Mode Zero

I've tried several of the commercial balsa strippers with varying degrees of success but I'm now thinking along the lines of a small table saw. Any recommendations?

I have one of these: https://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/27006.php
Works well on various materials like balsa, pine (standard cross-cut blade), and with the HSS blade aluminium and brass. Cutting depth is limited. Struggles a bit with plywood.

Stew wrote: 12 Feb 2019, 19:35I've tried several of the commercial balsa strippers with varying degrees of success....

I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles to produce stripwood anywhere near as good as the stuff supplied by the professionals!

Ditto on the Proxxon, I picked up a broken one for £20 years ago (had been dropped and the pcb cracked - easy fix) ...

https://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/27070.php

For stripping balsa, it's outstanding - worth finding a wee clamp that'll fit the fence to hold the strip down from the top as it's being cut - easily cut up to 12.7mm - I use the tungsten blade. Definitely worth making a zero clearance insert if you want to cut less than 1mm strip.

Still prefer my old 3 wheel Burgess BK3 bandsaw for cutting ply etc. though.

Have never tried cutting balsa with my festool tracksaw LOL, but I do use this for cross-cutting balsa sheets and short ply sheets every day ...
I suppose it could be modded with a longer rail for strip

Neil

Igull wrote: 14 Feb 2019, 17:04 Ditto on the Proxxon, I picked up a broken one for £20 years ago (had been dropped and the pcb cracked - easy fix) ...

https://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/27070.php

That is the bigger one with more features, like a tilting table for chamfered cuts, not cheap when you buy new! I am happy with the small one.....

I like your cross-cutter

Max.

Ah, thanks chaps. I was considering the Proxxon, so I think that's the me pulling the trigger on one of those then.
I tried the SLEC one twice and fired it into the bin as a bad job, then I modified a Master Airscrew one to a state where it was OK, (but still not as good as I want. Problems with the blade wandering, following the grain etc etc).
I have in stock some nice firm sheets that will make good strip wood, but I just lack the means to produce it, hence the thought of a table saw.
I normally shy away from power tools for modelling, but I can see real benefits of zipping off some stripwood as and when I want it.