Step-by-Step Propeller Carving

Instructions
Setting Up the Blank
1. Start with a balsa wood blank that is 1/2-inch longer than the diameter of the propeller you wish to carve. For example, a 14-inch propeller would need to be 7 1/2-inches long. The width should be 1/7 of the diameter (in this case, 2 inches) and the height should the width divided by 1.7 (in this example, the width would be 1 1/8 inches). 2. Lay the wood blank on a flat surface and draw a diagonal line across the top surface. Cut the wood in half along the line using a handsaw or bandsaw. 3. Lay the two halves of wood tip-to-tip, overlapping each other by 1/2 inch. Use wood glue to glue the tips together. Allow them to dry for about two hours. 4. Drill a hole the size of your prop shaft through the center of the overlap area. 5. Draw a diagonal line on the both ends of the prop blank.

Carving the Blank

6. Use a flexible carving blade in a whittling motion to cut away all sections of the wood above the diagonal line you drew on one side of the prop blank. The carving should be level and tapered slightly as you move closer to the prop shaft hole you previously cut. Repeat for the other end of the prop blank. Flip the wood over and repeat for the other side. 7. Use a coarse-grit sandpaper (between 40 and 100 grit) to sand the surface of the wood prop until it is completely flat from the tip to the prop hole on all four sides. Wrap the sandpaper around a round object, such as a soda can, and create a slight curve (known as undercamber) in the center of each blade on both sides. 8. Carve an airfoil shape (narrow near the prop hole and gradually widening to full width about 3/4 of the way down the blade, then rounded on the outer edge) on what will be the front part of the blades. This will provide the necessary reaction force when air currents pass through the prop. Sand the front of the blades with coarse-grit sandpaper to smooth out the last cuts. 9. Sand the entire surface with coarse-grit sandpaper, then switch to fine-grit sandpaper, such as 200 grit, to smooth the entire surface.

How to Make a Model Boat With a Rubber-Band Propeller

Instructions
1. Cut the piece of plank to a point at one end, the shape of a boat hull. With the point facing upwards, the boat should be longer than it is wide. 2. With the point facing away from you, cut a square from the base of the boat hull you have just shaped. Your boat hull should resemble a tall house, and now you are cutting a large door into it at the bottom. Measurements do not need to be specific, but the height of the square should be roughly one third the height of the boat; make sure you leave at least half an inch on each side intact. Don't discard the square you've just cut. 3. Trim the wood square so it can easily fit back in the square cut from the base of your boat without touching the edges. This will be used as the propeller. 4. Attach each end of the rubber band to the thin sides left at the base of your boat. Slip the propeller inside the rubber band. Wind the propeller toward you until the rubber band is taut. Place in the water, release the propeller and watch your creation go.

Tips & Warnings

1. It is possible to use other materials such as cardboard and plastic, but wood is the most effective and durable. 2. Experiment with different sizes of rubber bands and propellers to see how variations affect the propulsion.

3.

For a more advanced propeller, cut a second square of equal size. On each square, cut a notch halfway up one side. Make the notch half as long as the square, and as wide as the wood is thick. Slot the two sections together so they form a cross when viewed from the side and glue using wood glue.