Finest Quality

Balsa Wood Plywood Basswood Dowels

U.S. Consumer Price List

December 1, 2012

SIG MFG. CO., INC. 401 South Front St. Montezuma, IA 50171 USA Ph: 641-623-5154 Fax: 641-623-3922 Web: www.sigmfg.com Email: mail@sigmfg.com

PRICES: The following U.S. price list shows two prices for each item - RETAIL and MAP. Unlike 20 years ago, most hobby shops in the U.S. today discount their prices below full retail price. Thus the RETAIL price shown here is typically the maximum price that a hobby shop will charge for the item. The MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) is the lowest price that hobby shops will sell the item for. SIG encourages you to support your local hobby shop. If your hobby shop does not carry the SIG items you want, you can order direct from our web site at MAP price. The prices in this book are applicable in the United States only. Due to high shipping costs, foreign customers should always buy from their local hobby dealer.

AAA BALSA WOOD

Since 1951 SIG has been providing model builders with the finest Balsa Wood available.
BALSA STICKS SIGB040 SIGB041 SIGB042 SIGB043 SIGB044 SIGB045 SIGB046 SIGB047 SIGB048 SIGB049 SIGB050 SIGB051
MAP

5/16 X 1 3/8 X 3/8 3/8 X 1/2 3/8 X 3/4 3/8 X 1 1/2 X 1/2 1/2 X 3/4 1/2 X 1 5/8 X 5/8 5/8 X 1 3/4 X 3/4 3/4 X 1

1.52 1.02 1.32 1.58 1.92 1.32 1.66 2.07 1.80 2.64 2.40 3.19

1.26 0.85 1.10 1.31 1.59 1.10 1.38 1.72 1.49 2.19 1.99 2.65

STICKS - 36" Length

RETAIL

STICKS - 48" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB001 SIGB002 SIGB003 SIGB004 SIGB005 SIGB006 SIGB007 SIGB008 SIGB009 SIGB010 SIGB011 SIGB012 SIGB013 SIGB014 SIGB015 SIGB016 SIGB017 SIGB018 SIGB019 SIGB020 SIGB021 SIGB022 SIGB023 SIGB024 SIGB025 SIGB026 SIGB027 SIGB028 SIGB029 SIGB030 SIGB031 SIGB032 SIGB033 SIGB034 SIGB035 SIGB036 SIGB037 SIGB038 SIGB039

1/16 X 1/16 1/16 X 1/8 1/16 X 3/16 1/16 X 1/4 1/16 X 3/8 1/16 X 1/2 1/16 X 3/4 1/16 X 1 3/32 X 3/32 3/32 X 1/8 3/32 X 3/16 3/32 X 1/4 3/32 X 3/8 3/32 X 1/2 3/32 X 3/4 3/32 X 1 1/8 X 1/8 1/8 X 3/16 1/8 X 1/4 1/8 X 5/16 1/8 X 3/8 1/8 X 1/2 1/8 X 3/4 1/8 X 1 3/16 X 3/16 3/16 X 1/4 3/16 X 3/8 3/16 X 1/2 3/16 X 3/4 3/16 X 1 1/4 X 1/4 1/4 X 3/8 1/4 X 1/2 1/4 X 3/4 1/4 X 1 5/16 X 5/16 5/16 X 3/8 5/16 X 1/2 5/16 X 5/8

0.25 0.26 0.34 0.36 0.41 0.51 0.58 0.75 0.24 0.29 0.31 0.35 0.53 0.62 0.79 0.99 0.34 0.37 0.41 0.53 0.62 0.58 0.88 1.00 0.55 0.55 0.60 0.76 0.92 1.23 0.58 0.75 0.83 1.17 1.41 1.13 0.90 1.11 1.44

0.21 0.22 0.28 0.30 0.34 0.42 0.48 0.62 0.20 0.24 0.26 0.29 0.44 0.51 0.66 0.82 0.28 0.31 0.34 0.44 0.51 0.48 0.73 0.83 0.46 0.46 0.50 0.63 0.76 1.02 0.48 0.62 0.69 0.97 1.17 0.94 0.75 0.92 1.20

SIGB061 SIGB062 SIGB063 SIGB064 SIGB065 SIGB066 SIGB067 SIGB068 SIGB069 SIGB070 SIGB071 SIGB072 SIGB073 SIGB074 SIGB075

1/8 X 1/8 1/8 X 1/4 1/8 X 1/2 3/16 X 3/16 3/16 X 1/2 3/16 X 3/4 1/4 X 1/4 1/4 X 1/2 1/4 X 3/4 5/16 X 5/16 3/8 X 3/8 3/8 X 1/2 3/8 X 3/4 1/2 X 1/2 1/2 X 3/4

0.43 0.58 0.84 0.66 1.04 1.22 0.95 1.22 1.80 1.13 1.42 1.80 2.17 1.98 2.72

0.36 0.48 0.70 0.55 0.86 1.01 0.79 1.01 1.49 0.94 1.18 1.49 1.80 1.64 2.26

SIGB136 SIGB137 SIGB138 SIGB139 SIGB140 SIGB141 SIGB142 SIGB143 SIGB144 SIGB145 SIGB146 SIGB147 SIGB148 SIGB149 SIGB150 SIGB151 SIGB152 SIGB153 SIGB154 SIGB155 SIGB156 SIGB157 SIGB158 SIGB159 SIGB160 SIGB161 SIGB162 SIGB163

3/32 X 2 1/8 X 2 3/16 X 2 1/4 X 2 3/8 X 2 1/32 X 3 1/20 X 3 1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 5/32 X 3 3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 5/16 X 3 3/8 X 3 1/32 X 4 1/16 X 4 3/32 X 4 1/8 X 4 3/16 X 4 1/4 X 4 3/8 X 4 1/16 X 6 3/32 X 6 1/8 X 6 3/16 X 6 1/4 X 6 3/8 X 6

1.62 1.73 1.96 2.20 2.75 1.58 1.36 1.30 1.47 1.83 2.15 2.22 2.80 3.22 3.30 2.09 2.10 2.53 2.90 3.45 4.80 6.60 3.55 3.88 4.23 4.82 5.95 8.10

1.34 1.44 1.63 1.83 2.28 1.31 1.13 1.08 1.22 1.52 1.78 1.84 2.32 2.67 2.74 1.73 1.74 2.10 2.41 2.86 3.98 5.48 2.95 3.22 3.51 4.00 4.94 6.72

SHEETS - 48" Length

RETAIL MAP

BALSA SHEETS

SHEETS - 18" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB183 SIGB184 SIGB193

3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 1/8 X 4

2.01 2.03 2.08

1.67 1.68 1.73

SHEETS - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB388 SIGB389 SIGB390 SIGB391 SIGB392 SIGB393 SIGB394 SIGB395 SIGB396 SIGB397 SIGB398 SIGB399 SIGB400 SIGB401 SIGB402 SIGB403 SIGB404 SIGB405 SIGB406

1/32 X 3 1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 3/8 X 3 1/16 X 4 3/32 X 4 1/8 X 4 3/16 X 4 1/4 X 4 3/8 X 4 1/16 X 6 3/32 X 6 1/8 X 6 3/16 X 6 1/4 X 6 3/8 X 6

1.88 1.88 2.27 2.84 3.40 4.15 5.10 3.68 4.62 5.19 6.22 7.25 11.58 3.55 3.88 4.23 7.00 8.92 10.00

1.56 1.56 1.88 2.36 2.82 3.44 4.23 3.05 3.83 4.31 5.16 6.02 9.61 2.95 3.22 3.51 5.81 7.40 8.30

SIGB134 SIGB135

1/32 X 2 1/16 X 2 2

1.37 1.50

1.14 1.25

BALSA PLANKS

SIGB282 SIGB283 SIGB286 SIGB287 SIGB288 SIGB289

2X4 3X4 1X6 1-1/2 X 6 2X6 3X6

3.70 7.55 3.83 5.03 5.99 10.19

3.07 6.27 3.18 4.17 4.97 8.46

BLOCKS - 12" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB458 SIGB459 SIGB460 SIGB461 SIGB462 SIGB463 SIGB650 SIGB645 SIGB649

3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 3/8 X 3 1/16 X 4 3/32 X 4 1/8 X 4 3/16 X 4 1/4 X 4 3/8 X 4

4.44 5.10 6.59 3.83 3.95 4.62 5.70 6.95 8.63

3.69 4.23 5.47 3.18 3.28 3.83 4.73 5.77 7.16

PLANKS - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB206 SIGB207 SIGB208 SIGB209 SIGB210 SIGB211 SIGB212 SIGB213 SIGB214 SIGB215 SIGB216 SIGB217 SIGB218 SIGB219 SIGB220 SIGB221 SIGB222 SIGB223 SIGB224 SIGB225 SIGB226 SIGB227 SIGB228 SIGB229

1X1 1/2 X 2 3/4 X 2 1X2 1-1/2 X 2 2X2 1/2 X 3 3/4 X 3 1X3 1-1/2 X 3 2X3 3X3 1/2 X 4 3/4 X 4 1X4 1-1/2 X 4 2X4 3X4 1/2 X 6 3/4 X 6 1X6 1-1/2 X 6 2X6 3X6

4.43 5.03 5.87 6.72 10.19 11.00 5.99 7.55 9.70 15.23 16.70 26.39 9.23 10.55 13.58 17.99 23.39 34.79 13.19 16.50 19.79 27.59 35.99 52.79

3.68 4.17 4.87 5.58 8.46 9.13 4.97 6.27 8.05 12.64 13.86 21.90 7.66 8.76 11.27 14.93 19.41 28.88 10.95 13.70 16.43 22.90 29.87 43.82

SIGB299 SIGB300 SIGB301 SIGB302 SIGB303 SIGB304 SIGB305 SIGB306 SIGB307 SIGB308 SIGB309 SIGB310 SIGB311 SIGB312 SIGB313 SIGB314 SIGB315 SIGB316 SIGB317 SIGB318 SIGB319 SIGB320 SIGB321 SIGB322

1X1 1/2 X 2 3/4 X 2 1X2 1-1/2 X 2 2X2 1/2 X 3 3/4 X 3 1X3 1-1/2 X 3 2X3 3X3 1/2 X 4 3/4 X 4 1X4 1-1/2 X 4 2X4 3X4 1/2 X 6 3/4 X 6 1X6 1-1/2 X 6 2X6 3X6

1.31 1.55 1.79 2.40 3.11 3.40 1.98 2.87 3.32 5.51 5.40 10.40 2.87 3.59 4.70 6.40 7.10 13.00 4.07 5.03 6.95 8.15 14.15 20.39

1.09 1.29 1.49 1.99 2.58 2.82 1.64 2.38 2.76 4.57 4.48 8.63 2.38 2.98 3.90 5.31 5.89 10.79 3.38 4.17 5.77 6.76 11.74 16.92

C-GRAIN - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB470 SIGB471 SIGB472 SIGB473 SIGB477 SIGB478 SIGB479 SIGB480 SIGB481 SIGB482 SIGB483

1/32 X 2 1/16 X 2 3/32 X 2 1/8 X 2 1/32 X 3 1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 3/8 X 3

1.74 1.86 1.98 2.10 2.39 2.39 2.51 2.63 2.87 3.30 4.50

1.44 1.54 1.64 1.74 1.98 1.98 2.08 2.18 2.38 2.74 3.74

VERY HARD - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB493 SIGB494 SIGB495 SIGB496 SIGB497 SIGB498

1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 3/8 X 3

1.62 1.98 2.34 2.87 3.23 5.03

1.34 1.64 1.94 2.38 2.68 4.17

BLOCKS - 24" Length

RETAIL MAP

SPECIAL SHAPES 2.18 3.74 6.57 3.98 5.67 9.95 15.33 6.96 12.94 19.91 11.45 18.92 26.88

BALSA BLOCKS

SIGB354 SIGB355 SIGB356 SIGB357 SIGB358 SIGB359 SIGB360 SIGB361 SIGB362 SIGB363 SIGB364 SIGB365 SIGB366

1X1 1X2 2X2 1/2 X 3 1X3 2X3 3X3 1X4 2X4 3X4 1X6 2X6 3X6

2.63 4.50 7.91 4.79 6.83 11.99 18.47 8.39 15.59 23.99 13.79 22.79 32.39

TRIANGLE - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SELECT GRADE SHEETS BLOCKS - 3" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB416 SIGB417 SIGB418 SIGB419 SIGB420

1/4 X 1/4 3/8 X 3/8 1/2 X 1/2 3/4 X 3/4 1X1

0.88 0.96 1.90 1.70 3.70

0.73 0.80 1.58 1.41 3.07

SIGB251

1X1

0.26

0.22

BLOCKS - 6" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB266 SIGB267 SIGB268 SIGB269 SIGB270 SIGB271 SIGB274 SIGB275 SIGB276 SIGB277 SIGB278 SIGB280

1X1 1/2 X 2 3/4 X 2 1X2 1-1/2 X 2 2X2 1X3 1-1/2 X 3 2X3 3X3 1/2 X 4 1X4

0.83 1.02 1.14 1.09 2.03 1.75 1.70 2.39 2.40 5.99 1.67 2.45

0.69 0.85 0.95 0.90 1.68 1.45 1.41 1.98 1.99 4.97 1.39 2.03

CONTEST - 36" Length Very Light 4 - 6 lb. Stock

RETAIL MAP

LEADING EDGE - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB454 SIGB455 SIGB456 SIGB457

1/32 X 3 1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 3

2.88 3.00 2.96 3.36

2.39 2.49 2.46 2.79

SIGB085 SIGB086 SIGB087

1/2 X 3/8 3/4 X 5/8 1 X 3/4

2.00 3.25 3.95

1.66 2.70 3.28

TRAILING EDGE - 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB097 SIGB098 SIGB099 SIGB100 SIGB101

1/8 X 1/2 3/16 X 3/4 1/4 X 1 5/16 X 1-1/4 3/8 X 1-1/2

0.87 0.95 1.19 1.43 1.89

0.72 0.79 0.99 1.19 1.57

AIRFOIL SHAPED SHEETS 36 Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB111 SIGB112 SIGB113

3/16 X 3 X 36 3.18 1/4 X 3 X 36 3.95 1/4 X 4 X 36 4.86

2.64 3.28 4.03

3" SHEET BUNDLE An assortment of 3" wide x 36" long balsa sheets, varying thickness. Second grade - some sheets will have slight imperfections. Bundle measures 3" X 3" X 36".
RETAIL MAP

SIGB700

7.22

5.99

BALSA BUNDLE DEALS

4" SHEET BUNDLE An assortment of 4" wide x 36" long balsa sheets, varying thickness. Second grade - some sheets will have slight imperfections. Bundle measures 3" X 4" X 36".
RETAIL MAP

SIGB702

8.42

6.99

AILERON & ELEVATOR STOCK 36" Length

RETAIL MAP

SIGB441 SIGB442 SIGB443 SIGB444

1/4 X 1 3/8 X 1 1/4 X 2 3/8 X 2

1.74 3.66 2.75 3.03

1.44 3.04 2.28 2.51

BALSA WOOD ASSORTMENT A 1-3/4" x 5" x 18" pack of miscellaneous size balsa sheets - 1/32" to1/4" thick X 2" & 3" wide X 18" long. Plus a stick assortment. All top grade wood. Great value!
RETAIL MAP

STICKS & MORE A handy assortment of 36" long balsa sticks. Lots of useful sizes of random thickness & width. Second grade - some sticks will be bowed. Bundle measures appoximately 2-1/2 dia. X 36 long.
RETAIL MAP

SIGB643

6.00

4.99

SIGB600

15.83

13.14

TAPERED CUT SHEETS 36" Length Full width taper from 1/4" thick at one edge to 1/8" thick at the other edge.
RETAIL MAP

BAG OF BALSA A large bag of assorted sheets, blocks & sticks. Cutoffs and second grade. All useful pieces for the right hobby project. Bag dimensions: 3 x 6 x 12
RETAIL MAP

ODDS & ENDS A 2" x 3" x 18" pack of assorted size balsa sheets & sticks. A low cost source of small parts for the modelers. Perfect for crafts or any hobbyist who is looking for value. Second grade - some pieces will have small imperfections.
RETAIL MAP

SIGB534

7.11

5.90

SIGB430 SIGB431

1/4 X 3 1/4 X 4

3.20 4.20

2.66 3.49

SIGB524

8.42

6.99

SPECIAL SELECTION OF SIG BALSA

Special selection of balsa sheets for weight or grain type is available on a limited basis, depending on our supply at the time of your order. Special selection of balsa sheets for WEIGHT is available in SOFT, MEDIUM, or HARD categories. The softer wood will be lighter in weight; the harder wood will be heavier. Standard categories of balsa weight in the hobby industry is as follows: SOFT = 6 to 9 lbs. per cu. ft. MEDIUM = 9 to 12 lbs. per cu. ft. HARD = 12 to 16 lbs. per cu. ft. Balsa sheets can also be specially selected for A-GRAIN or C-GRAIN types. Description of balsa sheet grain types is in the back of this catalog. Standard SIG balsa sheets (not special select) is random A, B, and C grain (mostly B-GRAIN, the most common type). Special selection for weight or grain type is very time consuming and requires an additional fee: Fee for Grain Selection: $0.25 per sheet Fee for Weight Selection: $0.35 per sheet 4

SIG PLYWOOD
SIG Aircraft Grade Plywood is the finest quality plywood available for model building. Imported from Finland and Italy, the plywood is actually produced in metric thicknesses (millimeters), which have been converted to the nearest inch dimensions for our use. Due to the nature of thin plywood sheets, it is impossible for us to guarantee that every sheet will be perfectly flat and straight. In most cases, plywood parts cut from these sheets can easily be straightened as they are glued into the model structure.
5/32 THICK 3-PLY BIRCH
RETAIL MAP

SIG LITE-PLY(c) PLYWOOD

SIGPW050 SIGPW051 SIGPW052 SIGPW053

6 X 12 12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48

2.35 4.30 8.20 15.90

1.95 3.57 6.81 13.20

3/16 THICK 4-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

1/32 THICK 3-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

SIGPW017 6 X 12 SIGPW018 12 X 12 SIGPW019 12 X 24 SIGPW020 12 X 48

2.65 4.90 9.35 18.50

2.20 4.07 7.76 15.36

SIGPW001 SIGPW002 SIGPW003 SIGPW004

6 X 12 12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48

2.80 5.17 10.10 19.70

2.32 4.29 8.38 16.35

1/4 THICK 5-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

1/16 THICK 3-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

SIGPW021 6 X 12 SIGPW022 12 X 12 SIGPW023 12 X 24 SIGPW024 12 X 4Y

3.05 5.80 11.10 22.00

2.53 4.81 9.21 18.26

Light weight Italian Poplar plywood for use where greater strength is desired over balsa, but regular birch plywood is too heavy. About half the weight of our regular birch plywood. Excellent for for fuselage sides, formers, wing ribs, cabin floors, servo compartments, etc. 1/8 THICK LITE-PLY(c)
RETAIL MAP

SIGPW005 SIGPW006 SIGPW007 SIGPW008

6 X 12 12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48

3.05 5.75 11.10 21.70

2.53 4.77 9.21 18.01

3/32 THICK 3-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

SIGPW009 SIGPW010 SIGPW011 SIGPW012

6 X 12 12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48

5.10 9.70 19.00 37.70

4.23 8.05 15.77 31.29

1/64 THICK 3-PLY WINGSKINS Remarkable product consisting of 3 paper thin birch veneers laminated together with waterproof glue. Popular for sheeting foam core wings on airplanes where strength and toughness are more important than a very slight weight gain when compared to 1/6 thick balsa wing sheeting. Also useful on many R/C boats.
RETAIL MAP

SIGPW064 SIGPW065 SIGPW066 SIGPW067

12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 36 12 X 48

2.50 4.60 7.70 9.50

2.08 3.82 6.39 7.89

1/4 THICK LITE-PLY(c)

RETAIL MAP

1/8 THICK 5-PLY BIRCH

RETAIL MAP

SIGPW013 SIGPW014 SIGPW015 SIGPW016

6 X 12 12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48

4.80 9.30 18.00 36.00

3.98 7.72 14.94 29.88

SIGPW035 SIGPW036 SIGPW037 SIGPW038

12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 48 24 X 48

8.55 16.80 33.20 65.80

7.10 13.94 27.56 54.61

SIGPW068 SIGPW069 SIGPW070 SIGPW071

12 X 12 12 X 24 12 X 36 12 X 48

4.70 9.20 13.30 17.60

3.90 7.64 11.04 14.61

HARDWOOD DOWELS
Selected White Birch Dowels. Many uses for building model airplanes, boats, architectural, landscaping, and other hobbycraft projects. Strong, straight and smooth. 12 in. Length
RETAIL MAP

36 in. Length
RETAIL MAP

Hardwood Birch Dowels

SIGBD008 7/16 dia. SIGBD010 5/8 dia. SIGBD011 3/4 dia.

0.35 0.55 0.79

0.29 0.46 0.66

SIGBD026 SIGBD028 SIGBD029 SIGBD030 SIGBD031 SIGBD032 SIGBD033 SIGBD034 SIGBD035

1/8 dia. 3/16 dia. 1/4 dia. 5/16 dia. 3/8 dia. 7/16 dia. 1/2 dia. 5/8 dia. 3/4 dia.

0.44 0.45 0.53 0.85 1.09 1.40 1.82 2.95 3.90

0.37 0.37 0.44 0.71 0.90 1.16 1.51 2.45 3.24

SIG BASSWOOD
Basswood is a native North American hardwood with fine grain and very consistent density. Easy to cut and easy to sand, basswood is ideal for many hobby and craft projects. SIG cuts only the highest quality clear basswood from the forests of the northern United States and Canada. Basswood's straight grain makes it ideal for wing spars, longerons, and numerous other model airplane parts where additional strength is needed. Also the wood of choice for wood carvers. Good acoustic properties also make basswood popular for electric guitar bodies. Basswood can be stained or painted using any common type of wood finish.
SIGBA310 SIGBA322 SIGBA311 SIGBA312 SIGBA313 SIGBA314 SIGBA315 SIGBA316 SIGBA317 SIGBA318 SIGBA319 SIGBA320 SIGBA321 1/8 X 1/4 1/8 X 5/16 1/8 X 3/8 1/8 X 1/2 1/8 X 3/4 3/16 X 3/16 3/16 X 1/4 3/16 X 3/8 3/16 X 1/2 1/4 X 1/4 1/4 X 3/8 1/4 X 1/2 3/8 X 3/8 0.50 0.60 0.56 0.70 0.95 0.50 0.56 0.64 0.77 0.80 0.84 0.98 1.05 0.42 0.50 0.46 0.58 0.79 0.41 0.46 0.53 0.64 0.66 0.69 0.81 0.87 SIGBA141 SIGBA142 SIGBA143 SIGBA144 SIGBA145 SIGBA146 1/32 X 4 1/16 X 4 3/32 X 4 1/8 X 4 3/16 X 4 1/4 X 4 1.68 1.72 1.79 2.04 2.35 2.85 1.39 1.42 1.48 1.69 1.95 2.36

STICKS - 24 Length
RETAIL MAP

SIGBA002 SIGBA003 SIGBA001 SIGBA004 SIGBA005 SIGBA006 SIGBA007 SIGBA008 SIGBA009 SIGBA111 SIGBA010 SIGBA011 SIGBA112 SIGBA012 SIGBA013 SIGBA014 SIGBA015 SIGBA113 SIGBA016 SIGBA017 SIGBA018 SIGBA019 SIGBA361 SIGBA114 SIGBA020 SIGBA021 SIGBA022 SIGBA115 SIGBA023 SIGBA024 SIGBA025

1/32 X 1/8 1/32 X 3/16 1/32 X 1/4 1/16 X 1/16 1/16 X 3/32 1/16 X 1/8 1/16 X 3/16 1/16 X 1/4 1/16 X 1/2 1/16 X 1 3/32 X 3/32 3/32 X 1/4 3/32 X 1 1/8 X 1/8 1/8 X 3/16 1/8 X 1/4 1/8 X 1/2 1/8 X 1 5/32 X 5/32 3/16 X 3/16 3/16 X 3/8 3/16 X 1/2 3/16 X 3/4 3/16 X 1 1/4 X 1/4 1/4 X 3/8 1/4 X 1/2 1/4 X 1 5/16 X 5/16 3/8 X 3/8 1/2 X 1/2

0.17 0.21 0.22 0.16 0.17 0.20 0.22 0.28 0.46 1.05 0.20 0.29 0.93 0.21 0.25 0.32 0.65 1.02 0.33 0.29 0.58 0.70 1.00 1.29 0.49 0.60 0.84 1.48 0.60 0.81 1.34

0.14 0.17 0.18 0.13 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.23 0.38 0.87 0.16 0.24 0.77 0.17 0.21 0.26 0.54 0.84 0.28 0.24 0.48 0.58 0.83 1.07 0.40 0.50 0.70 1.22 0.50 0.67 1.11

STICK ASSORTMENT A handy assortment of 24" long basswood sticks. Lots of useful sizes of random thickness & width. Second grade, some sticks may have blemishes. Bundle measures appoximately 1-1/2 X 2 X 24.
RETAIL MAP

STICKS - 48 Length
RETAIL MAP

SIGBA226 0.42 0.43 0.44 0.54 0.44 0.46 0.53 0.64 0.69 0.82 0.46 0.58 0.69 0.87 0.76 0.92 1.10 1.11

3.15

2.61

SIGBA331 SIGBA332 SIGBA333 SIGBA334 SIGBA335 SIGBA336 SIGBA337 SIGBA338 SIGBA339 SIGBA340 SIGBA341 SIGBA342 SIGBA343 SIGBA344 SIGBA345 SIGBA346 SIGBA347 SIGBA348

3/32 X 3/32 3/32 X 1/8 3/32 X 3/16 3/32 X 1/4 1/8 X 1/8 1/8 X 3/16 1/8 X 1/4 1/8 X 3/8 1/8 X 1/2 1/8 X 3/4 3/16 X 3/16 3/16 X 1/4 3/16 X 3/8 3/16 X 1/2 1/4 X 1/4 1/4 X 3/8 1/4 X 1/2 3/8 X 3/8

0.50 0.52 0.53 0.65 0.53 0.56 0.64 0.78 0.84 0.99 0.56 0.70 0.83 1.05 0.92 1.11 1.33 1.34

BAG OF BLOCKS A large bag of assorted size basswood blocks. All useful pieces for the right hobby project. Cutoffs and second grade. Bag dimensions: 3 x 6 x 12
RETAIL MAP

SIGBA250

11.99

9.95

STICKS - 36 Length
RETAIL MAP

SIGBA301 SIGBA302 SIGBA303 SIGBA304 SIGBA305 SIGBA306 SIGBA307 SIGBA308 SIGBA309

1/16 X 1/8 1/16 X 3/16 1/16 X 1/4 3/32 X 3/32 3/32 X 1/8 3/32 X 3/16 3/32 X 1/4 1/8 X 1/8 1/8 X 3/16

0.35 0.37 0.42 0.42 0.44 0.45 0.46 0.35 0.43

0.29 0.31 0.35 0.35 0.36 0.37 0.38 0.29 0.35

SHEETS - 24 Length
RETAIL MAP

GROOVED LANDING GEAR MOUNTS

RETAIL MAP

SIGBA131 SIGBA132 SIGBA133 SIGBA134 SIGBA135 SIGBA136 SIGBA137 SIGBA138

1/32 X 3 1/16 X 3 3/32 X 3 1/8 X 3 3/16 X 3 1/4 X 3 3/8 X 3 1/2 X 3 6

0.99 1.07 1.22 1.43 1.63 1.84 2.62 4.21

0.82 0.88 1.01 1.18 1.35 1.53 2.17 3.49

SIGSH655 (2 per pkg.) 2.99 2.49 5/16" X 5/8" X 6 with 1/8" sq. groove SIGSH125 (2 per pkg.) 2.99 2.49 3/8" X 3/4" X 6 with 5/32" sq. groove SIGSH656 (2 per pkg.) 3.23 2.69 1/2" X 1" X 6 with 3/16" sq. groove

MISC. WOOD PARTS

mounts add incredible strength to a model when they are extended back behind the firewall into the fuselage. SIG MAPLE MOTOR MOUNTS are cut from dense, rock hard maple - one of the strongest woods for its weight available. 12 in. Length
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MAPLE MOTOR MOUNTS Cut From Rock Hard Maple Strongest Wood For Its Weight Resists Splitting Low Oil Absorption ROCK HARD MAPLE has been the wood of choice for beam style motor mounts in model airplanes for decades. No other wood can match it. These are the most economical mounts you can buy. Maple

SIGMM001 3/8 X 3/8 SIGMM002 3/8 X 1/2 SIGMM003 3/8 X 3/4

2.39 2.39 2.39

1.99 1.99 1.99

THREADED HARDWOOD BLOCKS Cut from rock hard maple, these 3/8 x 3/4 x 1 blocks are designed to be glued permanently into your fuselage to provide hard points for mounting a removable wing or landing gear. Drilled and tapped for the most common wing bolt sizes. 2 blocks per package
RETAIL MAP

24 in. Length
RETAIL MAP

SIGMM004 1/2 X 5/8

3.83

3.19

SIGSH218 1/4-20 thread SIGSH219 8-32 thread SIGSH592 10-32 thread

1.43 1.19 2.51 2.09 2.39 1.99

SIG - THE MOST FAMOUS NAME IN BALSA!

Like most kids who grew up in the 1920s and '30s, Glen Sigafoose was an avid builder and flyer of model airplanes. His interest in airplanes was hereditary. His father Arthur Sigafoose was an Iowa aviation pioneer who flew hang gliders as early as 1910. Glen's first model airplanes were made of bamboo and tissue. He did not see his first piece of balsa wood until the early 1930s. During his high school days Glen developed several model airplanes which he sold through small ads in model magazines. He also became an avid motorcyle rider and mechanic. Fast forward to the late 1940s when Glen was working as a printer / linotype operator / maintenance man in the local newspaper office. Glen and his wife Hazel, who also worked at the newspaper office, operated their own side business selling and servicing Indian motorcycles. Their matched pair of Indian Chief motorcycles were their only form of transportation year round. They didn't own a car until years later. In addition to the motorcycles, both Glen and Hazel loved to build model airplanes of their own design. Without a hobby shop near them, they were frustrated that balsa wood sheets and sticks could not be purchased by mail. They guessed that there must be many other builders in small towns without hobby shops facing the same problem. So they purchased 120 board feet of raw balsa wood planks and began cutting it in their basement workshop into the sizes used by model builders. They took out an ad in Model Airplane News magazine, offering free information about their cut balsa wood and were surprised when they got no response. After thinking it over, a second ad was taken out offering the same information for the price of a dime. Then the requests for the balsa began to come in. After five years of working nights and weekends, Glen and Hazel were able to buy a building and quit their day jobs at the local newspaper. That was the birth of Sig Mfg. Co., the most famous name in balsa.

Vintage SIG ad that appeared in Model Airplane News magazine November 1966.
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Model airplanes are no different than any other type of flying machine, large or small - THE LIGHTER IT IS BUILT, THE BETTER IT WILL FLY! With that in mind, it is easy to understand why balsa wood has been the standard material for model airplane construction since it first became readily available in the U.S. in the late 1920s. Its outstanding strengthto-weight ratio enables hobbyists to construct durable models that fly in a totally realistic manner. Balsa also absorbs shock and vibration well and can be easily cut, shaped, and glued with simple hand tools. WHERE DOES BALSA WOOD COME FROM? Balsa trees grow naturally in the humid rain forests of Central and South America. Its natural range extends south from Guatemala, through Central America, to the north and west coast of South America as far as Bolivia. However, the small country of Ecuador, on the western coast of South America, is the primary source of model aircraft grade balsa in the world. Balsa needs a warm climate with plenty of rainfall and good drainage. For that reason, the best stands of balsa usually appear on the high ground between tropical rivers. Ecuador has the ideal geography and climate for growing balsa trees. The scientific name for balsa wood is ochroma lagopus. The word balsa itself is Spanish meaning raft, in reference to its excellent floatation qualities. In Ecuador it is known as Soya, meaning buoy. HOW DOES BALSA WOOD GROW? There is no such thing as entire forests of balsa trees. They grow singly or in very small, widely scattered groups in the jungle. For hundreds of years, balsa was actually considered a weed tree. They reproduce by growing hundreds of long seed pods, which eventually open up and, with the help of the wind, scatter thousands of new seeds over a large area of the jungle. Each seed is airborne on its own small wisp of down, similar to the way dandelion seeds

spread. The seeds eventually fall to the ground and are covered by the litter of the jungle. There they lay and accumulate until one day there is an opening in the jungle canopy large enough for the sun's rays to strike the jungle floor and start the seeds growing. Wherever there was an opening, made either by a farmer or by another tree dying, balsa will spring up as thick as grass. A farmer is often hard put to keep his food plot clear of balsa. As the new balsa trees grow, the strongest will become predominate and the weaker trees will die.

A stand of young balsa trees.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A BALSA TREE TO GROW? Balsa trees grow very rapidly (like all pesky weeds). Six months after germination, the tree is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 10-12 feet tall! In 6 to 10 years the tree is ready for cutting, having reached a height of 60 to 90 feet tall and a diameter of 12 to 45 inches. If left to continue growing, the new wood being grown on the outside layers becomes very hard and the tree begins to rot in the center. Unharvested, a balsa tree may grow to a diameter of 6 feet or more, but very little usable lumber can be obtained from a tree of this size. The balsa leaf is similar in shape to a grape leaf, only a lot bigger. When the tree is young, these leaves measure as much as four feet across. They become progressively smaller as the tree grows

One year old balsa tree.

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Balsa tree leaves.

older, until they are about 8-10 inches across. Balsa is one of the few trees in the jungle which has a simple leaf shape. This fact alone makes the balsa tree stand out in the jungle. THE PERFECT NURSE! Nature designed the balsa tree to be a "nurse tree" which would protect the slower-growing species of trees from the scorching jungle sun during their critical early years. For instance, in an area of the jungle that has been ravaged by a tropical storm or other natural disaster, the balsa trees will quickly sprout and begin to shoot up to impressive heights in a very short time. Their fast growth, and the extra large leaves they have in their early years, provide shade to the young seedlings of the slower-growing forest giants. By the time the seedlings are established enough to take care of themselves, the balsa tree is beginning to die. The balsa tree's rapid growth, fast spreading crown of first very large and gradually smaller leaves, and it's relatively short life span were intended to make it the "perfect nurse" in the jungle ecosystem.

At the saw mill the raw balsa is first rough cut into large boards, then carefully kiln dried, and finally packed into bales for shipment to the U.S. via ocean freighter. Final cutting and finishing of our model aircraft balsa is done right here at the SIG factory. As a result of the balsa tree's fast growth cycle, both the quality and lightness of the lumber obtained from a balsa tree can vary enormously depending upon the tree's age at the time of cutting.

Rough cut balsa boards at the sawmill.

WHY IS BALSA WOOD SO LIGHT? The secret to balsa wood's lightness can only be seen with a microscope. The cells are big and very thin walled, so that the ratio of solid matter to open space is as small as possible. Most woods have gobs of heavy, plastic-like cement, called lignin, holding the cells together. In balsa, lignin is at a minimum. Only about 40% of the volume of a piece of balsa is solid substance. To give a balsa tree the strength it needs to stand in the jungle, nature pumps each balsa cell full of water until they become rigid - like a car tire full of air. Green balsa wood typically contains five times as much water by weight as it has actual wood substance, compared to most hardwoods which contain very little water in relation to wood substance. Green balsa wood must therefore be carefully kiln dried to remove most of the water before it can be sold. Kiln drying is a tedious two week process that carefully removes the excess water until the moisture content is only 6%. Kiln drying also kills any bacteria, fungi, and insects that may be in the raw balsa wood.

Natures Nurse Tree.

HOW ARE BALSA TREES HARVESTED? While nature intended the balsa tree to be a short lived nursemaid, mankind eventually discovered that it was an extremely useful resource. The real start of the balsa business was during World War I, when the allies were in need of a plentiful substitute for cork. The only drawback to using balsa was, and still is, the backbreaking work that is necessary to get it out of the jungle. Because of the way the individual balsa trees are scattered throughout the jungles, it has never been possible to use mass production logging procedures and equipment. The best way to log balsa trees is to go back to the methods of Paul Bunyan - cut them down with an axe or saw, haul them to the nearest river by ox team, tie them together into rafts, and then float the rafts of balsa logs down the river to the saw mill.

Balsa cell structure seen under a microscope.

HOW LIGHT IS KILN DRIED BALSA WOOD? Finished balsa wood, like you find in model airplane kits, varies widely in weight. Balsa is occasionally found weighing as little as 4 Ibs. per cu. ft. On the other hand, you can also find balsa which will weigh 24 Ibs. or more per cu. ft. However, the general run of commercial balsa for model airplanes will weigh between 6 pounds to 16 Ibs. per cu. ft. Eight to twelve pound balsa is considered medium or average weight, and is the most plentiful. Six pound or less is considered "contest grade", which is very rare and sometimes even impossible to obtain. IS BALSA THE LIGHTEST WOOD IN THE WORLD? No! Most people are surprised to hear that botanically, balsa wood is only about the third or fourth lightest wood in the world. However, all the woods which are lighter than balsa are terribly weak and unsuitable for any practical use. The very lightest varieties don't really resemble wood at all, as we com-

Raw balsa logs at the sawmill.

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monly think of it, but are more like a tree-like vegetable that grows in rings, similar in texture to an onion. It is not until balsa is reached that there is any sign of real strength combined with lightness. In fact, balsa wood is often considered the strongest wood for its weight in the world. Pound for pound it is stronger in some respects than pine, hickory, or even oak (see chart below).
STRENGTH OF BALSA WOOD COMPARED TO OTHER WOODS
Species Balsa Balsa Balsa Spruce Yellow Pine Douglas Fir Hickory Oak Basswood Black Walnut Weight Lbs./Cu. Ft. 8 10 14 28 28 30 50 48 26 37 Stiffness Strength 72 100 156 230 222 241 379 295 261 301 Bending Strength 70 100 161 260 277 291 638 430 288 506 Compression Strength 75 100 149 289 288 341 514 366 288 512

When describing the weight of balsa wood, the standard unit of measure is POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT (lbs./cu.ft). To give you an idea how much common sizes of balsa can vary in weight depending upon the density of raw stock it was cut from, the following three charts have been developed. They show the actual weight in ounces of each size piece when it is cut from 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 lb./cu. ft. stock. For example, in the first chart for BALSA SHEETS we see that a 1/16" x3" x 36" sheet cut from 10 lbs./cu. ft. stock will weigh approximately .625 ounces. The same size sheet cut from 14 Ibs./cu.ft. stock will weigh about .875 ounces.

NOTE ABOUT CHART: The strength of balsa varies in direct relation to its density or weight - the heavier the wood, the stronger it is. The above chart was designed with 10 Ib./cu. ft. balsa as the median. In other words, balsa at 10 Ibs./cu. ft. has been tested given a value of 100. The other woods were then tested in the same way and given a figure that is numerically in proportion. By comparing the relative strength figures in the chart, it will be seen that balsa is as strong or stronger, pound for pound, than most of the species shown.

SELECTING BALSA FOR MODEL BUILDING: Because of the nature of balsa, two pieces of wood with the exact same dimensions may vary quite a bit in weight. When you select the pieces you want for our project, you should keep their final use in mind. Logically one should select the lightest grades for the lightly stressed parts of the model (nose blocks, wingtip blocks, fill-ins, etc.), and the heavier grades for important load bearing parts of the structure (spars, fuselage stringers, etc.).

SIGMfg. Co. has been producing model grade balsa wood since 1951. In this early photo founder Glen Sigafoose (left) inspects and grades finished balsa sheets.
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A knife or razor blade will work well for cutting balsa sheets and sticks up to 3/16" thick. Use a razor saw for sizes over thicker than 3/16". Always keep replacement blades on hand - blades do wear out and a dull blade can make it impossible to do a good job.

COMMON MODELER'S TOOLS FOR CUTTING AND SHAPING BALSA WOOD: Balsa is a very "friendly" wood to work with - light, soft, and easily worked into so many things. You don't need heavy-duty power saws and sanders like you would if working with a hardwood. In fact, even with an extensive power shop at their disposal, the professional model builders here at the SIG factory find that they still rely primarily on 4 or 5 simple hand tools for the majority of their work. If you are just starting out in the model airplane hobby, here are the tools that they recommend that you get:

YOU WILL ALSO NEED SANDING BLOCKS: In addition to the cutting tools, you will need an assortment of different size sanding blocks. These are indispensable tools for model construction. You can buy ready-made sanding blocks or make your own. The most often used general-purpose sanding block in our model shop is made simply by wrapping a full 9" x 11" sheet of sandpaper around a 3/4" x3" x 11" hardwood or plywood block. Use three screws along one edge to hold the overlapped ends of the sandpaper in place. Use 80 grit garnet sandpaper on the block during general construction.

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Another handy sanding block to have can be made by gluing 80 grit garnet sandpaper onto a 24" or 36" long piece of aluminum channel stock. Most hardware stores carry a rack of aluminum in various sizes and shapes. This long sanding block is very helpful for shaping leading and trailing edges, and other large pieces, accurately.

Last but not least, glue sandpaper onto different sizes of scrap plywood sticks and round hardwood dowels. These are handy for working in tight places and for careful shaping where a big sanding block is too hard to control.

We like to use craft glue in a spray can (like 3M 77 Spray Adhesive) for gluing the sandpaper on our homemade sanding tools.

BALSA GRAIN ID. CHART - LEARN TO IDENTIFY ALL THREE GRAIN TYPES
In selecting balsa sheets for use in your model, it is important to consider the way the grain runs through the sheet as well as the weight of the sheet. The grain direction actually controls the rigidity or flexibility of a balsa sheet more than the density does. For example, if the sheet is cut from the log so that the tree's annular rings run across the thickness of the sheet (A-grain, tangent cut), then the sheet will be fairly flexible edge to edge. In fact, after soaking in water some tangent cut sheets can be completely rolled into a tube shape without splitting. If on the other hand the sheet is cut with the annular rings running through the thickness of the sheet (C-grain, quarter grain), the sheet will be very rigid edge to edge and cannot be bent without splitting. When the grain direction is less clearly defined (B-grain, random cut), the sheet will have intermediate properties between A and C grain. Naturally, B-grain is the most common and is suitable for most jobs. The point to bear in mind is that whenever you come across pure A-grain or C-grain sheets, learn where to use them to take best advantage of their special characteristics. The following chart illustrates the 3 basic grain types for sheet balsa and lists the most appropriate uses for each. A-GRAIN sheet balsa has long fibers that show up as long grain lines. It is very flexible across the sheet and bends around curves easily. Also warps easily. Sometimes called "tangent cut". DO: Use for sheet covering rounded fuselages and wing leading edges, planking fuselages, forming tubes, strong flexible spars, HL glider fuselages. DON'T: Use for sheet balsa wings or tail surfaces, flat fuselage sides, ribs, or formers.

B-GRAIN sheet balsa has some of the qualities of both type A and type C. Grain lines are shorter than type A, and it feels stiffer across the sheet. It is a general purpose sheet and can be used for many jobs. Sometimes called "random cut". DO: Use for flat fuselage sides, trailing edges, wing ribs, formers, planking gradual curves, wing leading edge sheeting. DON'T: Use where type A or type C will do a significantly better job.

C-GRAIN sheet balsa has a beautiful mottled appearance, it is very stiff across the sheet and splits easily. But when used properly, it helps to build the lightest, strongest models. Most warp resistant type. Sometimes called "quarter grain". DO: Use for sheet balsa wings and tails, flat fuselage sides, wing ribs, formers, trailing edges. Best type for HL glider wings and tails. DON'T: Use for curved planking, rounded fuselages, round tubes, HL glider fuselages, or wing spars.

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2012 SIGMfg. Co. Inc.