| Project by propcarver | posted 343 days ago | 688 views | 4 times favorited | 22 comments | ![]() |
This project started out to be a simple hanger to mount a display propeller that I carved.
One thing led to another and this was the result. The most difficult part was making the jigs to get all of the angles and mating surfaces to come out square and true. The engine is modular. The prop spinner is the nut that tightens it all. There is a 3/8 threaded rod that mounts to the wall bracket and then all of the components slide on with the spinner holding it all tight.
The propeller measures a little over 2 feet in diameter.
Maple, Alder, Cherry, Oak, Walnut and a little Birch and Poplar for the woods. The finish is lacquer.
Regards,
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22 comments so far
YorkshireStewart
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653 posts in 439 days
posted 343 days ago
Beautiful! Precision engineering in wood as well as being very much a work of art. Wow!
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.
odie
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825 posts in 378 days
posted 343 days ago
There’s nothing better than GREAT imagination….beautiful!
-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke".
TomK
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398 posts in 412 days
posted 343 days ago
Hats’ off to you. I hand-carved/shaped/snaded a propeller for a childs toy recently and it was really tough to shape it well enough that it had a rough balance, though it would not hold up to real engine RPM’s. Here’s a question you may be able to answer: It seems to me that all the wooden props on WWI aircraft were just varnished wood, not painted. I may be wrong about that supposition, but most old photos show this. Any technical reason for varnishing rather than painting?
BTW, that is very cool work!
-- North Texas
propcarver
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28 posts in 367 days
posted 343 days ago
Hi all ... Thanks for the comments …..
Tom,
I have seen the props either varnished or painted although the painted ones are not common. I think the varnish was used because it held up better and was easier to maintain and it was the common finish used in the furniture industry.
In the early years most of the props were built by business like furniture and piano manufacturing companies. In the realm of paint versus varnish not much has changed. I think I’d take issue with anyone who painted one of my props.
Here is a link to a site with a ton of of info about the old wooden props.
http://www.woodenpropeller.com/index.html
I work as a volunteer working on the older wood and fabric airfrafmes, engines and props. It’s a lot of fun just hanging out around all of those old engines and airplanes.
http://aerospacemuseumofcalifornia.org/
Regards,
TomK
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398 posts in 412 days
posted 343 days ago
I agree. I used to skydive quite a bit in my younger, wilder days, and we shared a hanger with a wing of the CAF (Confederate Air Force). Even spent some volunteer time with them, polishing parts, doping fabric, etc, and just general help. They returned the favor by letting drop out the bomb bay of a B-17! Great bunch of guys trying to maintain aircraft that are getting rarer with each passing year.
-- North Texas
Jiri Parkman
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591 posts in 350 days
posted 343 days ago
Beautiful.
-- Jiri
Colin
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153 posts in 458 days
posted 343 days ago
Simply magnificent
-- Colin, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. "Every craftsman was once an amateur"
Grumpy
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6721 posts in 389 days
posted 343 days ago
Wow. Looks good enough to fly!.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
rikkor
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8574 posts in 412 days
posted 343 days ago
Round engines create symphonic sound. Nothing else like it!
-- Maplewood, MN
John Gray
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883 posts in 423 days
posted 342 days ago
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
toyguy
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487 posts in 375 days
posted 342 days ago
As usual, your work is outstanding. And the information on old props great too.
-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/
Thos. Angle
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3430 posts in 500 days
posted 342 days ago
Great piece of art. Brings back memories of twisting wrenches on 600 P & W’s.
-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon
mot
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4859 posts in 574 days
posted 342 days ago
This is really an impressive looking pice. Lots of detail. I have a friend that races model aircraft…pylong racing…he carves his own props for engines that spin 20,000RPM. Carving that prop is no simple effort. Nice!!
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
Mike Robinson
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15 posts in 341 days
posted 341 days ago
If the valve gear was on the backside of the cylinder it would be a perfect rendition of a Kinner 5 cylinder radial, but then it would be a shame to hide the work you did behind the cylinders. Very nice. That would make a nice addition to my study. I appreciate old flying machines as much as I do woodworking. Nothing beats the mechanical symphony of a radial engine.
Cheers
Mike
7Kcraftsman
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24 posts in 472 days
posted 339 days ago
wow, talk about patients…. Really nice, I built my sone a small p-51D model a few years back but I would not even post it after seeing that….....
-- John, Steamboat Springs Co. http://7kcraftsman.blogspot.com/
Tom Adamski
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228 posts in 308 days
posted 277 days ago
Propcarver,
Nice work! Those tolerance look so tight, maybe you could get it to start…
Tom
-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.
GaryK
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8561 posts in 526 days
posted 277 days ago
Don’t know how I missed this one! That is fantastic!
My grandfather used to make props during WWI when he was 15. Pratt & Whitney I think.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
grovemadman
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549 posts in 309 days
posted 261 days ago
I like it. Thanks for sharing it.
-- --Chuck
RCT
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14 posts in 289 days
posted 214 days ago
Just great I’m humbled by the artistry.Thanks for sharing.
—- RCT
-- "Ya but what does he know anyhow?"
Karson
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13640 posts in 938 days
posted 212 days ago
It looks like it would be hard to turn the engine when the propeller is mounted in the lathe.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Randolph Torres
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105 posts in 66 days
posted 60 days ago
That is sierously cool. I once had an opertunity to walk through a cropduster manufacturing plant they made everything from scratch—except the radial engine. Got to see one uncrated, brand new, one of the most beautiful machines ever made.
-- another tip from cooperedpatterns
BeechPilotBarry
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411 posts in 240 days
posted 60 days ago
Super!
-- - Real men read directions