How Do You Build A Balsa Wood Tower To Withstand Added Weight?
Considering its weight, balsa wood is among the strongest materials on earth. One of the most entertaining challenges is building weight-bearing structures out of little more than balsa wood and wood glue. Making a balsa wood tower withstand added weight lies mostly in the preparation–although construction is also critical. Sketch your structure on graph paper. Decide on a scale; for example, one square represents 1/4 inch of the design. Draw a front and side view of the tower. Square bases are the simplest and most effective. Begin with the outlines, and then add internal support structures. Triangles are the strongest natural structures, so make the supports out of triangular shapes. Draw a three-quarter view of the tower, using the side and front diagrams to imagine a three-dimensional perspective. Add more support structures inside the tower. Begin imagining the force pushing down on the tower. Draw a large arrow pushing down on the structure to represent the weight. Add smaller a
