Balsa 1/4 Inch Square Dowels

Only if you sand it while in a lathe.  Lighter does not make it more rigid.  At least, if you put any weight on it, the weakness of balsa will show as it deflects.

I would recommend regular dowel stock- usually poplar.  Balsa is used in model planes because it needs to be light to fly.  Ground vehicles do not require this lightness.  You can use regular woodworking techniques.

While when a kid, I used to pin through the balsa stock, we soon learned that weakened it, so we pinned on each side, slanting the pins so they would hold the piece down. You can do the same thing with dowel stock.

I have also made tubular frames from styrene tubing, inserting a piece of brass tubing the right size in side the styrene tube. This greatly stiffens it.  Working on a Kurtis Kraft midget in 1/8 scale, done this way.  The frame is complete- working on a body, which wilil be vacuformed over a wood pattern.

I'll second all of Don's comments.  I would use round dowels or styrene tubing.  Or, if you're really feeling froggy, get brass tubing and solder/braze the chassis just like the real thing.

BTW, by definition, a DOWEL is round, square stock are beams or longerons.  Dowels are also used primarily for pins, and tubing is used for structures.

Reid

don

1 they're SQUARE.i did wonder about calling them 'dowels'

2  i'm using balsa to get going on it!

i'm getting balsa plane building supplies anyhow.

3 i'll post link to kind of vacuum table i have

4 dad & i design concept car, one-off bodies and

race car chassis.

5 i've been studying midgets and 'big cars' chassis construction

Navy Retired, i will respond to you ASAP

Have A Nice Day!

don

here's link to dad & i's vacuum forming table

i think we have 12 x 18 one.

http://www.widgetworksunlimited.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=35&Click=2&gclid=CJ-r09bvl64CFWcbQgode0jFLA

retired navy

what are frame tubes that go length of car called?

same question for tubes that go across (on the square)?

Have A Nice Day!

model make

don

here's link to dad & i's vacuum forming table

i think we have 12 x 18 one.

http://www.widgetworksunlimited.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=35&Click=2&gclid=CJ-r09bvl64CFWcbQgode0jFLA

retired navy

what are frame tubes that go length of car called?

same question for tubes that go across (on the square)?

Have A Nice Day!

Depends on whether it is a modern or "space frame" style, or older "two tube" frame, where longitudinal tubes just replace old style frame rails.  On space frames (four or more longitudinal members) there are no common names for any of the tube members. In the two tube frames the members were just called the same as the old style frames, i, e. main tubes or "rails" and crossmembers.

Some of the earliest tube frames were composite- two tubes running longitudinally with all the cross members from a regular production frame- essentially replaced existing frame rails with tubes, which were stronger than normal C-section frame rails.  Later ladder tube frames also replaced crossmembers with tubing.

don

that is VERY GOOD  dividing style of chassis building into:

1 two tube

2 space frame

decision on naming

1 longitudinals

2 crossmembers

this build is SPACE FRAME.

Have A Nice Day!

builder's

you'll love this!

wood i'm going to use is BASSWOOD!

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mid/mid4066.htm

Midwest calls square wood 'STICKS'.

i'll go with it in order to communicate clearly.

so, we end up with:

SQUARE BASSWOOD STICKS-1/4"

Have A Nice Day!

model make

builder's

you'll love this!

wood i'm going to use is BASSWOOD!

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mid/mid4066.htm

Midwest calls square wood 'STICKS'.

i'll go with it in order to communicate clearly.

so, we end up with:

SQUARE BASSWOOD STICKS-1/4"

Have A Nice Day!

 

Incidently, I have a full size 3/4 midget in my garage which uses square tubing, not round, for a space frame type frame!  Not all frames use round tubing, indeed.

don

you're 'preaching to the choir' about SQUARE tubing for chassis fabrication.

if you know what that means.

note: FOR new build! has nothing to do with below.

i can look out den window and see my one frame:

1 1/2 x 3 rectangular steel tubing

30" wide by 10' long

was going to be Super Modified

like '65 Mustang Modified model kit.

i came up with this new build instead.

Have A Nice Day!

don

early 60's dragsters used your double tube style like Dragmasters.

which carried over to tilt up body Funny Cars.

thanks for telling me that.

i was looking and looking at them and

thinking 'there's something going on there'

'double tube' nailed it!

my new build is 'space frame' 1" square .063 wall mild steel tubing.

the strength is in the design. i might go next wall thickness up.

i need to look at it  a couple times at metal supply place.

my 1/4 scale modeling is for that build.

Have A Nice Day!