I designed a prop for my Tohatsu this weekend. Really pleased with how it turned out! I will print it up next weekend. Looks like a 45 hour print. I will use it as a spare.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zjMBHa6GHsYLXuzhjTIt0CtJMt-J22t6/view?usp=sharing
Mark Ingle
Boatless…but I have buddy with a boat!
Very interested to see how that turns out. What’s your cost on that print?
Key West 2300 Bluewater
If you are tired of watching it rain you can view the printing of my prop! 16 hours to go!
Mark Ingle
Boatless…but I have buddy with a boat!
Mark Ingle
Boatless…but I have buddy with a boat!
That’s awesome. Let us know how it performs. I’m curious, what did it cost to make?
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
I haven’t determined the cost since I use cheap plastic for prototyping and optimizing print settings. This version is a solid piece that took 24 hours to print and should be strong enough to achieve trolling speeds. My goal is to have an emergency prop to get me back to the ramp. First break-in period for the Tohatsu is 2 hours <~3000rpm. If it will last though that I think it will be perfect as a back up.
Mark Ingle
Boatless…but I have buddy with a boat!
That would be great for electric trolling motors too!
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
A TM prop would definitely be the most practical. Unfortunately I dont have a TM prop to model a design. But I should have one by the end of October.
Mark Ingle
Boatless…but I have buddy with a boat!
Unfortunately for you, there’s a reason props are only made of metal. While the idea is really really super cool, that’s not practical, nor do I believe it will hold up. You’d be better off spending that money you invested in a plastic propeller on a wrong sized beat up used prop from a yard sale and using that as a backup. Please don’t depend on that plastic one as a viable backup.
I hope you can prove me wrong, but I use printed objects frequently in my work and I can’t imagine them holding up to the force that’s exerted on a boat propeller with the RPMs that it sees. Just my initial thought. I’d love to see an underwater gopro video of this prop in a controlled setting at increasing RPMs. My guess would be that completely destroys itself before 3000. It would be extremely interesting and I’m sure you’d learn a lot from this simple experiment. Just a hunch.
Trolling motor propeller, by all means, yes.
“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017
I finally got some time to test the prop. Below is a link to a video of how the prop performed.
The audio is terrible sorry I had to use my iPhone.
Mark Ingle
1660 SeaArk w/ 50HP Tohatsu
…Engineered to fish!!!
quote:
Originally posted by JumpNCobiaI finally got some time to test the prop. Below is a link to a video of how the prop performed.
The audio is terrible sorry I had to use my iPhone.
Mark Ingle
1660 SeaArk w/ 50HP Tohatsu
…Engineered to fish!!!
Thanks for sharing, this has been a neat thread. Glad it worked out for you. I remember a few years ago there were a couple of companies selling plastic/composite props. I think they were for 25hp and down, 50hp driving that prop and it lived is a testament to it’s strength.
It’s been a bit since I’ve got rapped up in prop science, but I believe somewhere just above or around the 50hp range is where the stainless props become superior over aluminum due to actual flex and aluminum loosing some pitch under full torque load. Be interesting to know the life of your new prop if it was put to full time use. Keep us all updated!
I had good luck with a composit 4 blade on my 25 merc. Run it for years but it met its demise on an oyster bed. Had one for back up for my 200 hp, kept it in the hold for years before I needed and used it and when i reved it up it blew a blade off think it was cracked in the hold before i put it on. Now have a stainless spare