balancing a 3 blade prop

[James montgomery]

i have balanced many two blad props but have never balanced a three blade prop .....is it just like balancing a two blade or is there a trick to the three blades....any info would be help full....thanks

 

[Mark Stein]

sorta the same... just alot more swearing, yelling at the dog, more swearing and walking away get a beer drink slowly ....repeat

 

[P THOMAS]

Just remove mateial from the low blades on the balancer, sometimes a bit from a leading tip and a rear tip on another blade.

 

[James montgomery]

lol funny done that already.....thanks guys i thought maybe it was the same

 

[moparbarn]

The biggest difference is that if you don't have just 1 heavy blade pointing down, you will be working 2 blades on the heavy side. Just follow Mark's advice, works well for me - LOL!!

 

[shoboat]

James,

A lathe and a set of digital calipers are the easiest tools to use.

Set up a stub shaft with a drive dog on it in the lathe.

Then turn on the lathe to even all three blades.

Measure with a digital caliper till you get them all the same.

Then grind off all the extra material until you get it to balance.

Finish your trailing edges last so they stay really sharp.

I just got done with nine of them.

Enjoy The Process,

Mark Sholund

 

[James montgomery]

hey thanks mark i have a mini lathe that should work....thanks for the info...

 

[Chris Wood]

The only thing I hate worse than painting is doing props

But they are a necessary evil also