Treasures are where you find them

Cz10 wrote:

Admin wrote:

Our hobby shop has a good sized box of wood top flight 6x3s. They are great for display engines or use! I still do use the black or gray Thimble Drome props when I bench run though.

Do they have any smaller diameter? I would love to get my hands on some 6 x 3 and maybe 5 x 4.

I'll run up there tomorrow and pick a few up. I'm not sure what the diameter of the center is. I did see the 6x3 or was it 6x4??? I really have to go see again! I don't think they have a 5x4 up there but if you know what you are doing, you could trim a 6x3 or 6x4 (whatever it was).

Admin wrote:

Cz10 wrote:

Admin wrote:

Our hobby shop has a good sized box of wood top flight 6x3s. They are great for display engines or use! I still do use the black or gray Thimble Drome props when I bench run though.

Do they have any smaller diameter? I would love to get my hands on some 6 x 3 and maybe 5 x 4.

I'll run up there tomorrow and pick a few up. I'm not sure what the diameter of the center is. I did see the 6x3 or was it 6x4??? I really have to go see again! I don't think they have a 5x4 up there but if you know what you are doing, you could trim a 6x3 or 6x4 (whatever it was).

Yep.. They could be trimmed ... Just a couple for now. I doubt they are gonna disappear! It would be interesting to work down from 6" x 4 by 1/4" increments and compare it to a 6 x 3. That RC Groups link on thrust testing made a comment on a 6 x 4 that "it ran hot" (with little or no difference in thrust IIRC ) - which was what I found - very hot engine. The tank was QUITE WARM! I switched to a 6 x 3 and things were quite cooler.

RknRusty wrote:I have never tried a wooden prop. Do they break really easy? If so, I'll have to stick to the black plastic.

They also "erode" from extended use! I ran a 7-4 on my O.S. .10-powered Lazy Bee for more than a year (can't believe I didn't just break it in that time!), and eventually noticed that it's leading edge was wearing away (lots of dusty taxiing and float flying!).

I like the way they look, though, so just make a point to check them regularly. AND...just like full-scale wooden propellers, need their tightness (torque values) checked as the wood in the hub compresses, and looses them up!

Kim

It would be great if you could include me in on one of those props. Grish Brothers factory was in the next town which I grew up in and now live in once again. One thing that is neat is a few years back I was working in a tool and die shop here and one of their molds turned up for fixing. Another home-town story is the town which is neat is the balsa factory has been here ever since I can remember. Midwest Products is still going, and their building is looking good.

Here's the two Bee's that I got this week. I wanted a couple of early ones and one of these looks almost new on the piston. The other is corroded a little, still seems good though in the crankshaft. Hard to tell what you have until they are cleaned up!

I like both even though one has been coarse wire brushed. Both have the early crankcases, large needle valve head and fully finned thin wall cylinders which I was after. One is the early backplate with the smaller intake details. What I am pleased about the most is none of the fins have been hit or bent on either of them. Very nice.

Nice score jetpack!

One of the things I did not see mentioned about wooden props is that when you are using an old engine for which parts are scarce or not available (like your Space Bug in the background), a wooden prop will break where a plastic one may bend the crankshaft. I have one Space Bug Junior with a slightly bent c-shaft that I got from THE auction site, years ago.

Another thing I didn't see mentioned is that it is best if you loosen the prop nut on wooden props while they are not being used...prevents compressing them so much.

I am guessing that those wooden props may be the old, much revered, Tornado Plasticotes.

Good luck with all that new old stuff!!!

George

gcb wrote:Nice score jetpack!

I am guessing that those wooden props may be the old, much revered, Tornado Plasticotes.

George

Geo:

Yes, the 6X3's that I received ARE plasticoats by Tornado. To appease doubters, as soon at I can snag a digital camera, a picture will follow. I am SOOOO old I still use my Pentax ME 35mm because I LIKE it. Imagine that.

SD

Admin wrote:

Cz10 wrote:

Admin wrote:

Our hobby shop has a good sized box of wood top flight 6x3s. They are great for display engines or use! I still do use the black or gray Thimble Drome props when I bench run though.

Do they have any smaller diameter? I would love to get my hands on some 6 x 3 and maybe 5 x 4.

I'll run up there tomorrow and pick a few up. I'm not sure what the diameter of the center is. I did see the 6x3 or was it 6x4??? I really have to go see again! I don't think they have a 5x4 up there but if you know what you are doing, you could trim a 6x3 or 6x4 (whatever it was).

I did not make my way up there yet but I was just talking to a friend who just got back from there and said all they have new is Zinger and Top Flite props. He also said "plus the smallest TF prop they still make is 7x4". I'm sure what they have up there are Zinger props since they recently got them in right after they ran out of the old Thimble Drome props. I will really have to look again but I think the smallest wood prop they had was a 6x3.

Zinger props are made from maple while top flight props are made from beechwood. the zingers would be stronger but the top flights are cheaper moneywise. i have never seen our hobbyshop sell a wood prop smaller then 8x4 so if you are buying props for everyone, count me in. name the price and i'll buy one!

35mm cameras are great. I got to learn to use them through my cousin who had a photography buisness at home. I helped him shoot a few weddings which was fun but what i liked was our gig he landed at the local dirt track with me taking action shots and trophy pictures every weekend through the summer for two years. I stood in the infield and hoped no flailing axles took me out with my back turned. That's no joke it almost happened! The rest was great though...

I have a digital now that I can use as a 35mm but its clumbsy to operate. Manual controls have it over on the digitals for sure. Plus the digitals are pretty lifeless machines. No shutter, just a flash that will pop up...blah.

I wanted to see a pic of the props because I've never had seen a Tornado wood prop before. I don't know their shape or what the logo looks like.

The one below came with my first space hopper motor that was given to me from a friend in a chat room a few years back. It has been varnished by me and the space hopper is fully polished. It had been used in events before I recieved it, it was a brothers motor he was passing on.

Interesting thing about that engine was the reed was hot rodded by a scribed # marking across the copper reed. I suppose to help it resonate better.

jetpack wrote:
I wanted to see a pic of the props because I've never had seen a Tornado wood prop before. I don't know their shape or what the logo looks like.

Here's a 5x4 wood Tornado prop that came off my Anderson Baby Spitfire. It is hard to make out the word "Tornado" on it but if you tilt it in the light the right way, you can see it. I would like to see his props too.

their logo is an arch with the numbers in the middle of the arch.

They look like Zingers.

Thank you Admin

I would guess that would be a speed prop by the size and pitch but the blade width seems wide

Carl wrote:Zinger props are made from maple while top flight props are made from beechwood. the zingers would be stronger but the top flights are cheaper moneywise. i have never seen our hobbyshop sell a wood prop smaller then 8x4 so if you are buying props for everyone, count me in. name the price and i'll buy one!

Yeah, I read that somewhere before. I'm not sure what they want for them yet. I'm guessing $2-$3 each. I'm sure you can buy them on the internet. We'll see, what they have first before I do anything.

jetpack wrote:They look like Zingers.

Thank you Admin

I would guess that would be a speed prop by the size and pitch but the blade width seems wide

Here check these out, you can see the writing on them easily. I guess that is a price that is in the middle! I could not tell that since it is just about gone on mine!

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/280706080332

wow 5 x 8. Has to be the most pitch offered for an .049 I've ever seen.

jetpack wrote:wow 5 x 8. Has to be the most pitch offered for an .049 I've ever seen.

You may find that the 5x8 was a speed prop, more for a .15 of those days. RPM was much less, so they had to use pitch.

George

Yea, I was thinking .09 but .15 may make more sense. But that is the first time I recall seeing THAT much pitch on that small diameter in the flesh, so to speak.

jacob:

Are most of the later posts here "pirating" my orginal thread?

SD

SuperDave wrote:jacob:

Are most of the later posts here "pirating" my orginal thread?

SD

What? We just started talking about props.

Yes, Jacob, I know but my orginal thread was about "finding treasures" not just props: i.e.: where one finds them etc. Read the thread's beginning and see

My thread on "Propeller Dynamics" was directed toward the discussion of props.

Respectfully,

SD

Sorry Dave my bad I thought this was that thread let's move the conversation there I'll be waiting guys.

My bad. I won't speak of props here anymore.

you said you were handed a bag of tornado 6x3 props
jetpack said he has a stash of Top Flite props that he likes
I brought up the fact that my hobby shop has some Top Flite (turned out to be Zinger) 6x3 props.

and after that it somehow just took off.

Small Diesel's are fun. I have several and enjoy them all. Big disavantage is the smell and fuel is hard to find. If you have a wife she will have something to say about your smelly planes. Shed/ garage have at it. I stored a few planes in a shed and that will not happen again.
One big plus is no glow plugs !! The small Paw's are good deal in smaller sizes. .034/.049.061. Other sizes are good also.
Dan

I do believe diesel engines can also be built smaller an more compact than glow engines.
I don't mind the smell of diesel I actually rather like it.
Diesels are truly amazing and always interest me that they fire with no spark/glow plug.
The variable ignition timing also means you can swing a more useful prop range making them ideal for scale applications.