GATHER THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIES:

FOAM

BO

ARD

TAPE

PATTERN

GLUE & PENCIL

BALSA CU

TTER

7 PIECES OF BALSA WOOD

WAX PAPER

• 1 PIECE OF FOAM BOARD.

• 12 INCHES OF MASKING TAPE. YOU MAY USE MORE , BUT ONLY TAKE 12 INCHES AT A TIME. PLEASE DON’T BE WASTEFUL.

• YOUR TRUSS VIEW DRAWING.

• A DIME SIZE DOT OF GLUE ON A PIECE OF SMALL SCRAP PAPER. DO NOT TAKE THE GLUE BOTTLE TO YOUR WORKSTATION.

• 1 BALSA WOOD CUTTER.

• 1 PIECE OF WAX PAPER CUT TO 10 ½ INCHES IN LENGTH. DO NOT TAKE THE WAX PAPER ROLL TO YOUR WORKSTATION.

• GET 7 PIECES OF BALSA WOOD FROM THE INSTRUCTOR.

ATTACH YOUR PATTERN TO THE FOAM BOARD WITH 4 SMALL PIECES OF TAPE. THE PATTERN MUST LAY FLAT WITH NO AIR

BUBBLES OR CREASES. STRETCH THE PATTERN TIGHT.

TAPETAPE

TAPETAPE

CUT THE WAX PAPER TO 10 ½ INCHES USING SCISSORS.

ATTACH THE WAX PAPER TO THE FOAM BOARD WITH 4 SMALL PIECES OF TAPE. THE WAX PAPER MUST LAY FLAT WITH NO AIR

BUBBLES OR CREASES. STRETCH THE WAX PAPER TIGHT.

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

STEP 1 – BUILD THE OUTSIDE FRAME OF THE BRIDGE. THE NEXT 10 SLIDES WILL SHOW THE PROPER TECHNIQUE FOR BUILDING THE FRAME.

LAY ONE LONG PIECE OF BALSA WOOD ON THE 10 INCH LINE AND MARK THE LENGTH WITH A PENCIL

USING THE BALSA CUTTER LINE UP THE PENCIL MARK WITH THE BLADE AND PUSH DOWN THE HANDLE.

TAPE THE BALSA WOOD TO THE WAX PAPER USING SMALL THIN STRIPS OF MASKING TAPE. NOTICE THE TAPE DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH OTHER LINES ON THE PATTERN.

TAPE TAPE

LAY ONE LONG PIECE OF BALSA WOOD ON THE TOP LINE AND MARK THE 2 ANGLES AT EACH END.

USE THE BALSA CUTTER TO CUT THE ANGLES. TURN THE WOOD AND LINE UP THE PENCIL MARK WITH THE BLADE.

TAPE THE BALSA WOOD TO THE WAX PAPER USING SMALL THIN STRIPS OF MASKING TAPE. NOTICE THE TAPE DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH OTHER LINES ON THE PATTERN.

TAPE TA

PE

SLIDE THE BALSA WOOD UNDER THE TOP AND BOTTOM WOOD AND MARK THE ANGLE WITH A PENCIL

CUT THE PROPER ANGLE USING THE BALSA WOOD CUTTER. NOTICE THE TIGHT FIT.

DIP THE BALSA WOOD PIECE INTO THE GLUE - BOTH ENDS.

USE SMALL THIN STRIPS OF MASKING TAPE AT THE JOINT HELPS HOLD

THE WOOD TIGHT TOGETHER. GLUE SHOULD SQUEEZE OUT OF JOINT. NOTICE THE TAPE DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH OTHER LINES ON THE PATTERN. DO NOT PUT MASKING TAPE OVER THE GLUE JOINTS.

TAPETAPE

TAPE

TAPE

SAME PROCEDURE FOR OTHER SIDE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

STEP 2 – ADD VERTICAL PIECES. THE NEXT 3 SLIDES WILL SHOW THE PROPER TECHNIQUE

FOR ADDING VERTICAL PIECES.

ONCE THE FRAME IS BUILT – MARK, CUT AND GLUE THE VERTICAL PIECES.

USE SMALL THIN STRIPS OF MASKING TAPE AT THE JOINT HELPS HOLD

THE WOOD TIGHT TOGETHER. GLUE SHOULD SQUEEZE OUT OF JOINT. NOTICE THE TAPE DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH OTHER LINES ON THE PATTERN. DO NOT PUT MASKING TAPE OVER THE GLUE JOINTS.

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

TAPE

ADD THE REMAINING VERTICAL PIECES BY USING THE SAME TECHNIQUE.

STEP 3 – ADD DIAGONAL PIECES. THE NEXT 6 SLIDES WILL SHOW THE PROPER TECHNIQUE FOR ADDING DIAGONAL PIECES.

DIAGONALS – USE A LONGER PIECE OF BALSA WOOD THAN NEEDED MARK & CUT A POINT WITH 2-45°ANGLES.

TEST FIT THE PIECE, IF IT DOES NOT FIT PERFECTLY MARK AND CUT AGAIN. THAT IS WHY THE BALSA WOOD IS LONGER THAN NEEDED. NOTICE THE TIGHT FIT OF THE EXAMPLE BELOW.

MARK & CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE DIAGONAL BRACE WITH A POINT (2 - 45°ANGLES). YOU MUST GET THIS CORRECT ON

THE FIRST ATTEMPT! DOUBLE CHECK YOURSELF!

NOTICE HOW TIGHT THE DIAGONAL FITS. THERE SHOULD BE NO GAPS. GLUE THE DIAGONAL. FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURE

FOR THE REMAINING DIAGONALS.

EXAMPLE OF A DIAGONAL BRACE CUT TOO SHORT! DON’T DO IT!!!!

EXAMPLE OF A GLUE BLOB! DON’T DO IT!

EXAMPLE OF A LAMINATED BEAM

TWO 10” PIECES LAMINATED (GLUED) TOGETHER

HOW TO STORE YOUR BRIDGETAPE THE WOOD BUNDLE TO THE FOAM BOARD AND GIVE IT TO

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

TAPE