Balsa Wood Plywood Basswood Dowels - RC Universe

Finest QualityBalsa WoodPlywoodBasswoodDowelsU.S. Consumer Price ListDecember 1, 2012SIG MFG. CO., INC.401 South Front St. • Montezuma, IA 50171 • USA • Ph: 641-623-5154 • Fax: 641-623-3922Web: www.sigmfg.com • Email: mail@sigmfg.com

PRICES: The following U.S. price list shows two prices for each item - RETAIL and MAP. Unlike 20 years ago, most hobby shops in the U.S. today discounttheir prices below full retail price. Thus the RETAIL price shown here is typically the maximum price that a hobby shop will charge for the item. The MAP(Minimum Advertised Price) is the lowest price that hobby shops will sell the item for. SIG encourages you to support your local hobby shop. If your hobbyshop does not carry the SIG items you want, you can order direct from our web site at MAP price. The prices in this book are applicable in the UnitedStates only. Due to high shipping costs, foreign customers should always buy from their local hobby dealer.AAA BALSA WOODSince 1951 SIG has been providing model builders with the finest Balsa Wood available.BALSA STICKSSTICKS - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB001 1/16 X 1/16 0.25 0.21SIGB002 1/16 X 1/8 0.26 0.22SIGB003 1/16 X 3/16 0.34 0.28SIGB004 1/16 X 1/4 0.36 0.30SIGB005 1/16 X 3/8 0.41 0.34SIGB006 1/16 X 1/2 0.51 0.42SIGB007 1/16 X 3/4 0.58 0.48SIGB008 1/16 X 1 0.75 0.62SIGB009 3/32 X 3/32 0.24 0.20SIGB010 3/32 X 1/8 0.29 0.24SIGB011 3/32 X 3/16 0.31 0.26SIGB012 3/32 X 1/4 0.35 0.29SIGB013 3/32 X 3/8 0.53 0.44SIGB014 3/32 X 1/2 0.62 0.51SIGB015 3/32 X 3/4 0.79 0.66SIGB016 3/32 X 1 0.99 0.82SIGB017 1/8 X 1/8 0.34 0.28SIGB018 1/8 X 3/16 0.37 0.31SIGB019 1/8 X 1/4 0.41 0.34SIGB020 1/8 X 5/16 0.53 0.44SIGB021 1/8 X 3/8 0.62 0.51SIGB022 1/8 X 1/2 0.58 0.48SIGB023 1/8 X 3/4 0.88 0.73SIGB024 1/8 X 1 1.00 0.83SIGB025 3/16 X 3/16 0.55 0.46SIGB026 3/16 X 1/4 0.55 0.46SIGB027 3/16 X 3/8 0.60 0.50SIGB028 3/16 X 1/2 0.76 0.63SIGB029 3/16 X 3/4 0.92 0.76SIGB030 3/16 X 1 1.23 1.02SIGB031 1/4 X 1/4 0.58 0.48SIGB032 1/4 X 3/8 0.75 0.62SIGB033 1/4 X 1/2 0.83 0.69SIGB034 1/4 X 3/4 1.17 0.97SIGB035 1/4 X 1 1.41 1.17SIGB036 5/16 X 5/16 1.13 0.94SIGB037 5/16 X 3/8 0.90 0.75SIGB038 5/16 X 1/2 1.11 0.92SIGB039 5/16 X 5/8 1.44 1.20SIGB040 5/16 X 1 1.52 1.26SIGB041 3/8 X 3/8 1.02 0.85SIGB042 3/8 X 1/2 1.32 1.10SIGB043 3/8 X 3/4 1.58 1.31SIGB044 3/8 X 1 1.92 1.59SIGB045 1/2 X 1/2 1.32 1.10SIGB046 1/2 X 3/4 1.66 1.38SIGB047 1/2 X 1 2.07 1.72SIGB048 5/8 X 5/8 1.80 1.49SIGB049 5/8 X 1 2.64 2.19SIGB050 3/4 X 3/4 2.40 1.99SIGB051 3/4 X 1 3.19 2.65STICKS - 48" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB061 1/8 X 1/8 0.43 0.36SIGB062 1/8 X 1/4 0.58 0.48SIGB063 1/8 X 1/2 0.84 0.70SIGB064 3/16 X 3/16 0.66 0.55SIGB065 3/16 X 1/2 1.04 0.86SIGB066 3/16 X 3/4 1.22 1.01SIGB067 1/4 X 1/4 0.95 0.79SIGB068 1/4 X 1/2 1.22 1.01SIGB069 1/4 X 3/4 1.80 1.49SIGB070 5/16 X 5/16 1.13 0.94SIGB071 3/8 X 3/8 1.42 1.18SIGB072 3/8 X 1/2 1.80 1.49SIGB073 3/8 X 3/4 2.17 1.80SIGB074 1/2 X 1/2 1.98 1.64SIGB075 1/2 X 3/4 2.72 2.26BALSA SHEETSSHEETS - 18" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB183 3/32 X 3 2.01 1.67SIGB184 1/8 X 3 2.03 1.68SIGB193 1/8 X 4 2.08 1.73SHEETS - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB134 1/32 X 2 1.37 1.14SIGB135 1/16 X 2 1.50 1.252SIGB136 3/32 X 2 1.62 1.34SIGB137 1/8 X 2 1.73 1.44SIGB138 3/16 X 2 1.96 1.63SIGB139 1/4 X 2 2.20 1.83SIGB140 3/8 X 2 2.75 2.28SIGB141 1/32 X 3 1.58 1.31SIGB142 1/20 X 3 1.36 1.13SIGB143 1/16 X 3 1.30 1.08SIGB144 3/32 X 3 1.47 1.22SIGB145 1/8 X 3 1.83 1.52SIGB146 5/32 X 3 2.15 1.78SIGB147 3/16 X 3 2.22 1.84SIGB148 1/4 X 3 2.80 2.32SIGB149 5/16 X 3 3.22 2.67SIGB150 3/8 X 3 3.30 2.74SIGB151 1/32 X 4 2.09 1.73SIGB152 1/16 X 4 2.10 1.74SIGB153 3/32 X 4 2.53 2.10SIGB154 1/8 X 4 2.90 2.41SIGB155 3/16 X 4 3.45 2.86SIGB156 1/4 X 4 4.80 3.98SIGB157 3/8 X 4 6.60 5.48SIGB158 1/16 X 6 3.55 2.95SIGB159 3/32 X 6 3.88 3.22SIGB160 1/8 X 6 4.23 3.51SIGB161 3/16 X 6 4.82 4.00SIGB162 1/4 X 6 5.95 4.94SIGB163 3/8 X 6 8.10 6.72SHEETS - 48" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB388 1/32 X 3 1.88 1.56SIGB389 1/16 X 3 1.88 1.56SIGB390 3/32 X 3 2.27 1.88SIGB391 1/8 X 3 2.84 2.36SIGB392 3/16 X 3 3.40 2.82SIGB393 1/4 X 3 4.15 3.44SIGB394 3/8 X 3 5.10 4.23SIGB395 1/16 X 4 3.68 3.05SIGB396 3/32 X 4 4.62 3.83SIGB397 1/8 X 4 5.19 4.31SIGB398 3/16 X 4 6.22 5.16SIGB399 1/4 X 4 7.25 6.02SIGB400 3/8 X 4 11.58 9.61SIGB401 1/16 X 6 3.55 2.95SIGB402 3/32 X 6 3.88 3.22SIGB403 1/8 X 6 4.23 3.51SIGB404 3/16 X 6 7.00 5.81SIGB405 1/4 X 6 8.92 7.40SIGB406 3/8 X 6 10.00 8.30

BALSA PLANKSPLANKS - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB206 1 X 1 4.43 3.68SIGB207 1/2 X 2 5.03 4.17SIGB208 3/4 X 2 5.87 4.87SIGB209 1 X 2 6.72 5.58SIGB210 1-1/2 X 2 10.19 8.46SIGB211 2 X 2 11.00 9.13SIGB212 1/2 X 3 5.99 4.97SIGB213 3/4 X 3 7.55 6.27SIGB214 1 X 3 9.70 8.05SIGB215 1-1/2 X 3 15.23 12.64SIGB216 2 X 3 16.70 13.86SIGB217 3 X 3 26.39 21.90SIGB218 1/2 X 4 9.23 7.66SIGB219 3/4 X 4 10.55 8.76SIGB220 1 X 4 13.58 11.27SIGB221 1-1/2 X 4 17.99 14.93SIGB222 2 X 4 23.39 19.41SIGB223 3 X 4 34.79 28.88SIGB224 1/2 X 6 13.19 10.95SIGB225 3/4 X 6 16.50 13.70SIGB226 1 X 6 19.79 16.43SIGB227 1-1/2 X 6 27.59 22.90SIGB228 2 X 6 35.99 29.87SIGB229 3 X 6 52.79 43.82BALSA BLOCKSBLOCKS - 3" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB251 1 X 1 0.26 0.22BLOCKS - 6" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB266 1 X 1 0.83 0.69SIGB267 1/2 X 2 1.02 0.85SIGB268 3/4 X 2 1.14 0.95SIGB269 1 X 2 1.09 0.90SIGB270 1-1/2 X 2 2.03 1.68SIGB271 2 X 2 1.75 1.45SIGB274 1 X 3 1.70 1.41SIGB275 1-1/2 X 3 2.39 1.98SIGB276 2 X 3 2.40 1.99SIGB277 3 X 3 5.99 4.97SIGB278 1/2 X 4 1.67 1.39SIGB280 1 X 4 2.45 2.03SIGB282 2 X 4 3.70 3.07SIGB283 3 X 4 7.55 6.27SIGB286 1 X 6 3.83 3.18SIGB287 1-1/2 X 6 5.03 4.17SIGB288 2 X 6 5.99 4.97SIGB289 3 X 6 10.19 8.46BLOCKS - 12" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB299 1 X 1 1.31 1.09SIGB300 1/2 X 2 1.55 1.29SIGB301 3/4 X 2 1.79 1.49SIGB302 1 X 2 2.40 1.99SIGB303 1-1/2 X 2 3.11 2.58SIGB304 2 X 2 3.40 2.82SIGB305 1/2 X 3 1.98 1.64SIGB306 3/4 X 3 2.87 2.38SIGB307 1 X 3 3.32 2.76SIGB308 1-1/2 X 3 5.51 4.57SIGB309 2 X 3 5.40 4.48SIGB310 3 X 3 10.40 8.63SIGB311 1/2 X 4 2.87 2.38SIGB312 3/4 X 4 3.59 2.98SIGB313 1 X 4 4.70 3.90SIGB314 1-1/2 X 4 6.40 5.31SIGB315 2 X 4 7.10 5.89SIGB316 3 X 4 13.00 10.79SIGB317 1/2 X 6 4.07 3.38SIGB318 3/4 X 6 5.03 4.17SIGB319 1 X 6 6.95 5.77SIGB320 1-1/2 X 6 8.15 6.76SIGB321 2 X 6 14.15 11.74SIGB322 3 X 6 20.39 16.92BLOCKS - 24" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB354 1 X 1 2.63 2.18SIGB355 1 X 2 4.50 3.74SIGB356 2 X 2 7.91 6.57SIGB357 1/2 X 3 4.79 3.98SIGB358 1 X 3 6.83 5.67SIGB359 2 X 3 11.99 9.95SIGB360 3 X 3 18.47 15.33SIGB361 1 X 4 8.39 6.96SIGB362 2 X 4 15.59 12.94SIGB363 3 X 4 23.99 19.91SIGB364 1 X 6 13.79 11.45SIGB365 2 X 6 22.79 18.92SIGB366 3 X 6 32.39 26.88SELECT GRADE SHEETSCONTEST - 36" LengthVery Light 4 - 6 lb. StockRETAILMAPSIGB454 1/32 X 3 2.88 2.39SIGB455 1/16 X 3 3.00 2.49SIGB456 3/32 X 3 2.96 2.46SIGB457 1/8 X 3 3.36 2.79SIGB458 3/16 X 3 4.44 3.69SIGB459 1/4 X 3 5.10 4.23SIGB460 3/8 X 3 6.59 5.47SIGB461 1/16 X 4 3.83 3.18SIGB462 3/32 X 4 3.95 3.28SIGB463 1/8 X 4 4.62 3.83SIGB650 3/16 X 4 5.70 4.73SIGB645 1/4 X 4 6.95 5.77SIGB649 3/8 X 4 8.63 7.16C-GRAIN - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB470 1/32 X 2 1.74 1.44SIGB471 1/16 X 2 1.86 1.54SIGB472 3/32 X 2 1.98 1.64SIGB473 1/8 X 2 2.10 1.74SIGB477 1/32 X 3 2.39 1.98SIGB478 1/16 X 3 2.39 1.98SIGB479 3/32 X 3 2.51 2.08SIGB480 1/8 X 3 2.63 2.18SIGB481 3/16 X 3 2.87 2.38SIGB482 1/4 X 3 3.30 2.74SIGB483 3/8 X 3 4.50 3.74VERY HARD - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB493 1/16 X 3 1.62 1.34SIGB494 3/32 X 3 1.98 1.64SIGB495 1/8 X 3 2.34 1.94SIGB496 3/16 X 3 2.87 2.38SIGB497 1/4 X 3 3.23 2.68SIGB498 3/8 X 3 5.03 4.17SPECIAL SHAPESTRIANGLE - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB416 1/4 X 1/4 0.88 0.73SIGB417 3/8 X 3/8 0.96 0.80SIGB418 1/2 X 1/2 1.90 1.58SIGB419 3/4 X 3/4 1.70 1.41SIGB420 1 X 1 3.70 3.07LEADING EDGE - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB085 1/2 X 3/8 2.00 1.66SIGB086 3/4 X 5/8 3.25 2.70SIGB087 1 X 3/4 3.95 3.283

TRAILING EDGE - 36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB097 1/8 X 1/2 0.87 0.72SIGB098 3/16 X 3/4 0.95 0.79SIGB099 1/4 X 1 1.19 0.99SIGB100 5/16 X 1-1/4 1.43 1.19SIGB101 3/8 X 1-1/2 1.89 1.57AILERON & ELEVATOR STOCK36" LengthRETAILMAPSIGB441 1/4 X 1 1.74 1.44SIGB442 3/8 X 1 3.66 3.04SIGB443 1/4 X 2 2.75 2.28SIGB444 3/8 X 2 3.03 2.51AIRFOIL SHAPED SHEETS36” LengthRETAILMAPSIGB111 3/16 X 3 X 36 3.18 2.64SIGB112 1/4 X 3 X 36 3.95 3.28SIGB113 1/4 X 4 X 36 4.86 4.03BALSA BUNDLE DEALSBALSA WOOD ASSORTMENTA 1-3/4" x 5" x 18" pack of miscellaneoussize balsa sheets - 1/32" to1/4" thick X 2"& 3" wide X 18" long. Plus a stick assortment.All top grade wood. Great value!RETAILMAPSIGB600 15.83 13.143" SHEET BUNDLEAn assortment of 3" wide x 36" long balsasheets, varying thickness. Second grade- some sheets will have slight imperfections.Bundle measures 3" X 3" X 36".RETAILMAPSIGB700 7.22 5.994" SHEET BUNDLEAn assortment of 4" wide x 36" long balsasheets, varying thickness. Second grade- some sheets will have slight imperfections.Bundle measures 3" X 4" X 36".RETAILMAPSIGB702 8.42 6.99STICKS & MOREA handy assortment of 36" long balsasticks. Lots of useful sizes of randomthickness & width. Second grade - somesticks will be bowed. Bundle measuresappoximately 2-1/2” dia. X 36” long.RETAILMAPSIGB643 6.00 4.99TAPERED CUT SHEETS36" LengthFull width taper from 1/4" thick at oneedge to 1/8" thick at the other edge.RETAILMAPSIGB430 1/4 X 3 3.20 2.66SIGB431 1/4 X 4 4.20 3.49BAG OF BALSAA large bag of assorted sheets, blocks &sticks. Cutoffs and second grade. Alluseful pieces for the right hobby project.Bag dimensions: 3” x 6” x 12”RETAILMAPSIGB524 8.42 6.99ODDS & ENDSA 2" x 3" x 18" pack of assorted size balsasheets & sticks. A low cost source ofsmall parts for the modelers. Perfect forcrafts or any hobbyist who is looking forvalue. Second grade - some pieces willhave small imperfections.RETAILMAPSIGB534 7.11 5.90SPECIAL SELECTION OF SIG BALSASpecial selection of balsa sheets for weight or grain type is available on a limited basis, depending on our supply at the time of your order.Special selection of balsa sheets for WEIGHT is available in SOFT, MEDIUM, or HARD categories. The softer wood will be lighter inweight; the harder wood will be heavier. Standard categories of balsa weight in the hobby industry is as follows:SOFT = 6 to 9 lbs. per cu. ft. MEDIUM = 9 to 12 lbs. per cu. ft. HARD = 12 to 16 lbs. per cu. ft.Balsa sheets can also be specially selected for A-GRAIN or C-GRAIN types. Description of balsa sheet grain types is in the back of thiscatalog. Standard SIG balsa sheets (not special select) is random A, B, and C grain (mostly B-GRAIN, the most common type).Special selection for weight or grain type is very time consuming and requires an additional fee:Fee for Grain Selection: $0.25 per sheetFee for Weight Selection: $0.35 per sheet4

SIG PLYWOODSIG Aircraft Grade Plywood is the finest quality plywood available for model building. Imported from Finland andItaly, the plywood is actually produced in metric thicknesses (millimeters), which have been converted to the nearestinch dimensions for our use. Due to the nature of thin plywood sheets, it is impossible for us to guaranteethat every sheet will be perfectly flat and straight. In most cases, plywood parts cut from these sheets can easilybe straightened as they are glued into the model structure.1/32” THICK 3-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW001 6 X 12 2.80 2.32SIGPW002 12 X 12 5.17 4.29SIGPW003 12 X 24 10.10 8.38SIGPW004 12 X 48 19.70 16.351/16” THICK 3-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW005 6 X 12 3.05 2.53SIGPW006 12 X 12 5.75 4.77SIGPW007 12 X 24 11.10 9.21SIGPW008 12 X 48 21.70 18.013/32” THICK 3-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW009 6 X 12 5.10 4.23SIGPW010 12 X 12 9.70 8.05SIGPW011 12 X 24 19.00 15.77SIGPW012 12 X 48 37.70 31.291/8” THICK 5-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW013 6 X 12 4.80 3.98SIGPW014 12 X 12 9.30 7.72SIGPW015 12 X 24 18.00 14.94SIGPW016 12 X 48 36.00 29.885/32” THICK 3-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW050 6 X 12 2.35 1.95SIGPW051 12 X 12 4.30 3.57SIGPW052 12 X 24 8.20 6.81SIGPW053 12 X 48 15.90 13.203/16” THICK 4-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW017 6 X 12 2.65 2.20SIGPW018 12 X 12 4.90 4.07SIGPW019 12 X 24 9.35 7.76SIGPW020 12 X 48 18.50 15.361/4” THICK 5-PLY BIRCHRETAILMAPSIGPW021 6 X 12 3.05 2.53SIGPW022 12 X 12 5.80 4.81SIGPW023 12 X 24 11.10 9.21SIGPW024 12 X 4Y 22.00 18.261/64” THICK 3-PLY WINGSKINSRemarkable product consisting of 3 paperthin birch veneers laminated together withwaterproof glue. Popular for sheetingfoam core wings on airplanes wherestrength and toughness are more importantthan a very slight weight gain whencompared to 1/6” thick balsa wing sheeting.Also useful on many R/C boats.RETAILMAPSIGPW035 12 X 12 8.55 7.10SIGPW036 12 X 24 16.80 13.94SIGPW037 12 X 48 33.20 27.56SIGPW038 24 X 48 65.80 54.61SIG “LITE-PLY”(c) PLYWOODLight weight Italian Poplar plywood foruse where greater strength is desiredover balsa, but regular birch plywood istoo heavy. About half the weight of ourregular birch plywood. Excellent for forfuselage sides, formers, wing ribs, cabinfloors, servo compartments, etc.1/8” THICK LITE-PLY(c)RETAILMAPSIGPW064 12 X 12 2.50 2.08SIGPW065 12 X 24 4.60 3.82SIGPW066 12 X 36 7.70 6.39SIGPW067 12 X 48 9.50 7.891/4” THICK LITE-PLY(c)RETAILMAPSIGPW068 12 X 12 4.70 3.90SIGPW069 12 X 24 9.20 7.64SIGPW070 12 X 36 13.30 11.04SIGPW071 12 X 48 17.60 14.61HARDWOOD DOWELSHardwood Birch DowelsSelected White Birch Dowels. Many usesfor building model airplanes, boats, architectural,landscaping, and other hobbycraftprojects. Strong, straight andsmooth.12 in. LengthRETAILMAPSIGBD008 7/16 dia. 0.35 0.29SIGBD010 5/8 dia. 0.55 0.46SIGBD011 3/4 dia. 0.79 0.6636 in. LengthRETAILMAPSIGBD026 1/8 dia. 0.44 0.37SIGBD028 3/16 dia. 0.45 0.37SIGBD029 1/4 dia. 0.53 0.44SIGBD030 5/16 dia. 0.85 0.71SIGBD031 3/8 dia. 1.09 0.90SIGBD032 7/16 dia. 1.40 1.16SIGBD033 1/2 dia. 1.82 1.51SIGBD034 5/8 dia. 2.95 2.45SIGBD035 3/4 dia. 3.90 3.245

SIG BASSWOODBasswood is a native North American hardwood with fine grain and very consistent density. Easy to cut and easyto sand, basswood is ideal for many hobby and craft projects. SIG cuts only the highest quality clear basswoodfrom the forests of the northern United States and Canada. Basswood's straight grain makes it ideal for wingspars, longerons, and numerous other model airplane parts where additional strength is needed. Also the woodof choice for wood carvers. Good acoustic properties also make basswood popular for electric guitar bodies.Basswood can be stained or painted using any common type of wood finish.STICKS - 24” LengthRETAILMAPSIGBA002 1/32 X 1/8 0.17 0.14SIGBA003 1/32 X 3/16 0.21 0.17SIGBA001 1/32 X 1/4 0.22 0.18SIGBA004 1/16 X 1/16 0.16 0.13SIGBA005 1/16 X 3/32 0.17 0.14SIGBA006 1/16 X 1/8 0.20 0.16SIGBA007 1/16 X 3/16 0.22 0.18SIGBA008 1/16 X 1/4 0.28 0.23SIGBA009 1/16 X 1/2 0.46 0.38SIGBA111 1/16 X 1 1.05 0.87SIGBA010 3/32 X 3/32 0.20 0.16SIGBA011 3/32 X 1/4 0.29 0.24SIGBA112 3/32 X 1 0.93 0.77SIGBA012 1/8 X 1/8 0.21 0.17SIGBA013 1/8 X 3/16 0.25 0.21SIGBA014 1/8 X 1/4 0.32 0.26SIGBA015 1/8 X 1/2 0.65 0.54SIGBA113 1/8 X 1 1.02 0.84SIGBA016 5/32 X 5/32 0.33 0.28SIGBA017 3/16 X 3/16 0.29 0.24SIGBA018 3/16 X 3/8 0.58 0.48SIGBA019 3/16 X 1/2 0.70 0.58SIGBA361 3/16 X 3/4 1.00 0.83SIGBA114 3/16 X 1 1.29 1.07SIGBA020 1/4 X 1/4 0.49 0.40SIGBA021 1/4 X 3/8 0.60 0.50SIGBA022 1/4 X 1/2 0.84 0.70SIGBA115 1/4 X 1 1.48 1.22SIGBA023 5/16 X 5/16 0.60 0.50SIGBA024 3/8 X 3/8 0.81 0.67SIGBA025 1/2 X 1/2 1.34 1.11STICKS - 36” LengthRETAILMAPSIGBA301 1/16 X 1/8 0.35 0.29SIGBA302 1/16 X 3/16 0.37 0.31SIGBA303 1/16 X 1/4 0.42 0.35SIGBA304 3/32 X 3/32 0.42 0.35SIGBA305 3/32 X 1/8 0.44 0.36SIGBA306 3/32 X 3/16 0.45 0.37SIGBA307 3/32 X 1/4 0.46 0.38SIGBA308 1/8 X 1/8 0.35 0.29SIGBA309 1/8 X 3/16 0.43 0.35SIGBA310 1/8 X 1/4 0.50 0.42SIGBA322 1/8 X 5/16 0.60 0.50SIGBA311 1/8 X 3/8 0.56 0.46SIGBA312 1/8 X 1/2 0.70 0.58SIGBA313 1/8 X 3/4 0.95 0.79SIGBA314 3/16 X 3/16 0.50 0.41SIGBA315 3/16 X 1/4 0.56 0.46SIGBA316 3/16 X 3/8 0.64 0.53SIGBA317 3/16 X 1/2 0.77 0.64SIGBA318 1/4 X 1/4 0.80 0.66SIGBA319 1/4 X 3/8 0.84 0.69SIGBA320 1/4 X 1/2 0.98 0.81SIGBA321 3/8 X 3/8 1.05 0.87STICKS - 48” LengthRETAILMAPSIGBA331 3/32 X 3/32 0.50 0.42SIGBA332 3/32 X 1/8 0.52 0.43SIGBA333 3/32 X 3/16 0.53 0.44SIGBA334 3/32 X 1/4 0.65 0.54SIGBA335 1/8 X 1/8 0.53 0.44SIGBA336 1/8 X 3/16 0.56 0.46SIGBA337 1/8 X 1/4 0.64 0.53SIGBA338 1/8 X 3/8 0.78 0.64SIGBA339 1/8 X 1/2 0.84 0.69SIGBA340 1/8 X 3/4 0.99 0.82SIGBA341 3/16 X 3/16 0.56 0.46SIGBA342 3/16 X 1/4 0.70 0.58SIGBA343 3/16 X 3/8 0.83 0.69SIGBA344 3/16 X 1/2 1.05 0.87SIGBA345 1/4 X 1/4 0.92 0.76SIGBA346 1/4 X 3/8 1.11 0.92SIGBA347 1/4 X 1/2 1.33 1.10SIGBA348 3/8 X 3/8 1.34 1.11SHEETS - 24” LengthRETAILMAPSIGBA131 1/32 X 3 0.99 0.82SIGBA132 1/16 X 3 1.07 0.88SIGBA133 3/32 X 3 1.22 1.01SIGBA134 1/8 X 3 1.43 1.18SIGBA135 3/16 X 3 1.63 1.35SIGBA136 1/4 X 3 1.84 1.53SIGBA137 3/8 X 3 2.62 2.17SIGBA138 1/2 X 3 4.21 3.496SIGBA141 1/32 X 4 1.68 1.39SIGBA142 1/16 X 4 1.72 1.42SIGBA143 3/32 X 4 1.79 1.48SIGBA144 1/8 X 4 2.04 1.69SIGBA145 3/16 X 4 2.35 1.95SIGBA146 1/4 X 4 2.85 2.36STICK ASSORTMENTA handy assortment of 24" long basswoodsticks. Lots of useful sizes of randomthickness & width. Second grade,some sticks may have blemishes. Bundlemeasures appoximately 1-1/2” X 2” X 24”.RETAILMAPSIGBA226 3.15 2.61BAG OF BLOCKSA large bag of assorted size basswoodblocks. All useful pieces for the righthobby project. Cutoffs and second grade.Bag dimensions: 3” x 6” x 12”RETAILMAPSIGBA250 11.99 9.95GROOVED LANDING GEAR MOUNTSRETAILMAPSIGSH655 (2 per pkg.) 2.99 2.495/16" X 5/8" X 6” with 1/8" sq. grooveSIGSH125 (2 per pkg.) 2.99 2.493/8" X 3/4" X 6” with 5/32" sq. grooveSIGSH656 (2 per pkg.) 3.23 2.691/2" X 1" X 6” with 3/16" sq. groove

MISC. WOOD PARTSmounts add incredible strength to amodel when they are extended back behindthe firewall into the fuselage. SIGMAPLE MOTOR MOUNTS are cut fromdense, rock hard maple - one of thestrongest woods for its weight available.MAPLE MOTOR MOUNTSCut From Rock Hard MapleStrongest Wood For Its WeightResists SplittingLow Oil AbsorptionROCK HARD MAPLE has been the woodof choice for beam style motor mounts inmodel airplanes for decades. No otherwood can match it. These are the mosteconomical mounts you can buy. Maple12 in. LengthRETAILMAPSIGMM001 3/8 X 3/8 2.39 1.99SIGMM002 3/8 X 1/2 2.39 1.99SIGMM003 3/8 X 3/4 2.39 1.9924 in. LengthRETAILMAPSIGMM004 1/2 X 5/8 3.83 3.19THREADED HARDWOOD BLOCKSCut from rock hard maple, these 3/8” x3/4” x 1” blocks are designed to be gluedpermanently into your fuselage to providehard points for mounting a removablewing or landing gear. Drilled and tappedfor the most common wing bolt sizes.2 blocks per packageRETAILMAPSIGSH218 1/4-20 thread 1.43 1.19SIGSH219 8-32 thread 2.51 2.09SIGSH592 10-32 thread 2.39 1.99SIG - THE MOST FAMOUS NAME IN BALSA!Like most kids who grew up in the 1920s and '30s, Glen Sigafoose was an avid builder and flyer of model airplanes. His interest in airplanes washereditary. His father Arthur Sigafoose was an Iowa aviation pioneer who flew hang gliders as early as 1910. Glen's first model airplanes weremade of bamboo and tissue. He did not see his first piece of balsa wood until the early 1930s. During his high school days Glen developedseveral model airplanes which he sold through small ads in model magazines. He also became an avid motorcyle rider and mechanic.Fast forward to the late 1940s when Glen was working as a printer / linotype operator / maintenance man in the local newspaper office. Glen andhis wife Hazel, who also worked at the newspaper office, operated their own side business selling and servicing Indian motorcycles. Their matchedpair of Indian Chief motorcycles were their only form of transportation year round. They didn't own a car until years later.In addition to the motorcycles, both Glen and Hazel loved to build model airplanes of their own design. Without a hobby shop near them, theywere frustrated that balsa wood sheets and sticks could not be purchased by mail. They guessed that there must be many other builders in smalltowns without hobby shops facing the same problem. So they purchased 120 board feet of raw balsa wood planks and began cutting it in theirbasement workshop into the sizes used by model builders. They took out an ad in Model Airplane News magazine, offering free information abouttheir cut balsa wood and were surprised when they got no response. After thinking it over, a second ad was taken out offering the same informationfor the price of a dime. Then the requests for the balsa began to come in. After five years of working nights and weekends, Glen and Hazel wereable to buy a building and quit their day jobs at the local newspaper. That was the birth of Sig Mfg. Co., the most famous name in balsa.Vintage SIG ad that appeared in Model Airplane News magazine November 1966.7

Model airplanes are no different than any other type of flying machine,large or small - THE LIGHTER IT IS BUILT, THE BETTER IT WILL FLY!With that in mind, it is easy to understand why balsa wood has been thestandard material for model airplane construction since it first becamereadily available in the U.S. in the late 1920s. Its outstanding strengthto-weightratio enables hobbyists to construct durable models that fly ina totally realistic manner. Balsa also absorbs shock and vibration welland can be easily cut, shaped, and glued with simple hand tools.spread. The seeds eventually fall to the ground and are covered by thelitter of the jungle. There they lay and accumulate until one day there isan opening in the jungle canopy large enough for the sun's rays to strikethe jungle floor and start the seeds growing. Wherever there was anopening, made either by a farmer or by another tree dying, balsa willspring up as thick as grass. A farmer is often hard put to keep his foodplot clear of balsa. As the new balsa trees grow, the strongest will becomepredominate and the weaker trees will die.WHERE DOES BALSA WOOD COME FROM? Balsa trees grow naturallyin the humid rain forests of Central and South America. Its naturalrange extends south from Guatemala, through Central America, to thenorth and west coast of South America as far as Bolivia. However, thesmall country of Ecuador, on the western coast of South America, is theprimary source of model aircraft grade balsa in the world. Balsa needs awarm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. For that reason,the best stands of balsa usually appear on the high ground between tropicalrivers. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing balsatrees. The scientific name for balsa wood is ochroma lagopus. The wordbalsa itself is Spanish meaning raft, in reference to its excellent floatationqualities. In Ecuador it is known as Soya, meaning buoy.HOW DOES BALSA WOOD GROW? There is no such thing as entireforests of balsa trees. They grow singly or in very small, widely scatteredgroups in the jungle. For hundreds of years, balsa was actually considereda weed tree. They reproduce by growing hundreds of long seedpods, which eventually open up and, with the help of the wind, scatterthousands of new seeds over a large area of the jungle. Each seed is airborneon its own small wisp of down, similar to the way dandelion seedsA stand of young balsa trees.HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A BALSA TREE TO GROW? Balsa treesgrow very rapidly (like all pesky weeds). Six months after germination,the tree is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 10-12 feet tall! In 6 to 10years the tree is ready for cutting, having reached a height of 60 to 90feet tall and a diameter of 12 to 45 inches. If left to continue growing, thenew wood being grown on the outside layers becomes very hard and thetree begins to rot in the center. Unharvested, a balsa tree may grow to adiameter of 6 feet or more, but very little usable lumber can be obtainedfrom a tree of this size. The balsa leaf is similar in shape to a grape leaf,only a lot bigger. When the tree is young, these leaves measure as muchas four feet across. They become progressively smaller as the tree growsOne year old balsa tree.8Balsa tree leaves.

older, until they are about 8-10 inches across. Balsa is one of the fewtrees in the jungle which has a simple leaf shape. This fact alone makesthe balsa tree stand out in the jungle.THE PERFECT NURSE! Nature designed the balsa tree to be a "nursetree" which would protect the slower-growing species of trees from thescorching jungle sun during their critical early years. For instance, in anarea of the jungle that has been ravaged by a tropical storm or other naturaldisaster, the balsa trees will quickly sprout and begin to shoot up toimpressive heights in a very short time. Their fast growth, and the extralarge leaves they have in their early years, provide shade to the youngseedlings of the slower-growing forest giants. By the time the seedlingsare established enough to take care of themselves, the balsa tree is beginningto die. The balsa tree's rapid growth, fast spreading crown of firstvery large and gradually smaller leaves, and it's relatively short life spanwere intended to make it the "perfect nurse" in the jungle ecosystem.At the saw mill the raw balsa is first rough cut into large boards, then carefullykiln dried, and finally packed into bales for shipment to the U.S. viaocean freighter. Final cutting and finishing of our model aircraft balsa isdone right here at the SIG factory. As a result of the balsa tree's fastgrowth cycle, both the quality and lightness of the lumber obtained froma balsa tree can vary enormously depending upon the tree's age at thetime of cutting.Rough cut balsa boards at the sawmill.WHY IS BALSA WOOD SO LIGHT? The secret to balsa wood's lightnesscan only be seen with a microscope. The cells are big and very thinwalled, so that the ratio of solid matter to open space is as small as possible.Most woods have gobs of heavy, plastic-like cement, called lignin,holding the cells together. In balsa, lignin is at a minimum. Only about40% of the volume of a piece of balsa is solid substance. To give a balsatree the strength it needs to stand in the jungle, nature pumps each balsacell full of water until they become rigid - like a car tire full of air. Greenbalsa wood typically contains five times as much water by weight as ithas actual wood substance, compared to most hardwoods which containvery little water in relation to wood substance. Green balsa wood musttherefore be carefully kiln dried to remove most of the water before it canbe sold. Kiln drying is a tedious two week process that carefully removesthe excess water until the moisture content is only 6%. Kiln drying alsokills any bacteria, fungi, and insects that may be in the raw balsa wood.Nature’s “Nurse Tree”.HOW ARE BALSA TREES HARVESTED? While nature intended thebalsa tree to be a short lived nursemaid, mankind eventually discoveredthat it was an extremely useful resource. The real start of the balsa businesswas during World War I, when the allies were in need of a plentifulsubstitute for cork. The only drawback to using balsa was, and still is, thebackbreaking work that is necessary to get it out of the jungle. Becauseof the way the individual balsa trees are scattered throughout the jungles,it has never been possible to use mass production logging proceduresand equipment. The best way to log balsa trees is to go back to the methodsof Paul Bunyan - cut them down with an axe or saw, haul them to thenearest river by ox team, tie them together into rafts, and then float therafts of balsa logs down the river to the saw mill.Balsa cell structure seen under a microscope.HOW LIGHT IS KILN DRIED BALSA WOOD? Finished balsa wood,like you find in model airplane kits, varies widely in weight. Balsa is occasionallyfound weighing as little as 4 Ibs. per cu. ft. On the other hand,you can also find balsa which will weigh 24 Ibs. or more per cu. ft. However,the general run of commercial balsa for model airplanes will weighbetween 6 pounds to 16 Ibs. per cu. ft. Eight to twelve pound balsa isconsidered medium or average weight, and is the most plentiful. Sixpound or less is considered "contest grade", which is very rare and sometimeseven impossible to obtain.Raw balsa logs at the sawmill.IS BALSA THE LIGHTEST WOOD IN THE WORLD? No! Most peopleare surprised to hear that botanically, balsa wood is only about the thirdor fourth lightest wood in the world. However, all the woods which arelighter than balsa are terribly weak and unsuitable for any practical use.The very lightest varieties don't really resemble wood at all, as we com-9

monly think of it, but are more like a tree-like vegetable that grows inrings, similar in texture to an onion. It is not until balsa is reached thatthere is any sign of real strength combined with lightness. In fact, balsawood is often considered the strongest wood for its weight in the world.Pound for pound it is stronger in some respects than pine, hickory, oreven oak (see chart below).STRENGTH OF BALSA WOOD COMPARED TO OTHER WOODSWeight Stiffness Bending CompressionSpecies Lbs./Cu. Ft. Strength Strength StrengthBalsa 8 72 70 75When describing the weight of balsa wood, the standard unit of measureis POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT (lbs./cu.ft).To give you an idea how much common sizes of balsa can vary in weightdepending upon the density of raw stock it was cut from, the followingthree charts have been developed. They show the actual weight inounces of each size piece when it is cut from 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 lb./cu.ft. stock. For example, in the first chart for BALSA SHEETS we see thata 1/16" x3" x 36" sheet cut from 10 lbs./cu. ft. stock will weigh approximately.625 ounces. The same size sheet cut from 14 Ibs./cu.ft. stock willweigh about .875 ounces.Balsa 10 100 100 100Balsa 14 156 161 149Spruce 28 230 260 289Yellow Pine 28 222 277 288Douglas Fir 30 241 291 341Hickory 50 379 638 514Oak 48 295 430 366Basswood 26 261 288 288Black Walnut 37 301 506 512NOTE ABOUT CHART: The strength of balsa varies in direct relation toits density or weight - the heavier the wood, the stronger it is. Theabove chart was designed with 10 Ib./cu. ft. balsa as the median. In otherwords, balsa at 10 Ibs./cu. ft. has been tested given a value of 100. Theother woods were then tested in the same way and given a figure that isnumerically in proportion. By comparing the relative strength figures inthe chart, it will be seen that balsa is as strong or stronger, pound forpound, than most of the species shown.SELECTING BALSA FOR MODEL BUILDING: Because of the natureof balsa, two pieces of wood with the exact same dimensions may varyquite a bit in weight. When you select the pieces you want for our project,you should keep their final use in mind. Logically one should select thelightest grades for the lightly stressed parts of the model (nose blocks,wingtip blocks, fill-ins, etc.), and the heavier grades for important loadbearing parts of the structure (spars, fuselage stringers, etc.).SIG Mfg. Co. has been producing model grade balsawood since 1951. In this early photo founder GlenSigafoose (left) inspects and grades finished balsa sheets.10

A knife or razor blade will work well for cutting balsa sheets and sticks upto 3/16" thick. Use a razor saw for sizes over thicker than 3/16". Alwayskeep replacement blades on hand - blades do wear out and a dull bladecan make it impossible to do a good job.COMMON MODELER'S TOOLS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPINGBALSA WOOD: Balsa is a very "friendly" wood to work with - light, soft,and easily worked into so many things. You don't need heavy-duty powersaws and sanders like you would if working with a hardwood. In fact, evenwith an extensive power shop at their disposal, the professional modelbuilders here at the SIG factory find that they still rely primarily on 4 or 5simple hand tools for the majority of their work. If you are just starting outin the model airplane hobby, here are the tools that they recommend thatyou get:YOU WILL ALSO NEED SANDING BLOCKS: In addition to the cuttingtools, you will need an assortment of different size sanding blocks. Theseare indispensable tools for model construction. You can buy ready-madesanding blocks or make your own. The most often used general-purposesanding block in our model shop is made simply by wrapping a full 9" x11" sheet of sandpaper around a 3/4" x3" x 11" hardwood or plywoodblock. Use three screws along one edge to hold the overlapped ends ofthe sandpaper in place. Use 80 grit garnet sandpaper on the block duringgeneral construction.11

Another handy sanding block to have can be made by gluing 80 grit garnetsandpaper onto a 24" or 36" long piece of aluminum channel stock.Most hardware stores carry a rack of aluminum in various sizes andshapes. This long sanding block is very helpful for shaping leading andtrailing edges, and other large pieces, accurately.Last but not least, glue sandpaper onto different sizes of scrap plywoodsticks and round hardwood dowels. These are handy for working in tightplaces and for careful shaping where a big sanding block is too hard tocontrol.We like to use craft glue in a spray can (like 3M “77”® Spray Adhesive)for gluing the sandpaper on our homemade sanding tools.BALSA GRAIN ID. CHART - LEARN TO IDENTIFY ALL THREE GRAIN TYPESIn selecting balsa sheets for use in your model, it is important to considerthe way the grain runs through the sheet as well as the weight of thesheet. The grain direction actually controls the rigidity or flexibility of abalsa sheet more than the density does. For example, if the sheet is cutfrom the log so that the tree's annular rings run across the thickness ofthe sheet (A-grain, tangent cut), then the sheet will be fairly flexible edgeto edge. In fact, after soaking in water some tangent cut sheets can becompletely rolled into a tube shape without splitting. If on the other handthe sheet is cut with the annular rings running through the thickness ofthe sheet (C-grain, quarter grain), the sheet will be very rigid edge to edgeand cannot be bent without splitting. When the grain direction is lessclearly defined (B-grain, random cut), the sheet will have intermediateproperties between A and C grain. Naturally, B-grain is the most commonand is suitable for most jobs. The point to bear in mind is that wheneveryou come across pure A-grain or C-grain sheets, learn where to use themto take best advantage of their special characteristics. The following chartillustrates the 3 basic grain types for sheet balsa and lists the most appropriateuses for each.A-GRAIN sheet balsa has long fibers that show up as long grain lines. It is very flexibleacross the sheet and bends around curves easily. Also warps easily. Sometimes called"tangent cut".DO: Use for sheet covering rounded fuselages and wing leading edges, planking fuselages,forming tubes, strong flexible spars, HL glider fuselages.DON'T: Use for sheet balsa wings or tail surfaces, flat fuselage sides, ribs, or formers.B-GRAIN sheet balsa has some of the qualities of both type A and type C. Grain linesare shorter than type A, and it feels stiffer across the sheet. It is a general purpose sheetand can be used for many jobs. Sometimes called "random cut".DO: Use for flat fuselage sides, trailing edges, wing ribs, formers, planking gradualcurves, wing leading edge sheeting.DON'T: Use where type A or type C will do a significantly better job.C-GRAIN sheet balsa has a beautiful mottled appearance, it is very stiff across the sheetand splits easily. But when used properly, it helps to build the lightest, strongest models.Most warp resistant type. Sometimes called "quarter grain".DO: Use for sheet balsa wings and tails, flat fuselage sides, wing ribs, formers, trailingedges. Best type for HL glider wings and tails.DON'T: Use for curved planking, rounded fuselages, round tubes, HL glider fuselages,or wing spars.12 © 2012 SIG Mfg. Co. Inc.