Balsa vs Plastic Nosecones

[RoyAtl]

I turned balsa cones as a kid, using my dad's electric drill, and so getting a lathe is long overdue.

I've still got two or three nose cones that I made on my old Mattel Power Shop, and one big one I made vertically on a drill press, for a wallpaper shipping tube. (was making a Super Big Bertha, about 18 years early!)

 

[sandman]

It seems odd that nobody has mentioned hardwood nose cones.

Durable, can be drilled out to save weight, a limitless variety of wood types available easy to shape on a lathe.

Unfortunately some are too darn pretty to paint!

Now if only I could find a cheap source of plastic blocks to turn on the lathe. Yes styrene plastic turns really nice on the lathe!

The first two are for a BT-60 but that last pic was a huge balsa log hand carved in Costa Rica that I turned into a nose cone.

Try that with plastic!

 

[Rex R]

when they look that pretty...helmsman spar urathane is a nice finish, durable and waterproof.

 

[sandman]

when they look that pretty...helmsman spar urathane is a nice finish, durable and waterproof.

Rub on finish is even easier to do while they are still on the lathe!

 

[Rex R]

well the last project that I used spar urathane wouldn't exactly fit on a lathe...looks nice, just need a slower motor (by about 5-10k rpm).
rex

 

[sandman]

My next spar varnish project is a bit bigger at 14'.

But back to nose cones.