Propeller manufacture in OZ

[flyerme]

Have to say theses days in Australia there's not much option for buying propellers.

 

So who manufactures propellers here in oz?

 

Bolly -being expensive for small U/L projects.

 

Jabiru -same as above .

 

So where to go? Re-wind to 2014 and there was at least 2 wooden prop manufactures: Sweet apple - great prop reasonable price

 

arktech - good prop great price

 

But sadly both gone :(

 

Looks like a great opportunity for a woods smith to ad some competition? Or is demand just not there?

 

Anyway I'm needing x2 props. ;)

 

57 x 38 for rotax 503 258.1 pusher

 

60 x ? For rotax 582 258.1 tractor

 

 

[Riley]

Have to say theses days in Australia there's not much option for buying propellers.So who manufactures propellers here in oz?

Bolly -being expensive for small U/L projects.

 

Jabiru -same as above .

 

So where to go? Re-wind to 2014 and there was at least 2 wooden prop manufactures: Sweet apple - great prop reasonable price

 

arktech - good prop great price

 

But sadly both gone :(

 

Looks like a great opportunity for a woods smith to ad some competition? Or is demand just not there?

 

Anyway I'm needing x2 props. ;)

 

57 x 38 for rotax 503 258.1 pusher

 

60 x ? For rotax 582 258.1 tractor

You can try Dieter Sedbauer, in Morayfield, Qld. (0414 504 116). He took over the Sweetapple prop facility when Richard finally retired. No idea as to how pricey his gear is. Did you get my email re: the 2 blade Ivoprop?

 

 

[Robbo]

Mick Dye in Gippsland was the best in the business, his company was called Australian Performance Propellers.

 

I am not sure if he is still operating as he moved intestate.

 

 

[facthunter]

There was someone in Christchurch making good wood props. Still is as far as I know. Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

What part of Australia is Christchurch? Or is it just a wannabe.

 

 

[Riley]

What part of Australia is Christchurch? Or is it just a wannabe.

It's the part that 'shakes, rattles & rolls' (and obviously did so too hard sometime in the past and separated itself from the east coast of this country.

 

 

[microman]

Unfortunately the propmaker you are referring to, Brent Thompson, has motor neurone disease and was forced to sell the business a couple of years ago. It has since changed hands again - not sure of the present operator. Brent made the best wooden prop in the world - and thats no idle boast - everyone who got one of his props found that it performed better than whatever it replaced.

 

 

[flyerme]

Unfortunately the propmaker you are referring to, Brent Thompson, has motor neurone disease and was forced to sell the business a couple of years ago. It has since changed hands again - not sure of the present operator. Brent made the best wooden prop in the world - and thats no idle boast - everyone who got one of his props found that it performed better than whatever it replaced.

Yes it became omega ( big let down ) then 12 months or so sgo changed hands again called aero something

 

 

[facthunter]

We claim NZ films as orstralien when it suits us. Nev

 

 

[Robbo]

Aero Performance Propellers for Quality Wooden Propellers (formally Thompson Aero)

[spacesailor]

Wooden prop!.

 

buy an AXE, but seriously, Ask Arthur "pylon500".

 

I remember he made a composite propeller a few year's ago.

 

It's not too hard to loft your size then laminate wooden planks together,

 

and Then "where's that axe".

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Riley]

Flyerme. You could try contacting Wayne Holden at: #1 Fred Reece Way, Lightning Ridge, NSW, 2834. Tel (02) 6829 2963. Have never used his products or had any dealings with him but Rotec Engineering Ltd were on-selling his wooden props for their Rotec radials a year or so back. Happy hunting!

 

 

[facthunter]

Make your own. Peter Franks always did. If you laminate them correctly you don't have as much excess wood to remove .Nev

 

 

[flyerme]

Make your own. Peter Franks always did. If you laminate them correctly you don't have as much excess wood to remove .Nev

Yes and Peters, is still pulling the nieupy , and the murphy :). I may look it to this option seriously.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Just make sure your Axe is very sharp!.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

Use an adze and keep your feet wide apart. Nev

 

 

[Litespeed]

Or use a spokeshave - a lovely hand held plane for exactly this type of work.I have a few as my dear old dad was a cabinet maker who only used hand tools for the first 15 years of work.

 

I still have his first electric hand tool a Lightburn goldie hand held drill- cost many weeks wages at the time. Still works a treat

 

And follow up with a airdriven/electric random orbit sander - for use non luddites

 

 

[spacesailor]

Don't

 

use an Adze, it's (the prop) only 60" (inch) long, put a large foot (yours) on it & it's only 48" long,

 

far to short to Safely swing that adze, and keep your toes.

 

a flap sander is very good at shaping the contor of the propeller, a wood rasp is useful too.

 

Three of mine, the 1st was test to death!, just to see the glue joint, (already had the off-cuts) but was told to "make sure".

 

Two, off set was set too close to the hub, so spinner wouldn't fit.

 

three, right shape and size, looking good, but ran out of get-up-&-go.

 

spacesailor

 

 

 

[Litespeed]

So no.3 is still waiting to be finished then?

 

 

[spacesailor]

Been a little Busy, with a trip (by road) around this island, now a trip around Fraser island, and then.

 

Who knows.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Unfortunately the propmaker you are referring to, Brent Thompson, has motor neurone disease and was forced to sell the business a couple of years ago. It has since changed hands again - not sure of the present operator. Brent made the best wooden prop in the world - and thats no idle boast - everyone who got one of his props found that it performed better than whatever it replaced.

Sorry to hear that Graeme. He's a top bloke.

 

 

[facthunter]

geez Spacy, I wasn't thinking of making a dugout and resting my foot on it. The cambered side is no real problem. You could probably do it with a wood plane, but the flatter side could be done with some sort of spindle moulder, or maybe something like a bandsaw and some guide to achieve the twist.. Spokeshaves are a bit hard to manage. Made for rounded things like spokes of a cartwheel and don't handle cranky grain well. You can set up a plane to do a better job. Nev

 

 

[CLAYT]

Use an adze and keep your feet wide apart. Nev

It's great to see on this site that someone knows what an adze is and what it is used for!

 

 

[flyerme]

Just watched a few videos and read a heap of how to.. Looks. Simple enough , just little craftsmanship And patience.

 

. I should note on the bolly Site I see BROLGA props back being made !!!!! Around $800 I think it was. I'm a fan of the good ol brolga. Good on ya Bolly :)

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

It's great to see on this site that someone knows what an adze is and what it is used for!

Dirty dangerous damned things! Caused many leg wounds to their users. One technology (like some vintage aeroplanes) we are better off without.