After getting the 264’s back into our workshops we ripped straight into them and started to strip down the propellers.

Brain kindly lent us his Rotol tools to strip down the hubs

 

 

The first job was to strip down the pitch control mechanism.

 

Then remove the blades. We use the removed reduction gear bolted to a couple of beams to allow us to a 20 tonne jack to loosen of the blades.

Once the hub was stripped down Pete soon had it cleaned up, etched primed , then a coat of primer filler ready for top coat.

 

Next job was to cut the blades down, we used the oil feed tube and a piece of wood and a scribe to mark the blades, then a 9″ grinder with a slitting disc to cut them down.

We then fitted the other hub to the engine and test fitted the blades.

 

As Pete had a couple of days off , he decided to take on the sanding down of the blades, it took a full two days to do!

 

Nice job done Pete, have a beer

 

The next thing to do was make the blades all the same length. First we packed the blades of from the hub using key steel to ensure all the the blades are set the same.

Next we made a die grinder tool holder on the bottom of the engine stand.

 

Slowly we ground down each blade , then move up the die grinder after one full revolution of the engine.

Pete very pleased after half a days work and ten tins of WD40 and two die grinders we had the job done, blades ground down to within a couple of thou. We just need to balance them now then they can be painted.