The BEST 3D printed balsa stripper.

[Turbojoe]

I have two of the Master Airscrew balsa strippers. The first one I bought at least 20 years ago and I tried all of the tips and tricks and it is still a loose fitting P.O.S. The second one I bought a few years ago and out of the package it was far worse than the first. Then I stumbled onto THIS on Thingiverse by workshopbob. FINALLY a usable balsa stripper! Everything fits tight. No wobble from ill fitting parts. It's a long print but it's worth every minute though. If you have a 3D printer I highly recommend printing one. I'm going to print another to have "just in case".

Joe

 

[chris398mx]

I have two of the Master Airscrew balsa strippers. The first one I bought at least 20 years ago and I tried all of the tips and tricks and it is still a loose fitting P.O.S. The second one I bought a few years ago and out of the package it was far worse than the first. Then I stumbled onto THIS on Thingiverse by workshopbob. FINALLY a usable balsa stripper! Everything fits tight. No wobble from ill fitting parts. It's a long print but it's worth every minute though. If you have a 3D printer I highly recommend printing one. I'm going to print another to have "just in case".

Joe

I printed the same one and it seems like it works well.

 

[Joker 53150]

I have two of the Master Airscrew balsa strippers. The first one I bought at least 20 years ago and I tried all of the tips and tricks and it is still a loose fitting P.O.S. The second one I bought a few years ago and out of the package it was far worse than the first. Then I stumbled onto THIS on Thingiverse by workshopbob. FINALLY a usable balsa stripper! Everything fits tight. No wobble from ill fitting parts. It's a long print but it's worth every minute though. If you have a 3D printer I highly recommend printing one. I'm going to print another to have "just in case".

Joe

I have been using that 3D printed stripper for a couple years now and find it far better than the commercially available one. It is wide and very stable, and the only downside is that it takes longer to adjust compared to simply turning a knob. Well worth the time to print!

I also made one for my dad, who also likes it more than the commercial one.

 

[TooJung2Die]

Often when I cut strips by hand I have to make multiple passes with the blade to cut all the way through. If I don't the balsa sometimes splits off following the grain in a different direction. Is that an issue when using this stripper and making a single cut?

 

[Turbojoe]

Often when I cut strips by hand I have to make multiple passes with the blade to cut all the way through. If I don't the balsa sometimes splits off following the grain in a different direction. Is that an issue when using this stripper and making a single cut?

It depends on the thickness and hardness of the balsa being cut. Also the stiffness of the blade. The problem you describe is why I mount the stripper to a board and push the balsa through it. I also "tap" the blade into the cutting board so it can't flex and ruin the cut. The pictures show the crappy Master Airscrew stripper. I just haven't replaced it with the new stripper yet but a quick cut of 3/32" x 1/4" wide yielded a perfect piece cut by hand with the new stripper.

Joe

 

[Joker 53150]

Often when I cut strips by hand I have to make multiple passes with the blade to cut all the way through. If I don't the balsa sometimes splits off following the grain in a different direction. Is that an issue when using this stripper and making a single cut?

Mine is usually set for just over 1/2 the thickness of the wood I'm cutting (unless it's really thin). I cut both sides to free a new plank, and the shallower depth cut helps keep the blade straight. I also took an old #11 blade and broke about 3/16" off the end and sandwiched it in with a new cutting blade. That helps stiffen the blade and keeps it from wandering. I guess I could do that with TWO old blades and really stiffen it up, but the current setup has been working well.