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A restoration with a twist.
It is a duplicating/copy machine. It copies a propeller master to make an aviation propeller. The intent was to try and repurpose any material on hand. By material, I meant different woods, such as Rock Maple, Birch, Mahogany, Ash, and Burnt Maple. Usually, it’s Rock Maple. The tip surfaces can be covered with fiberglass, or metal clad. I built this machine because I needed a propeller for my homebuilt airplane, and with the assistance of a friend who helped with the design, we proceeded to make it a reality. Now I can make propellers for others. It takes 2 days to duplicate, one day/night to glue up a blank, and about 2 weeks to sand, shape the hub by hand, and the balance, and finish (paint/lacquer or marine varnish). The blank is laminated Rock Maple. I cut slots to save time. The blade cannot handle the sideloads, otherwise. I then knock out the pieces that were notched. I then make a cleaning cut, to get rid of the roughness left over from the notching. I then lower the blade to get closer to the finish depth, and may then need one last cut. It is then repeated on the other side of the blank, and then removed from the machine. I sand off all the saw ridges, then only sand when required to balance the propeller end-to-end. Once balanced I then start to apply the finish, which is also a balancing procedure.