Bear Surfboards
Bear Surfboards
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 VINTAGE HAWAIIAN KOA WOOD SURFBOARD SURFING CRIBBAGE BOARD ISLAND CURIO 1920s  US $11.50
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 HUGE BEAR SURFBOARDS SURF BIG WEDNESDAY SURFBOARD LONGBOARD FIN BEACH STICKER US $6.99
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 1949 FORD WOODY W 5 LONG BOARD SURFBOARD FIN SURF BEACH 60S LOGO 124 SCALE US $19.95
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 Near new Classic Bear Surfboard US $300.00
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 60s Vintage Robertson Sweet Surfboard Longboard Rare US $700.00
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 VINTAGE HAWAII KOA WOOD SURFING SURFER SURFBOARD FIGURE TROPHY ISLAND CURIO 1915 US $306.00
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 BEAR SURFBOARD SURF SURFING CLASSIC BEACH STICKER DECAL US $5.99
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 Signed Big Wednesday Bear Balsa Wood Surfboard Clock Jan Michael Vincent US $200.00
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 10 5 WOOD SURFBOARDS W WOOD STRINGERS FINS CLASSIC 60S SURF BEACH LOGOS US $37.95
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 Balsa Wood Big Wednesday 30th Surfboard Model Signed by Crew Vintage Postcard US $400.00
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 Bubble Gum Rob Machado Surfboard Wax Tropical Base Coat US $6.99
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 Bubble Gum Rob Machado Natural Surfboard Wax Cool Warm US $6.99
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 Rare Randy Rarick autographed vintage BEAR surfboard sticker one of a kind US $350.00
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 Rare Bruce Irons autographed vintage BEAR surfboard sticker one of a kind champ US $149.00
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 Rare Kelly Slater autographed vintage BEAR surfboard sticker one of a kind US $165.00
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 VINTAGE50S SB LA JOLLA BALSA WOOD LONGBOARD SURFBOARD US $2,200.00
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 Rare Andy Irons autographed vintage BEAR surfboard sticker one of a kind PROOF US $265.00
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 3 CLASSIC SMALL CLASSIC SURFBOARDS LONG BOARD FIN BEACH DECAL BEACH STICKERS US $6.95
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 Dashboard Doll COOL BEAR surfboard Gift Present Dance US $9.85
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 BEAR SURFBOARDS Big Wednesday Promotional SURF Decal Sticker US $6.99
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 Rare Big Wednesday BEAR surfboard sticker Angry Bear vintage Bill Hamilton US $49.99
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 Bear surfboard surfing vintage sticker HUGE Big wednes US $12.00
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 5 VERY CLASSIC SURF SURFBOARDS SURFBOARD BEACH STICKERS US $19.95
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 Bubble Gum Rob Machado Natural Surfboard Wax Cold US $6.99
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Roger Hinds Shaping Tour! BEAR SURFBOARDS (Italy - Summer 2010)
A Guide To Working With Balsa Wood by Julie Davidson
Balsa wood is a lightweight wood variety taken from trees of the same name that hail from the rainforests of Central America, South America, and a few other regions. The warm and humid conditions in these areas are ideal for the growth of this plant. Balsa trees grow quite rapidly - it usually takes less than a decade for a tree to be mature enough for cutting. However, once past the ten-year marker, an unharvested tree would harden on the outside and rot inside, rendering it a useless piece.
Initially, balsa wood was only taken from the forests. But due to wide consumer interests and the profitability of the industry, farmers have begun their own plantations. Ecuador is largely responsible for the world supply of the wood, followed by suppliers from India, Indonesia and the Caribbean.
Attributes of Balsa
In spite of its light weight, balsa wood has incredible strength. In fact, among all the lightweight wood varieties, balsa is considered to be the strongest. This is because each cell of the tree is naturally infused with water that makes it rigid enough to withstand the jungle setting. However, when pooled together with the rest of the wood varieties, balsa is only third or fourth in the strength category.
There are different grains of balsa wood, and each has attributes of its own. A-grain balsa lumber is the most flexible type. When immersed in water, it can easily be manipulated into the required forms and shapes. On the other hand, A-grain balsa changes very easily, affecting its life span. Balsa of the B-grain variety is the most readily available kind. This is the ideal type because B-grain balsa can be used for numerous purposes. Lastly, there is the C-grain balsa which can easily be recognized through the evident grain line patterns. Among the three grain types, C-grain balsa is the most brittle and warp-resistant.
Common Uses for Balsa
Balsa wood was first used during World War I as a substitute for cork. During this period, life rafts and armor plates were constructed of balsa. In World War II, balsa use was upgraded for the making of airplanes. It became the primary material for the famous British de Havilland Mosquito combat airplane.
Apart from being lightweight and durable, balsa wood also has the ability to float, which makes it an ideal material for surfboards and other water sports equipment. Another popular use for balsa lumber is model kits, usually that of airplanes. Again, because the material is light, model airplanes constructed from balsa generally perform better than its other counterparts. Doll houses and the miniature furniture that accompany them are also routinely made out of balsa. The same is true for stage furniture and other props. The other parts of the balsa tree are used for insulation, stuffing, sound-absorption and packing.
How to Work with Balsa
Before hacking into the wood, one must have a clear plan as to what the end product would be. When manipulating balsa, it is important to be careful because, as said earlier, its price is quite high, so waste is something to avoid. Another thing to bear in mind is to choose the right type of balsa for a particular project. This will ensure the quality of the wood used for the endeavor.
In order to manipulate balsa wood for whatever purpose, the necessary tools should be on hand. While it is relatively soft and easy to carve and shape, using the proper equipment would make the job more accurate. In addition, the wood is also quite expensive, and the chances of improper handling are lessened with the right gadgets. No need for power tools or saws - for the most part, four or five precision knives are all that is needed. It is also more convenient to keep replacement blades around. Sanding blocks are also necessary tools to smooth out the wood.
The bottom line is that balsa wood is a great lightweight material of great strength that has many valuable uses and applications, it should be strongly considered when deciding upon your choice of wood.
Start Local is an Australian business directory that has many balsa wood retailers listed Australia wide.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/A-Guide-To-Working-With-Balsa-Wood/1126631
