Help with building a balsa wood tower for physics

[tifuhnee]

 

the bottom base is 20 cm and the top line is 3.5 cm. the long line going down the center is 35 cm and the sides are about 36.5 cm.

 

this is my blue print so far, but i was wondering how to do the cross bracing so that it has a high efficiency. any help please?

[Turtle]

the bottom base is 20 cm and the top line is 3.5 cm. the long line going down the center is 35 cm and the sides are about 36.5 cm.

 

this is my blue print so far, but i was wondering how to do the cross bracing so that it has a high efficiency. any help please?

 

how's this? :eek_big:

[tifuhnee]

 

how is this instead? my teacher said to have around 6 cross braces.

[Turtle]

 

how is this instead? my teacher said to have around 6 cross braces.

 

looks good to me! :thumbs_up i was going to draw a set of blue lines with 4 cross-braces, but didn't want to confuse the issue & wasn't sure how much material you could use. :lol:

 

if you make cross-lap joints, it will be even stronger than just glued.

 

39. Cross-Lap Joint

[tifuhnee]

oh goshh haha that looks hard. i've already started to build it and it's taking so long :thumbs_up and lots of superglue stuck to my hands haha

[Turtle]

oh goshh haha that looks hard. i've already started to build it and it's taking so long and lots of superglue stuck to my hands haha

 

no worries. it is advanced. next time. :lol:

 

there's tips at this link on unstucking yer fingerettes. :thumbs_up

HowStuffWorks "What makes super glue so super?"

[UncleAl]

Not SuperGlue! Carpenter's yellow glue - and keep it off your hands (thin latex gloves). Use just enough as a very thin layer on both sides, no more. Meat or wood, what carpenters glue sticks together does not come apart. Clamp overnight with

 

http://www.ted-kyte.com/3D/Pictures/Paper%20Clamp.jpg

or

http://www.ted-kyte.com/3D/Pictures/Paper%20Clamp2.jpg

 

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5816881/2/istockphoto_5816881-radio-tower.jpg

One presumes it will be pyramidal, right? Note missing third side.

 

Measure twice, cut once. You are not in this to build a tower, you are in this to outperform everybody esle.

[tifuhnee]

thanks you guys! my tower was tested last week and it held all of the 15 kg :)

i was a little paranoid about it breaking, so i put some extra glue that i didn't need so my tower ended up being a just a tiny bit heavier than i would've wanted haha

[Turtle]

thanks you guys! my tower was tested last week and it held all of the 15 kg :cheer:

i was a little paranoid about it breaking, so i put some extra glue that i didn't need so my tower ended up being a just a tiny bit heavier than i would've wanted haha

 

no problem. that's why they pay us the big bucks. :xparty:

 

special nod of thnx to you as well. :cheer: of all who have chosen Hypography for balsa-tower-help, you're the first to report back on your results! :cheer: got a pic of the finished project by any chance? ;)

 

did you notice what failed on the ones that busted? was it glue joints or the wood broke? what caused them to fail? is there any forensic follow-up or discussion in class? :)