rupture, frequently abbreviated as MOR, (sometimes referred to as bending strength), is a measure of a specimen\u2019s strength before rupture. It can be used to determine a wood species\u2019 overall strength; unlike the modulus of elasticity, which measures the wood\u2019s deflection, but not its ultimate strength. (That is to say, some species of wood will bow under stress, but not easily break.)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/modulus-of-rupture\/\"><strong>Modulus of Rupture:<\/strong><\/a> 2,840 lb<sub>f<\/sub>\/in<sup>2<\/sup> (19.6 MPa)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"In the simplest terms, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) measures a wood\u2019s stiffness, and is a good overall indicator of its strength. Technically it\u2019s a measurement of the ratio of stress placed upon the wood compared to the strain (deformation) that the wood exhibits along its length.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/modulus-of-elasticity\/\"><strong>Elastic Modulus:<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0538,000 lb<sub>f<\/sub>\/in<sup>2<\/sup> (3.71 GPa)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"Sometimes known as compression strength parallel to the grain, this is a measurement of the wood\u2019s maximum crushing strength when weight is applied to the ends of the wood (compression is parallel to the grain). This number is a good indicator of the wood\u2019s strength in applications such as deck posts, chair legs, or other circumstances where the load being applied is parallel rather than perpendicular to the grain.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/crushing-strength\/\"><strong>Crushing Strength:<\/strong><\/a> 1,690 lb<sub>f<\/sub>\/in<sup>2<\/sup> (11.6 MPa)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a title=\"This denotes how much the wood will shrink dimensionally when going from green to ovendry MC. This is a good overall indicator of the wood's stability when encountering changes in humidity.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/dimensional-shrinkage\/\"><strong>Shrinkage:<\/strong><\/a> Radial: 2.3%, Tangential: 6.0%, Volumetric: 8.5%, T\/R Ratio: 2.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-color-appearance\/\"><strong>Color\/Appearance:<\/strong><\/a> Heartwood tends to be a pale reddish brown color, though it is not commonly seen in commercial lumber. Most boards\/blocks of Balsa are from the sapwood, which is a white to off-white or tan color, sometimes with a pink or yellow hue.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-grain-texture\/\">Grain\/Texture:<\/a> <\/strong>Balsa has a straight grain with a medium to coarse texture and low natural luster.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/hardwood-anatomy\/\"><strong>Endgrain:<\/strong><\/a> Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; growth rings indistinct; rays visible without lens; parenchyma typically not visible with lens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-durability\/\">Rot Resistance:<\/a> <\/strong>Sapwood is rated as perishable, and is also susceptible to insect attack.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-workability\/\"><strong>Workability:<\/strong><\/a> Generally very easy to work with virtually no dulling effect on cutters; yet because of its extremely low density, fuzzy surfaces can be a problem when using dull cutters. Balsa generally should not be used to hold nails, with glue being the preferred method of joining. Balsa stains and finishes well, though it has a tendency to soak up large quantities of material on the initial coats.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-odor\/\">Odor:<\/a> <\/strong>No characteristic odor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-allergies-and-toxicity\/\"><strong>Allergies\/Toxicity:<\/strong><\/a> Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Balsa has been reported to cause skin irritation. See the articles <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-allergies-and-toxicity\/\">Wood Allergies and Toxicity<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-dust-safety\/\">Wood Dust Safety<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/wood-pricing-availability\/\"><strong>Pricing\/Availability:<\/strong><\/a> High quality Balsa (that is, Balsa with a very low density) can be rather expensive when purchased at hobby stores or other specialty outlets. Larger boards and lumber sold through typical hardwood dealers is hard to find, but generally has a better cost per board-foot than other sources.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/restricted-and-endangered-wood-species\/\"><strong>Sustainability:<\/strong><\/a> This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #105378;\"><strong>Common Uses:<\/strong><\/span> Buoys, rafts, surfboards, model airplanes, musical instruments, packing\/transport cases, core stock in sandwich laminations, and fishing lures.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #105378;\"><strong>Comments:<\/strong><\/span> Balsa is a wood that is famous worldwide. And while its density and mechanical values can vary significantly depending on the growing conditions of any particular tree, it is generally\u00a0 the lightest and softest of all commercial woods, ranging from 8 to 14 pounds per cubic foot. Yet despite its softness, Balsa is technically classified as a hardwood, rather than a softwood, since it has broad leaves and is not a conifer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Balsa has excellent sound, heat, and vibration insulating properties, and is also incredibly buoyant: in fact, &#8220;Balsa&#8221; is the Spanish word for &#8220;raft.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/related-species\/\"><strong>Related Species:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">None available.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #105378;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/related-articles\/\"><strong>Related Articles:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"color: #105378;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wood-articles\/top-ten-softest-woods\/\">Top Ten Softest Woods<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><a name=\"pics\"><\/a>Scans\/Pictures: <\/strong>A special thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/about\/#steve\">Steve Earis<\/a> for providing the wood sample for this wood species.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3891\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3891\" title=\"Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-200x200.jpg\" alt=\"Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-s.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Balsa (sanded)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<td>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3892\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3892\" title=\"Balsa (sealed)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s-200x200.jpg\" alt=\"Balsa (sealed)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-sealed-s.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Balsa (sealed)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_3893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3893\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3893\" title=\"Balsa (endgrain)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s-200x200.jpg\" alt=\"Balsa (endgrain)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-s.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Balsa (endgrain)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<td>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_5834\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5834\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-5834\" title=\"Balsa (endgrain 10x)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s-200x200.jpg\" alt=\"Balsa (endgrain 10x)\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/balsa-endgrain-zoom-s.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5834\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Balsa (endgrain 10x)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Common Name(s): Balsa Scientific Name: Ochroma pyramidale Distribution: Tropical regions of the Americas; also grown on plantations Tree Size: 60-90 ft (18-28 m) tall, 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight:\u00a09\u00a0lbs\/ft3 (150 kg\/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .12, .15 Janka Hardness:\u00a067 lbf (300 N) Modulus of Rupture: 2,840 lbf\/in2 (19.6 MPa) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hardwood"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1348"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26950,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1348\/revisions\/26950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}