Making a spinner
08-22-2005 | 10:42 AM
#1
Making a spinner
Ok, I'm going to post in this forum for now and see what kind of response I get on this. Here's my situation. I have a Tower Trainer 40 kit. I'm getting geared up to build this and I plan on doing a build thread on it and also make a how-to for the RCU Magazine. As an instructor and a moderator in the Beginners forum I want to make this plane an instructional tool, hence the build thread and how-to. As I was planning this I decided to cover the plane in transparent monokote colors, leaving the plane "see-thru". This continues with a teaching tool so that people can see the "guts" of the plane and see how things work on the inside. This let me to thinking about the next part, the spinner. I am thinking of trying to get a "see-thru" spinner for this plane. Yes, part of the reason for wanting it is the "cool" factor, but it also has uses too in that people can see how the prop is bolted down and how a spinner attached to the plane.
Now for the question. How to go about it? I guess I should ask first if anybody knows of a manufacturer who could do this for me? I was thinking of building a small vacu-form to make this. I guess I would have to build a mold and then use the vacu-form to actually make the spinner. Has anybody had any experience in using plexi-glass for molding? Can it be heated and molded like ABS or styrene? I do plan on using an existing aluminum spinner backplate for this, doing it this way will make sure there is a strong enough material to bolt the prop to.
Hopefully somebody out there will have some insight on this to help me out. Thanks in advance for any help.
Ken
Now for the question. How to go about it? I guess I should ask first if anybody knows of a manufacturer who could do this for me? I was thinking of building a small vacu-form to make this. I guess I would have to build a mold and then use the vacu-form to actually make the spinner. Has anybody had any experience in using plexi-glass for molding? Can it be heated and molded like ABS or styrene? I do plan on using an existing aluminum spinner backplate for this, doing it this way will make sure there is a strong enough material to bolt the prop to.
Hopefully somebody out there will have some insight on this to help me out. Thanks in advance for any help.
Ken
08-22-2005 | 11:17 AM
#2
RE: Making a spinner
I would guess that any plastic material that is suitable for vacuum forming would also be too flexible for use as a working spinner.
Remember, it may be spinning at over 10.000 RPM and one little weak spot and it'll be off into the woodds somewhere, or worse.
Maybe a dummy spinner would get the idea across, but not a working one.
Remember, it may be spinning at over 10.000 RPM and one little weak spot and it'll be off into the woodds somewhere, or worse.
Maybe a dummy spinner would get the idea across, but not a working one.
