Here is the state my plastic propeller making project: <a href="http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/">http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/</a><div><br></div><div><br></div>
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<a href="http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to How to make a plastic propeller" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 26px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(58, 57, 57); text-decoration: none; ">How to make a plastic propeller</a></h2>
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I’ve started to think about how to make plastic propellers for rubber band airplanes.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
<a href="http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/L_PropellersBlack3.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(33, 117, 155); text-decoration: underline; "><img src="http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/L_PropellersBlack3.jpg" alt="" title="L_PropellersBlack3" width="250" height="113" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-93" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; max-width: 680px; "></a><a href="http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Altoids-Danger-Demolition-Racer.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(33, 117, 155); text-decoration: underline; "><img src="http://mambohead.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Altoids-Danger-Demolition-Racer-300x225.jpg" alt="" title="Altoids-Danger-Demolition-Racer" width="300" height="225" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-92" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; max-width: 680px; "></a></p>
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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.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
I found this interesting molding machine.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
<object width="560" height="340" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "></object></p>
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If the the mold could make 10 propellers at a time, I bet this could be made to be computer controlled.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
Of course, construction of the hub would likely be a different process.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
Another idea is to use a reprap or a makerbot-cupcake machine. As is, they are much too slow.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">
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.</p>
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A lot of people make propellers by hand out of a pop bottle. Here are a few examples: <a href="http://www.endlesslift.com/category/propeller/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(33, 117, 155); text-decoration: underline; ">Plastic Propellers</a>. There is a good example over at <a href="http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/plane/propeller.htm" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(33, 117, 155); text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/plane/propeller.htm</a>as 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 <a href="http://www.rubber-power.com/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(33, 117, 155); text-decoration: underline; ">Squirrel Plane</a> site there are a few more examples of people making propellers.</p>
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(91, 91, 91); line-height: 20px; "><a class="readmore" href="http://mambohead.com/2010/11/how-to-make-a-plastic-propeller/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to How to make a plastic propeller" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 4px; padding-right: 15px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 15px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(91, 91, 91); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(225, 221, 221); text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 0px; border-top-left-radius: 12px 12px; border-top-right-radius: 12px 12px; border-bottom-right-radius: 12px 12px; border-bottom-left-radius: 12px 12px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Read More »</a></span> </div>