BillinIndiana

So I picked up a new prop today from a HS I have never been to. The owner of the store told me to "Key" my new prop? I asked what he meant and he told me they're really sharp when new and I should take my car key and dull the edge down..?
What do you do to a new prop if anything? I did pick up the Great Planes hand held balancer.

tacx

My Feedback: (1)

They can be very sharp straight from the factory. The trailing edge can have "flash" on it from the mold. Just take some sand paper and take the sharp edge off.

jester_s1

You don't want to dull the trailing edge, but you do want to remove the wire edge that's often there and hanging to one side or the other. I always sand off the mold line on the LE but I honestly don't know if it does any good. Dulling the TE though will create more drag and hurt your performance, so don't do that.

Since you bought that hand held balancer, here's a tip for you. Held in your fingers, there is usually too much friction to see the smaller imbalances. If you will make a long "V" with cardboard or wood for it to sit into it will work a lot better.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

What Jester said

Here is a simple way to make your shaft and cones work better. Two single edge razor blades slotted into a block of balsa and set level.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I sand off the flash, never have noticed any drag and I don't slice my hands if I need to flip the prop with my bare fingers or get a prop out of my flight box. Take an old CD, DVD and cut in in half. Glue the two halves into a piece of flat balsa wide enough so the finger balancer fits between the hole halves, Shazam, a balancer. I use clear lacquer paint to balance my props. Just spray it on the light side until it is in balance.

BillinIndiana

Thanks for the tips guys.. I just happen to have an old printer software CD laying out on my work bench.. I just looked at it 2 days ago and mumbled to myself.. " Why do I even have this?" and tossed it to the side to look for my original item I was searching for... haha I guess I must have known I'd need it ?

Charlie P.

I hit my new APC props with emery cloth.  Then I rebalance them.