Fixing your prop?

[JeepinGunGuy]

Do any of you guy's repair your own props? I have had a run of bad luck and managed to bash 3 this month. My cousion is trying to find a lake house so we have been trying out new lakes. I tig welded them up but I got one of them pretty hot, I was just wondering how hot can you get one before doing damage to the rubber in the hub? There was no smoke or fire but I did smell rubber.

 

[hwsiii]

Re: Fixing your prop?

If you get it too hot you also have to worry about the aluminum losing strength as well. If you melted the rubber enough to hurt the bond you will know the next time you run the boat hard, other than that I can't say.

H

 

[JeepinGunGuy]

Re: Fixing your prop?

I didn't get it hot enough to hurt the aluminum. But most of one blade was missing about a 1/4 inch, so I had to lay down several layers and I got lazy and didn't cool it off soon enough.

 

[hwsiii]

Re: Fixing your prop?

OK just mentioning it.

H

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Fixing your prop?

The big problem with fixing a prop yourself, especially on a bigger engine or an i'o is that if it is out of balance very far when your done, the oscillations can trash the lower gearcase...

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Fixing your prop?

I repair my own when necessary. I have pre-made templates for all the necessary curvature and angles to guide me during a repair. I rework the thickness using a pin micrometer to make sure there is the same amount of material on each blade. When complete I check the balance on a grinding wheel balancer at one of our toolshops adjusting by taking a little more material off the heavy blade if necessary.
So far so good.

 

[JeepinGunGuy]

Re: Fixing your prop?

I took it out with 6 adults, 4 in the boat and 2 in a big tube. I was beating them and the boat up bad and no sign of the hub spinning. I used a templet to get the shape and pitch correct, but eyeballed the thickness and didn't check for a balance.