Another balsa stripper

thingiverse

I don't see one that's sturdy, precise, easy to use and also easy for me to print in ABS, so I tried creating my own again. This balsa stripper allows you to cut a thin balsa with adjustable depth by turning the knob from less than 1mm to roughly 15-20mm, depending on how tight your print is. If you want a wider cut, you can probably make the stripper and base track longer by enlarging one axis in the slicer and using a longer bolt. If you want to print the balsa thicker than 7/64" or ~2.8mm, you can try enlarging on the z-axis from the slicer. However, the blade might be more flexible when extended longer, so it may reduce the accuracy of the cut. Currently, I think mine is about ±0.1mm and I think cutting along/against the grain also affects this. If you're printing in ABS, make sure the side that balsa slides against doesn't warp. I have a tiny warp on one corner, but it's manageable. Also, the first layer is very important not missing any outlines if you plan to cut a thinner balsa sheet. It takes about 2 hours to print at 0.2mm layer and requires one M5 0.8 30mm hex bolt and 2x M5 nuts (other bolts/nuts in similar size might also fit, like 10-32). You'll also need 2 screws or 2 sets of bolts/nuts to hold the blade in the blade holder. You can use a shorter hex bolt, but if you use a longer bolt, you need to test fit the cavity inside the slider first. The blades I use came from a generic segmented/breakable utility knife, 0.3mm thick and ~8.5mm wide for each breakable section. If you have a different size, it's not difficult to design a replacement blade holder, the thin/flat piece. We're new in this catapult glider/airplane building and have quite a few building/trimming questions. If you don't mind and are willing to share your experience, please leave a comment or private message.