pitsco Balsa Truss Tester User manual

Balsa
Truss Tester
60006 V0212
User Guide

2 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
Included Items
• BalsaTrussTester
• Squareblock
• Four-sidedangleblock
Items Required (not included)
• Balsawoodtruss(es)fortesting*
• Buckettester(suchastheToothpickBridgeTester)withsand/
weightsandbooksorblocks
OR
• StructureTestingInstrumentwiththeBalsaTrussTesterAdapter
• Safetyglasses
• Booksorblocks
*Trussesforthistestermustbemadewith1/8"balsawoodandmay
notbemorethan4inchestalland12incheswide.Trusseswithaat
toporwithtopsangledat15º,20º,25º,or30ºwilltintothetester.
Donotusetrussesmadeofbasswoodorothermaterials.
Caution: WhenusingtheBalsaTrussTester,besuretowearsafety
glasses.Thoughthetesterhasanacrylicshield,itmightnotprevent
allhazardsifyourtrussbreaksunexpectedly.
Safety
• Anyonenearthetesterwhileitisinuseshouldwearsafety
glasses.
Maximum 12" wide
Maximum 4" tall

Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212 3
Using with Bucket Tester
1. FindtwosupportstoresteitherendoftheBalsaTrussTesteron,
suchastwodesksortablespulledclosetogether.Placethetester
onthesesupports(Figure1).
2. Attachthebuckettotheholeon
theendoftheloadblockbaron
thetester(Figure2).Considering
theheightofthetruss,tryto
keepthecordlongenoughsothe
bucketwillbenomorethanan
inchotheoorincasethetruss
breaks(youmayhavetoplace
booksorblocksunderthebucket
ifthetablesareverytall).
3. Place(additional)booksorblocks
underthebucketwhileaddingor
removingtrusses(Figure3).
4. Slideyourtrussintothe
sideofthetesterbetween
theclearandblackacrylic
sides(Figure4).Liftup
theloadblockbartoslide
thetopofthetrussunder
it.Note:Ifneeded,the
clearacrylicshieldcanbe
removedbyunscrewing
thesixthumbscrews.
Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

4 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
5. Makesuretheendsofthetrussrestonthespansupports,
overlappingthesupportsatleast1/2inchonbothsides(Figure
5).Ifneeded,usethethumbscrewsonthebackofthetester
tomovethespansupportswhereneededtosupportthetruss
(Figure6).Retightenthethumbscrews.
6. Fortriangulartrusses,selecttheproperangleontheangleblock
forthetrussbeingtested(Figure7).Forattrusses,unscrewthe
angleblockfromthetesterandreplaceitwiththesquareblock
(Figures8-10).
Figure 5 Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 10
Figure 8
Figure 9

Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212 5
7. Removethebookfromunderthebucket(Figure11).Continueto
usethebuckettesteraccordingtoitsdirections,addingsandor
weightstotestthetruss(Figure12).
8. Aftertestingthetrusseithertoacertainweightoruntilitbreaks,
replacethebookunderthetesterandremovethetruss(Figure
13).Removethesand/weightsfromthebucket.
9. Whennishedtestingatruss,removeitfromtheBalsaTruss
Testerandputinthenexttruss.Whennishedtestingalltrusses,
removethebucketfromtheBalsaTrussTester.
Figure 11 Figure 12
Figure 13

6 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
Using with the Structure Testing Instrument
BesuretopreparetheStructure
TestingInstrument(STI)for
testingaccordingtoitsuser
guide.
1. Byturningtheturnforce
wheelclockwise,raisethe
centerpostallthewayup
–whenthewheelstartsto
resist,stopturningit(Figure
14).
2. ScrewtheBalsa
TrussTester
Adapteronto
theSTI’scenter
postuntilthere’s
onlyaboutahalf
inchofthreads
showingbetween
theadapterand
thecenterpost
(Figures15aand
b).
3. SetuptheSTI,
accordingto
itsuserguide,
tousethetwo
spancolumns
tosupportthe
BalsaTrussTester
(Figure16).
Figure 15a
Approx.
1/2"
Figure 15b
Figure 16
Figure 14

Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212 7
4. SettheBalsaTrussTesterontheSTI(Figure17).
5. Liftingtheloadblockbarup,slideyourtrussintothesideofthe
testerbetweentheclearandblackacrylicsides(Figure18).
Figure 17
Figure 18

8 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
6. Makesuretheendsofthetrussrestonthespansupports,
overlappingthesupportsatleast1/2inchonbothsides(Figure
19).Ifneeded,usethethumbscrewsonthebackofthetester
tomovethespansupportswhereneededtosupportthetruss
(Figure20).Retightenthethumbscrews.
7. Fortriangulartrusses,selecttheproperangleontheangleblock
forthetrussbeingtested(Figure21).Forattrusses,unscrewthe
angleblockfromthetesterandreplaceitwiththesquareblock
(Figures22-24).
Figure 21 Figure 22
Figure 23 Figure 24
Figure 19 Figure 20

Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212 9
8. Iftheholeoftheloadblockbardoesnotalignwiththeholesof
theadapter,movetheturnforcewheelcounterclockwiseuntil
theydo(Figure25).
9. Insertthemetal
pintoholdthe
testerandadapter
together(Figure
26).
10.UsetheSTI
accordingtoits
directionsfor
testingabridge
(Figure27onthe
nextpage).
Figure 25
Figure 26

10 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
11.Whennishedtestingatruss,removeitfromtheBalsaTruss
Testerandputinthenexttruss(Figure28).
Figure 27
Figure 28

Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212 11
12.Whennishedtestingalltrusses,removetheBalsaTrussTester
andBalsaTrussTesterAdapterfromtheSTI.

12 Balsa Truss Tester User Guide 60006 V0212
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