How to balance wood prop?
11-13-2012, 10:45 AM
#2
My Feedback: (-1)
RE: How to balance wood prop?
Proper is a loose term, some people sand them, others will use a weight. I have a can of clear lacquer paint and just put the props on the balancer and spray the light side until it just turns into a tad heavy, the paint gasses off a little and lightens up. If I spray a bit too much I just wipe it off with a finger until I get the prop in balance. I do this for all props, not just wood.
11-13-2012, 06:35 PM
#4
RE: How to balance wood prop?
I guess I should better explain myself, I use the Dubro prop balancer on all the props I balance for myself and others. I am generally working the larger stuff but it is just as important on the smaller stuff. I first scuff the hub area both sides and I don't mean the drive and thrust washer areas with 320 grit sand paper, next I place the prop on the balancer and allow the prop to drop as it will, then I hold the prop level and favor one side low and then the other and allow it to drop again and again. The reason I do this is because most the time the prop will drop on the same side, however every now and then it will go the other way if just favored a little, what that tells me is sometimes I get a prop that the center hole is off just a tad and that takes a little different hub balancing. anyway if the prop drops the same blade when flipped then I begin to add a couple of drops of thick CA to the light side hub area, hit with kicker and re-balance I repeat this step flipping the prop over and adding drops to the light side of the hub until I achieve a level prop. Now as I stated; if the prop drops a blade when favored down either blade but will drop the same blade when turned over I must add CA drop to the light side of the hub first and get that heavy blade a little lighter, i also add a couple of drops to the center area of the hub on that side to counter the slight offset of the center hole, now I continue this until the prop is balanced. Thats it...
Bob
Bob
