The first of many

We've now started the rather long and rather laborious process of adding layer after layer of glass to each side of the propeller blades. We're going one layer at 0degrees and then one at 30d and one at 60d.

Here's the first layer of the first side of the first blade. While there will be no more 'shaping' on this blade, there will be a fair bit of trimming and sanding between layers.

No, it won't make the Honda Insight go DDWFTTW

With both blades of the prop bonded to the spar, we had our first chance to see the general look of the entire prop assembly.

One half is filled, shaped and sanded while the other is rough.

Rick putting the finishing touches on one of the blade shapes before we start wrapping it with glass.

Rick got the tapered aluminum spar extension (formerly a ski pole) glued into the carbon spar bushing and the final sections bonded. A bit of filling and sanding and we're ready for glass.

We learned today that for some reason, the glass fabric that we've had on order for a week or so was not shipped. A bit of a delay that we weren't expecting.

Just another Silicon Valley garage project

For the next phase (assembly and layup of the prop) we've had to move venues. With what we've got going at work right now, we don't have the space in the lab to leave the assembly fixures up for a week or so straight. We moved to Rick's garage for a bit.

Here are the first 5 segments evened up and glued. As you can see, the carbon spar ends at this juncture and there is a tapered aluminum spar which goes inside the carbon and continues on out through the smaller sections.

The holes you see along the top of the airfoil are where we poured the resin to saturate the spar/foam interface. The binder clip hold the trailing edge nice and even while the resin cures.

It's all on the table

Ready to glue in the spar.

Coming together

Starting to assemble the segments on the twist fixtures.

Sliced prop

Finished hotwiring the sections mid-afternoon.

It's a big one.

11 of 16 segments complete. We'll get the rest tomorrow.

We've got it wired.

Spent the day carving blue foam with the hot wire. Got 11 of 16 segments completed.

Nothing sticks

Bob Parks turned us on to some adhesive teflon tape that facilitates smooth hot wire movement across the templates.

After the practice rounds with the cheap pink foam, I think today we're ready to go after the blue foam for real.

Update at 11.

Practice makes ... incremental improvements

We put in a rather short day yesterday and did a bit of cutting practice on cheap construction foam. We had to glue two layers together for some because our pink foam is only 2" think.

We're hoping that we can get our cutting skills up to par before we throw down on the $250 chunks of blue foam.

Here's a root section and a section from about 2/3rds of the way out.