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How to Make a Wooden Prop Aircraft

Wooden propellers can be made for much less than the cost of purchasing a new propeller. Wooden propellers also function just as well, and sometimes better, than the commercially available alternatives. Wooden aircraft propellers are not made from one block of wood, but are cut and carved out of a block of wood made from several thin wood layers. The propeller takes many hours to create, but it can be done without a lot of expensive machinery.

Things You'll Need

3/4-by-8-inch wooden boards
Glue
Clamps
Saw
Chisel
Sander
Drill
Varnish

Instructions

- 1
  Select several 3/4-by-8-inch wooden boards long enough for the propeller size you intend to make. The grain of the wood should be the same direction for all the boards.
- 2
  Coat each side of each board with warm glue and layer the boards. Place clamps along the length of the boards to hold them together. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours before removing the clamps. Let the wood cure for several days before proceeding to the next step.
- 3
  Trace the propeller pattern onto the wood block. Use a pattern made from another propeller. Cut the pattern out with a saw. Chisel the wood at an angle on one end of the propeller, and chisel the wood to angle the opposite direction on the other end of the propeller.
- 4
  Shape the wood with a sander to narrow the edges. They should taper to about 1/2-inch thick on the edges. Sand the propeller blades until they are smooth.
- 5
  Balance the propeller to determine where to drill the hole on the hub. When you find the center of balance mark that point and drill a hole through the hub.
- 6
  Varnish the finished propeller. Apply several coats of varnish.

Aviation