This is the first in reviving my question and answer posts. When I receive a well asked question, I will answer it and post some of the dialogue here.
These two questions are dealing with making an elevated bridge, very similar to the Science Olympiad challenge.
I have built many different models of popsicle bridges. You can check them out one my popsicle bridges page. Popsicle bridges provide a unique challenge because of the limited length of the popsicle sticks. This hurts the inherent strength especially in tension. Ideally, a member of the bridge in tension would be one long continuous … Read more
Many people ask “Where is the the best place to buy balsa wood online?” The best website I know of is Specialized Balsa LLC. The owner, Jake Zimmer, has been in the balsa business for years and knows what he is doing. Once I had Jake cut me some 1/32″ x 1/32″ sticks of Balsa … Read more
Do not ruin your bridge from the start by using bad popsicle sticks. Learn what the best popsicle sticks look like, and how to sort through all the bad ones.
There are several reasons you should cut your own strips of wood: Video Tutorial Video is about 4 minutes long. I am not responsible for any injury caused by someone using this technique. I recommend that students cut strips of wood only under adult supervision. The Tools Here is a list of the tools you … Read more
This ebook, 5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge, answers the most common questions people have about building bridges. In the ebook I outline the steps of building a model bridge, and then walk people through the actual construction of a bridge. The ebook contains many photos and illustrations, as well as 25 bonus tips.
Objective: To build a boomilever with the greatest efficiency. There are two basic types of boomilevers. First is the tension boomilever, where the tension chord is longer than the compression chord. Second there is the compression boomilever, which is the opposite of the tension. It is generally accepted that the tension…
Advanced Technique: Calculating the stiffness of your wood, most commonly balsa wood. The tips in this article will help you go to the next level in choosing good wood for your model bridges. Not only will you know how to choose good wood, you can pick wood with different qualities to fit different applications.
1. Humidity affects the weight of your bridge. Keep your bridge in a closed container with a few grains of rice. or some silica gel packets. 2. Go easy with the glue bottle. As a general rule of thumb, if you can see it then you are using too much. 3. Keep your hands clean! … Read more
The type of joint you use on your bridge can drastically change its strength. There are three basic types of joints, the Lap Joint, End Joint, and Notched Joint. To increase the strength of an end or notched joint you can add a Gusset. Learn about each type of joint and when to use it on a model bridge in this article.