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How to Fix Bowed Pieces of Balsa Wood

Balsa is a lightweight, strong wood commonly used in making model airplanes. This wood is prone to warping when left in a humid environment or when dried unevenly. It is sometimes possible to fix bowed balsa by wetting it on the concave side and allowing it to dry slowly. Some also choose to wet the entire piece of wood and clamp it flat to straighten. Either way, the process may need to be repeated to achieve success.

Things You'll Need

Water
Towel
Plastic wrap
Heavy weights
Iron
Clamps

Instructions

- 1
  Wet down the concave side of the wood until it is soaked. You can also place a wet towel over this side of the wood, if you are afraid of further warping.
- 2
  Cover the wet wood with piece of plastic wrap to slow the drying process.
- 3
  Press the wood flat with heavy weights or objects, while it's still covered with the plastic wrap and towel. Cover the entire surface with the weights -- not just the outer corners -- to prevent warping in the opposite direction.
- 4
  Leave for several days to dry.
- 5
  Wet again and repeat, if the balsa wood is still warped. This process may take several tries to completely flatten warped wood.
- 6
  Iron the convex side of the balsa wood, with an iron set on low, to finish flattening the wood. Apply this step only as necessary.

Aviation