Sanding Balsa Wood

When constructing your balsa wood model, it is of paramount importance to have a sounding block or sheet available to sand your projects. You should use the finest grade of sand paper you can find for detailed touching, and a slightly rougher grade for heavier sanding. For most model airplanes and towers, bridges, and other structures, most people will use 80 grit or finer sand paper. If you’re not sure how fine 80 grit is or how fine your sand paper should be, it should be just rough enough so that you can barely feel the individual grains on your finger as you rub across it. Sanding balsa wood can be tricky if you don’t have an even or flat surface to sand on. When possible, use a sanding block to sand your projects and individual balsa wood sticks so that you obtain maximum precision.