balsa stick making tool

An adaption from an RCM "For What it's Worth" submission... made from plywood scraps (1/4" for the handle, 1/8" for the base and varying thicknesses for the guide... I.E. the "guide thickness" equals the "balsa thickness" to be stripped.

The cutter is a single-edge razor blade with the flange carefully removed, using a nail-set on the 2 crimp/dimples and pulling apart with x2 sets of pliers. The blade must mount "flush" against the handle, and set at a depth as to pass through the base and stock to be cut. It is held in place by a 2-56 x3/8"L. machine screw/washer/nut through the handle (blade center hole) and a short #2 wood screw on the blades edge-slot as a locator-pin when replacing blades.

The 1/8" plywood base I made, measures  2" x 3" and has a slot on the long side; just long enough for the razor blade to pass through, when the "handle" is mounted. This slot can be cut with a dremel tool/cut-off wheel or with a #11 blade/handle. Mount the handle/blade assy. SQUARELY to the base, with some strong glue. The blade MUST be 90 deg. to the base for a square cut.

The "guide" is made to the same thickness as your balsa choice... and measures the "length" of the base and roughly 1/2 the width. The balsa strip's "width" is set by gauging between the razor blade and the guide, using a drill bit... again; the same size as your guide/stock thickness. It is at this point where you can make a right or left handed tool. Align the guide on the bottom of the base and glue it in place, up against the blade with the drill bit laying in between.

I made 3 sizes... 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8"... They all cut nice accurate sticks quickly and easily from balsa sheet, laid on a firm level cutting mat. Setting up a quick-fence with straight-edge/clamps makes it easier to hold the stock while cutting. I drew arrows on the top of the base, for a feed-direction reference.