OT Wooden Propeller

[itifonhom 6]

                Hi fellow OFFers,

 

 

 

 

   I had the idea the other day of making a wooden propeller for my living room. I researched a bit  at google and found out that there are two methods used, one with cross section templates and one with lateral. As I find the cross section method rather complicated for my taste, I decided to go for the lateral one but the problem is, I can´t find any lateral templates on the net. At least not big enough. The propeller should get some 150cm long  (59 in)  and made out of Maple.

 

    I found this site:  http://www.nmine.com/handmade.htm

 

   And this one:        http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aerodyndesign.com/PROP_10/PROP_10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aerodyndesign.com/PROP_10/PROP_10.htm&usg=__DnUs9V_9c-RPDCTh6WUU7G5z9OA=&h=849&w=1200&sz=144&hl=de&start=36&um=1&tbnid=TBEUUlUq0TrdUM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWooden%2Bpropeller%2Btemplates%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Dde%26client%3Dopera%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18%26um%3D1

 

   I just wanted to ask if anybody here has any kind of experience on this matter and maybe already has some lateral templates that wants to share. Generally, any help, tip, idea, anything will help, I never tried this before but always was amazed from propellers hanging on the wall.

 

 

 

 

                  Thanks in advance, itifonhom.

 

 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

itifonhom, a fun project to take on Sir, and you might want to start here:

 

Wooden Propeller website

 

I have been a woodworker for 40 years, (grew up with a father who ran his own cabinet shop until he decided to become a TV/radio repairman in 1960), and I have done numerous stacked template projects over the years, with props being on that list. I will advise you against maple as your wood choice unless you have some top notch equipment. I ran a wooden toy production line many years ago and we worked strictly with hard maple and believe me, "hard" is the operative word there. Yes, it machines and polishes beautifully, but at a cost in time and material. You would be well advised to consider the woods used by the WWI prop builders, with mahogany, walnut, and spruce being the first three on the list. These are all stable woods and very easy to machine and carve. I have a WWI prop project waiting in the wings myself for my favorite kite, the Camel.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[itifonhom 6]

    Hey Lou,

 

 nice info indeed, thanks for the tip about the wood type. As I said, this is going to just hang on my wall, so it just has to look good, not function in any way. Specially, I´d like to get this dark/light layer style, looks just great to me. The site is also very informative, I´m going to read everything right now!!

 

 

 

 

                           Thanks Lou!  itifonhom

 

 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

itifonhom, if you want the light/dark effect and you have the cash, go with walnut and spruce. If money is a bit tight consider standard grade mahogany and some relatively clear, wide growth ring pine, (what we call Southern Pine around here). The tight growth ring pine is harder and more expensive and in this case wouldn't give you as nice a final result as the softer, less-expensive choice. Just be sure to pick solid, flat, straight-grained boards with minimal knots, (or no knots at all if possible). Even though it is only going to hang on the wall it will still turn out nicer if you hand pick the lumber.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

.

[Bullethead 12]

Wooden Propeller website

 

Schweet. The Reputation Fairy will visit you for that .

 

I ran a wooden toy production line many years ago and we worked strictly with hard maple and believe me, "hard" is the operative word there. Yes, it machines and polishes beautifully, but at a cost in time and material.

 

Maple is for Stratocaster necks and decks, and muzzle-loader rifle stocks. Using it for anything else, especially baseball bats, is a crime against nature

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Maple is for Stratocaster necks and decks, and muzzle-loader rifle stocks. Using it for anything else, especially baseball bats, is a crime against nature.

 

Well BH, we didn't make baseball bats with it, we made block sets for schools, which might be even more sacrilegious when it comes to a gorgeous plank of 10/4 curly, tiger stripe, or birdseye maple. Which was why I pulled every such figured board I found that had slipped past the graders and set it aside before it made its way to the saws to be summarily sliced and diced, (we went through 10,000 board feet of #1 Select a week). I bought about four to six prized planks a month from the company and toted them home for not only my own special projects but those of my friends as well. I carved one amazing super curly chunk into a stock for a .32 caliber Tennessee long squirrel gun I built way back then. It was a beaut too. And I carved up countless jewelry boxes and knick-knack shelves out of all the little leftovers I had from the bigger projects. I still have a plank left in the barn, despite the fact that its been 25 years since I worked at the place. I have yet to find THE project to build with it as it is one of the most amazing chunks of maple I have ever seen. It has a figure to it that looks like tens of thousands of little globe-shaped puffs of smoke, and the pattern runs through the entire plank.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

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[RAF_Louvert 101]

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uncleal, you can't beat the prices on those props...no way, no how. And that sign is pretty sweet too.

 

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[Bullethead 12]

On engines of 200hp and above, the Austrians tended to use a 4-bladed prop that wasn't at 90^ between the blades--it looked more like a bow tie.

 

I need to sober up so I can remember who it was invented this style of prop.....

[itifonhom 6]

           Hey, quite a nice response there!!

 

    Thank you everybody for your feedback here. 

 

  uncleal: Nice site indeed and the props look really nice but I really prefer to do it myself and if, then laminated. Although I have to admit their prices are really amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         itifonhom