f4all the heavier the float in a tip up float anyway the less sensitive they are to soft bites. My family is Native American and we have alot of ways to fish "floats " We use more dense woods than balsa to get the weight and still have a tip up style float. Can you buy them?? I have never seen them for sale. My late uncle used to make almost all of ours. He used everything from river cane to cedar with cedar being the heaviest. He farmed for a living in South Georgia and during the winter he made floats...he tried everything...he even made some floats out of pecans...his son, my cousin was a trouble shooter for sears and he was very handy with a lathe so he helped my uncle alot with his hobby. unfortunately he suffered a stroke from a aneurysum and is unable to make them any more. Neccessity is the mother of invention so maybe you need to sit down and study about all the things you want the float to do and make a f4all float. It could turn out to be a hobby in itself and I bet you would enjoy it too.
brim