REFLECTOR: help! damaged prop

[Sid Knox]

Tim,
Same type of landing.... similar damage.  Here is how I fixed mine:
1)  choose worst blade (most damage).
2)  grind or cut (I used a Mikita hand-held grinder) away until all nasty 
part is gone and the wood is mostly solid (some ragged edge is ok).
3)  make a cardboard (cereal box) template that has the shape of the new 
end.
4)  using template, mark and grind the remaining two tips.
At this point all three blades should look identical.  Now, the next part is 
easy to do but difficult to describe....
5)  drill 10 or 12 really small holes thru the blade at the tip...most of 
them completely thru the blade from one side to the other near the tip. 
Drill some more from the "open" end (bare wood) down towards the hub.  The 
purpose of the holes is to give the epoxy something to "bite" into.
6)  mix some JB Weld (regular, not Quik) and work it into all the holes... 
use a small wire or similar.... be sure all holes are filled.
7)  work the JB Weld into the wood really well and sort of shape it to make 
it look like the tip looked like before the damage.  Try and use equal 
amounts of epoxy on each blade....yes, this is eyeball guess but do as best 
as you can.
8)  after the epoxy sets, grind and sand to get final shape.  Here too, you 
can perhaps equal-out (more eyeball guess) the amount of mass you are 
adding.

Notes:
1) because the days are hot, the JB Weld may have a tendency to slump before 
it kicks. One way to avoid this is to mix a small amount of finely chopped 
glass (with scissors, carefully cut very short pieces of fiberglass) into 
the mix.  Just a little thickens it up nicely and the added glass makes a 
stronger filler.
2)  I "modified" my MT in Feb 2002 and it has been ok since then.  I have 
not done a balance.

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

Velocity    N199RS
Starduster  N666SK
W7QJQ




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <TimRhod at aol.com>
To: <Reflector at tvbf.org>
Cc: <TimRhod at aol.com>
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 8:14 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: help! damaged prop


> Reflectorites:   I need the wisdom of some who may have  experience in
> damaged MT Props. In a rather nose up landing I apparently struck  the 
> prop on the
> runway because I noticed about 1/2 inch missing  from the  ends of each 
> blade
> after the flight. It is cracked and shredded about another  inch into the
> blades. Question:  Is it possible to cut off the ends equally  on each 
> blade about
> another inch to get to solid wood and epoxy over the  ends?  Is this 
> prudent?
> or is the prop trash?  I am  scheduled to run in the airventure cup race 
> on
> Sunday but if I cant modify  the prop safely  than I'll have to scratch.
>   Thanks Tim Rhodenbaugh
>


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