Cutting Carbon Spinners

[Chris Puckett]

I have recently been asked to take some pics and do a step by step walk through in cutting Carbon spinners. I will start with the tools that I use.

Painters Tape
Dremel w/ cut off wheel and sanding drums
Marker/pen
Drill guide
#11 blades in a Hobby Knife
Paper
Contour Gauge (optional)

The first thing I do is drill the prop so it is in the position that you like for starting. Next drill the backplate so that the prop is between mounting tabs on the back plate. Now that this is done it is time to start with the cone. For the cone I first start by getting a good shape for the prop cut out. This can be done with a Contour gauge or slowly trimming a sheet of paper to the correct shape. Once you have the shape that you want, transfer the shape to a piece of tape. With the prop installed on the backplate measure from the trailing edge of the prop to the closest mounting tab. Use this demension to place your tape on the spinner. With the tape installed with the prop cut out shape I rough cut the opening with a Dremel cut off wheel. I then go back with a 1/4" Sanding drum to clean up all the edges and corners (do not make hard corners). With the cut out looking good pull the tape off and replace with fresh tape and cover the cut out you just made. Then take a pen and poke holes in the tape through the holes for the retaining screws. With a new #11 Blade in my hobby knife I will go around and remove the tape over the prop cut out. This will give me a perfect match for the other side. Remove the tape and spin the spinner 180 degrees. Place the tape on the spinner while lining up the screw holes. Again make your rough cuts with a cut off wheel and cleaning up with a 1/4" sanding drum. Now is the time to check the overall fit on your prop. Try to leave 1/16"-1/8" clearance around the prop. If you need to do some trimming around the prop, once you have one side done lay tape back over the prop cut and transfer to the other side. This will always give you the same cut out on both sides. The last thing to do before flying is go over the entire cut out with a nail file just to clean it all up. I have been flying Carbon spinners for the past 4 years and they are very nice and save large amounts of weight.


Sorry for the quality of some of the pics.

[Chris Puckett]

Here are some finished examples in my shop right now.

[dmichael]

Good stuff, Chris.

I'd also add that wearing a good mask and having a shop vac handy to suck the dust right up are a good idea.

Dave

[flyin woodbutcher]

you forgot to talk about safty when cutting carbon fiber.

[Chris Puckett]

Thanks for the help guys. Was a long night in the shop. I will read over this later this afternoon and see if there is anything else I have missed.



*** Vacuum and Dust mask are a must for this proceedure ***

[Cracky]

Thanks for the walk-thru Chris!!!!!

[Chris Puckett]

Now you have to get one for your Yak if you get to keep it LOL

[Craven]

Good work Puckett!!

[Cracky]

I'm planning on it......

[Temptation]

I use the same method when cutting my carbon or glass spinners, except one extra step. When I measure everything out, I make the first cut as tight to the spinner as possible, just allowing enough of a gap to install it. Once I get to that point, and it's installed I wrap a piece of wire around the airfoil of the prop, then trace the outline onto the spinner. This gives me a perfect equal gap around the spinner. It's a lot of work, but very worth it.

Mike Darr

[ShortBus]

Show off.













Just kidding. That looks great!

[Biff]

Awsome job boys!! Here's a simple trick I devised that saves me time(I suck at cutting the paper template that looks even CLOSE!) I start just like Chris says. Drill the prop first, then the backplate. When you're SURE you nailed those steps, here comes the easy part! Take a piece of standard plumming solder about 12 inches long. Simply wrap the solder around the prop. You need to do this where the spinner will be. IE- if you have a 5 inch spinner, measure out 2 1/2 inches from the center of the prop. 6 inch spinner? Go out 3 inches and that's where you want to take the profile. Wrap the solder and pull the two pieces together at the trailing edge of the prop.I put an ink mark on the solder where the two pieces touch the trailing edge. Next, lay the prop on a flat surface and measure from the flat surface to the trailing edge, some props are pretty well flat right there, but verify. Add that measurement to the mark you made on the solder and you're ready!

From this point I do exactly as Chris does, except I trace the solder on the OUTSIDE. This gives you a perfect fit/clearance prop to spinner! Obviously you will need to open the area below the prop. The fit is so perfect you can't get the prop in the spinner without it. It takes longer to write how to do this than actually doing it.

I use this method for TONS of stuff! If you want to really make holes in the bottom of your cowl for mufflers or cut out an EXACT outline for a cylinder that sticks through your cowl, use this method. I just use a longer peice of solder and tape it to the fuse just past where the cowl mounts. If you line up the solder really closely to where the cowl will be, your holes will look like the cowl just grew around what ever is sticking out of it. A perfect uniform 1/8 gap. Redneck engineering that will have your buddies scratching their head (and bringing their spinners and cowls to your house!)