My Ideas on balancing a prop

[ReddyWatts]

1. I use a dremel tool and soft metal (copper) brush to clean off the mold slag. Wear some kind of eye protection and do not inhale the prop filings/dust.


2. Use a dremel tool stone to remove the mold marks.


3. Use a flat file to sharpen the the leading edge of the prop blades.


4.Use a balancer and see which blade of the prop is heavier. Mark it with a marks alot and file metal off on the bow/forward side of the heavier prop blade to make it weigh the same as the other blade. The back edge of the blades should be level, when it is balanced.

[ReddyWatts]

Balancing a prop

5. Buff and polish the balanced prop. Use a stone or jewelry polishing tumbler or a buff attachment on your dremel tool. The soft metal brush on a dremel tool will surprise you how it will smooth it up. Polishing/sharpening really helps to reduce prop torque/ roll at WOT.


6. M1 Supercat 14XL -24 cell - X640 prop ready to test.


7. Converted Mean Machine 14XL -24 cell - Y537/3 boat almost ready to test.

[ReddyWatts]

props

How do you guys balance and polish your props?

[JimClark]

You can also thin the blades

[ReddyWatts]

Thinning the blades.

How thin is thin?

[ozboater]

good info... cheers

[Jeepers]

How thin is thin?

I like to thin my blades down alot, i dont know how thin they are never mesured them. for info though full scale hydros thin their blades down so much, for effiency reasons, that they get only a handfull of runs before they have to replace them, because of stress cracks and they cost like $10,000.

look on this site steve has some good info on how to sharpen/ balance props.

[Eyekandyboats]

i thin mine kinda.
i have done over 30 props and it has made my figures very strong ( no dremmel)
i use files and every sand paper you can think of . down to about 6000 grit.
once i get to 6000 you barely need polish.
most of my props are not polished because i have no need. they preform the same if not better. and no matter how much you polish it will still oxidize and make then look like crap in the end.
i detoung, and barr the props as well and i use a magnetic balancer along with one i made on knife blades with levels.
i sharpen my props so much that if you even try to turn the prop by hand you will cut your hand. and in order to take the prop off the boat you can not even use a leather glove. you much take a pair of pliers and hold the drive dog.

[saleens7]

i thin mine kinda.
i have done over 30 props and it has made my figures very strong ( no dremmel)
i use files and every sand paper you can think of . down to about 6000 grit.
once i get to 6000 you barely need polish.
most of my props are not polished because i have no need. they preform the same if not better. and no matter how much you polish it will still oxidize and make then look like crap in the end.
i detoung, and barr the props as well and i use a magnetic balancer along with one i made on knife blades with levels.
i sharpen my props so much that if you even try to turn the prop by hand you will cut your hand. and in order to take the prop off the boat you can not even use a leather glove. you much take a pair of pliers and hold the drive dog.

hmmm...how much would you charge to balance and sharpen a prop in the 40mm-45mm range?

[Eyekandyboats]

i haven't really thought about that .
my hobby shop charges around 10 dollars a blade.

I would not do props for people how ever . Sorry Alex it is to much work and i can not justify only 10 dollar for a blade.

i know of a guy who does amazing props how ever. the first one i bought i sent to him and then i just did it my self because it is quite easy.
Shoot him a email. he is also on ebay
dasboata@aol.com
very reliable and very nice to. hes great to deal with.

Here is is profile on ebay

http://myworld.ebay.com/dasboata/

[saleens7]

cool...ill check him out....

[Jeepers]

I made the mistake of putting a prop in my pocket, reached in, sliced my finger good, thats how sharp I like my props! but what a dumb idea to put it in my pocket.

[FE_Chris]

Great info guys, thanks.

[NorthernBoater]

How do you tell which blade is the heaviest.

[ReddyWatts]

Spin the prop in a balancer and if it stops with one of the blades lower than the other? That blade is heavier. Mark it and spin it a few times to make sure it continues to stop lower than the other. File some metal off the back of that blade until the back edges of the prop blades become level for a balanced prop.