[Lab] Food for thought on plastic fabrication

[Darcy Whyte]

Here is the state my plastic propeller making project:
http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/



How to make a plastic
propeller<http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/>
November 22nd, 2010 No
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I’ve started to think about how to make plastic propellers for rubber band
airplanes.

 <http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/L_PropellersBlack3.jpg><http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Altoids-Danger-Demolition-Racer.jpg>

There are three parts. The propeller itself, a shaft and the nose-piece
which allows you to easily mount the propeller at the front of a stick
plane.

I found this interesting molding machine.

 If the the mold could make 10 propellers at a time, I bet this could be
made to be computer controlled.

Of course, construction of the hub would likely be a different process.

Another idea is to use a reprap or a makerbot-cupcake machine. As is, they
are much too slow.

I’ve been talking with Micheal Grant about this a bit and we’ve been talking
about a custom plastic extruder in order to lay the plastic out (rather than
molding it). If the extruder had a large nozzle (perhaps even slot shaped),
it would be faster and perhaps can be done in one layer.

A lot of people make propellers by hand out of a pop bottle. Here are a few
examples: Plastic Propellers<http://www.endlesslift.com/category/propeller/>.
There is a good example over at
http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/plane/propeller.htmas well (Can you recognize
the plane in that article? Also, the example he posted from India is an
interesting plane). Also if you look around the Squirrel
Plane<http://www.rubber-power.com/> site
there are a few more examples of people making propellers.
Read More » <http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/>
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