Prop Techniques

[Travis Benjamin]

I've been working props for a few years now and its time I start to refine my skills. I'm looking for new more accurate ways to match the blade shapes when modifying the blade sizes. Currently I just use a piece of clay but I don't think it's very accurate. What methods do you guys use?

 

[Tony Drake]

I'm all ears on this!!!!....

 

[Travis Benjamin]

It seems nobody wants to give up any secrets I guess.

 

[Terry Keeley]

I use masking tape to transfer the shape of one blade to another, put the tape on the face, trim around the edge and wala!

Often thought about building some sort of machine to transfer the shape kinda like a key cutter but never got around to it...

 

[Travis Benjamin]

Terry,

I like the key cutter idea. That may be something to try out

 

[Bob Kensill]

I have a rotory table on my Shurline mill. I made a prop holder so I can cut both blades alike.

 

[lohring]

You can match blade diameter and the trailing edge angle in a lathe. You can match the curved leading edge by carefully holding the blade chucked in a drill against a belt sander. You can match the pitch of both blades at several points with a pitch gauge. Of course, if you have a multi-axis CNC lathe, you could cut the whole outline as well as the blade shape in it.

Lohring Miller

 

[RodneyPierce]

Lohring, can you explain or show a few pictures of the prop work on a lathe? I have a small 7x10 lathe, and have messed around a little bit with props, but never got very good results.

 

[Tim_Duggan]

+1 for RP's comment! I would like to learn ways to use the lathe with props also!

 

[RodneyPierce]

Tim, how the heck are you brother?

 

[Douglas P Shepherd]

For year of boat racing Big and small. I have waxed the blade on the prop that I want to copy. Take 3 oz cloth and cut out five to six layers a little bigger than the blades area. Use epoxy resin and take a mold from your blades shape.Trim cloth to the shape of the outer area of blade Now you have a exact pattern that you can use for ALL the rest of the blades sizes and shapes. This is how you can keep a pattern for the next time you want to remake that prop. I also take the same pattern and make reinforce it with thick epoxy resin from the back side.This makes a anvil to reshape the rest of the blades for special cuts and bends

Hope this my help Doug Shepherd DPS Racing

 

[Travis Benjamin]

For year of boat racing Big and small. I have waxed the blade on the prop that I want to copy. Take 3 oz cloth and cut out five to six layers a little bigger than the blades area. Use epoxy resin and take a mold from your blades shape.Trim cloth to the shape of the outer area of blade Now you have a exact pattern that you can use for ALL the rest of the blades sizes and shapes. This is how you can keep a pattern for the next time you want to remake that prop. I also take the same pattern and make reinforce it with thick epoxy resin from the back side.This makes a anvil to reshape the rest of the blades for special cuts and bends

Hope this my help Doug Shepherd DPS Racing

Doug,

I'll give that a shot and see what I come up with Thanks

Travis

 

[RodneyPierce]

You can match blade diameter and the trailing edge angle in a lathe. You can match the curved leading edge by carefully holding the blade chucked in a drill against a belt sander. You can match the pitch of both blades at several points with a pitch gauge. Of course, if you have a multi-axis CNC lathe, you could cut the whole outline as well as the blade shape in it.

Lohring Miller

Greg, he said lathe.