Article: Balsa -- Lightweight Wood Has Variety of Uses.(Brief Article)

BRING UP THE TOPIC of balsa wood and you are likely to inspire some snickers.

Balsa is considered a lightweight among woods. While it is the lightest of the commercial hardwoods and unlikely to make anyone's top-10 list of fine cabinet woods, balsa has a long, proud history -- it was used in construction of the Allies' planes in World War II -- and is one of the most frequently imported woods to the United States. In World War I, balsa was used extensively in making life rafts and for packing armor plates for battleships. Because of its light weight and good insulating properties, it is still used as a packing material for highly finished materials.

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