Tools of the Trade

[kevinpratt823]

My reef tanks have seen better days, but I do still have about 800gal of saltwater circulating my home, including a few barren frag/farm tanks in the basement, never even thought about the copper.........RC has taken full hold on me now, and some tanks will be broken down this winter anyhow, including the basement system.
I have only been doing props a couple months now, and I will definitely work the bugs out of my system, but I do not intend to go overboard and have a full on hazmat site going on. I understand it is hazardous, and will fine tune the precautions I take, but I will not become paranoid about it. If I had children in the house on the other hand, things may be different.

[Basstronics]

I spent some time with a prop and a file today. I got back to it after a long break. I took a X430 TFL knock off prop, detongued it, thinned it out, sharpened it, balanced then polished it with upto 600 grit wet dry. Total time- approx 4 hrs into it.

I went to Harbor Freight today. I looked at the deal Tony has, but I didnt want the hassle of a big vise. SO I bought the belt sander. It was on sale for $40 so it was painless. I removed the backing plate which will allow the belt to flex to the shape of the blade. Sure I will have to do the one face manually, but thats only a little work.

[ray schrauwen]

Are those your beef jerky pictures? If so do you have the recipe?

[Basstronics]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/1...asic-jerky-faq

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/1...l-muscle-jerky

Im actually going to make some for sale here shorty. I think I got the recipe and setup down to an art now.

[ray schrauwen]

It looks awesome!

[ray schrauwen]

I tried to do it in an oven once at 170F and it was like leather

Thats as low as my oven goes and I was using that liquid smoke stuff.

I don't understand how you make it out of ground beef. Most jerky I've seen (not much) is solid meat.

[Basstronics]

http://www.lemproducts.com/product/4...un-accessories

I run mine at 165 and I use an electric smoker with a pellets. It put real smoke on it... I dont think you will get it to go in the oven, no real smoke flavor.

When you open a pouch of my jerky, that good smoke smell slaps ya upside the head. Not only can you smell it, you taste it too. When the nose smells something good and it tastes good, it just makes it taste wayyyy better.

[St3alth_Frenzy]

Lets get back on topic here

I need to sharpen my prop again and was wondering if just wet sanding is good to keep the dust down? I mean with hand tools

[egneg]

I would just use a file to resharpen the blades - a couple of passes should do it.

[twissted]

Are you wrapping it around something flat as a working surface? A file is the way to go as far hand tools go.

[Mike Caruso]

I used to spend lots of time thinning blades (reduces lift and load). Then I got one of these. Gets it done in minutes. Great for all kinds of material removal as well. Worth every penny. I clamp mine in a rubber- jaw'd vise to do props.

Attachment 82483Attachment 82484

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-hal...der-92158.html

Thanks, Tony best hand tool I have ever bought and you can lightly clamp it to a table for prop work no vise needed. Not only great for thinning the fat prop blades but works great on wood. It has reduced my building time like crazy. I also bought a few weeks earlier the HF 1" belt sander also and I am a happy camper. Even WHEN I screw up a wood part and can just make another one in nothing flat. Makes this Hobby much more fun for me not being a wood worker LOL I make a lot of second designs.
Mike

[ray schrauwen]

Hey man I want some of that Jerky.

This comes on sale once or twice a year at Canadian Tire. I don't see it on their web site anymore though.

Works very nicely.

I need to find some finer grit belts if possible.

[longballlumber]

Hey man I want some of that Jerky.

This comes on sale once or twice a year at Canadian Tire. I don't see it on their web site anymore though.

Works very nicely.

I need to find some finer grit belts if possible.

That thing will destroy a prop quicker than it will sharpen a prop... Don't ask me how I know; it only took one time...

Later,
Mike

[Doug Smock]

I spent some time with a prop and a file today. I got back to it after a long break. I took a X430 TFL knock off prop, detongued it, thinned it out, sharpened it, balanced then polished it with upto 600 grit wet dry. Total time- approx 4 hrs into it.

I went to Harbor Freight today. I looked at the deal Tony has, but I didnt want the hassle of a big vise. SO I bought the belt sander. It was on sale for $40 so it was painless. I removed the backing plate which will allow the belt to flex to the shape of the blade. Sure I will have to do the one face manually, but thats only a little work.

Super tool at three times the price. Mine is about five years old and has done a ton of props.
D.

[ray schrauwen]

It will eat up an Octura 6 series fast but, it's nice to do Grimm props or abc with that Ti in it. The fine belt it comes ith is fine, the course is garbage.
I like the table top one above but, never seen it on sale in Canada. I don't have a Princess auto close by.

That thing will destroy a prop quicker than it will sharpen a prop... Don't ask me how I know; it only took one time...


Later,
Mike

[Basstronics]

I picked up this prop balancer today at the Toledo R/C show. One size fits all with the cones. This thing is ridiculously sensitive. Plus the cost was so cheap... I wish he had more I would of bought them so you guys could get one too.