Boiling props ?

[jim gilmore]

I think I remember many moons ago boiling nylon propellers. I wonder if age meant I should boil my nylon props again. But I have only a memory of the original instructions that came in a box of nylon propellers.

[Bill Sawyer]

I have never boiled nylon props. But then I haven't used any for several years. I have some new 3 blades and wonder if I should but also don't know why it should be done. Maybe someone can explain it.
My wife cuts the ends off cucumbers and then rubs the cut off pieces on the cuke. she says this stops them from being bitter. I can't figure that one out either.

[John Harold]

From the little I've read on the subject, boiling nylon props replaces the moisture lost from the product over time. I know some Combat fliers who boil ( and dye ) their nylon Taipan props. I've also read that boiling isn't necessary, 48 hours in a bucket of cold water has the same effect.
Don't know about the cucumbers Bill, but, I've found a little salt on a sour lemon sweetens it up.........John

[Stan Tyler]

I remember being told to boil the old Tornado yellow nylon props before using them. As I recall, it was to take some of the brittleness out of the nylon molding so that the props were less prone to fracture and throw a blade in use.

[Steve Helmick]

Somebody gave a club member an old trainer with a McCoy 19 redhead on it, complete with a yellow Tornado nylon prop. When they tried to start it, the prop threw a blade before it ever got started, and my recollection is that it didn't even backfire. If you gotta run those old props, boil them, for sure.

Modern plastic props are generally nylon with glass fiber molded in. There are something like 60 different types of "nylon", so they're likely not all the same. I don't think anybody boils the 'glass reinforced props to soften them, but we do have some locals who dye them for various reasons, and that does involve boiling water, so it must not hurt anything. They still break, when you hook up the controls backwards. Seen that happen.

Some modern props are made of "vinyl", without the glass fiber. Bolly Clubman and (I think) Thunder Tiger Cyclones are among these. They still break, but break somewhat differently...a chunk off of the tip, vs. the entire blade breaking off at the hub. This opinion comes from a fairly small sampling, however.  Nobody I know has tried to boil one of them, but it might work the same, or not.  Steve

[Neville Legg]

Be very careful with old nylon props! If they've been left exposed to sunlight for any period of time, they will break very easily, just flex them in your hands you'll see what I mean? They were never intended to be used on these modern high revving, high torque engines!

Cheers    Neville

[john e. holliday]

I have several coffee cans full of the old yellow and white nylon.  As stated, flex them before you even consider boiling them.  The ones I have sit in a basement for 40+ years.  DOC Holliday

[jim gilmore]

Neville Legg, whe3n you say todays high reving engines you are reffering to running the engine higher than 10-12k right ?

[Scott Hartford]

When boiling props, I usually add some chicken base, then some diced potatoes, carrots, peas, noodles and a pinch of parsley. It doesn't do much for the props but it tastes good!

[john e. holliday]

Jim, I guess he didn't realize in the day that our combat and rat race engines turned in excess of 15 grand.  Eapecially when using crankcase pressure or baby passifiers.  I also never boiled a prop as most never lasted that long, except for rat racing and I still didn't boil them.  DOC Holliday

[Neville Legg]

Did you use nylon props for rat racing? Most flyers here used wood! and glass fibre for team race, (Bartels) I've seen a few thrown blades (nylon) on radio models in our club in past years, so much so that our committee considered banning there use!! Whether the blades had been damaged or not we never knew! I had a white nylon (Keil Kraft) break on my finger one frosty morning, when an Oliver Tiger caught me unawares! The other thing is they flex all over the place when the engine is running losing you power! Just be careful with them! especially if they are old!

Cheers     Neville

[jim gilmore]

I flew 1/2a with nnylon props for about at long as I can remember/ I did boil my props and I did break a few. But they didn't snap very often.

[john e. holliday]

Did you use nylon props for rat racing? Most flyers here used wood! and glass fibre for team race, (Bartels) I've seen a few thrown blades (nylon) on radio models in our club in past years, so much so that our committee considered banning there use!! Whether the blades had been damaged or not we never knew! I had a white nylon (Keil Kraft) break on my finger one frosty morning, when an Oliver Tiger caught me unawares! The other thing is they flex all over the place when the engine is running losing you power! Just be careful with them! especially if they are old!

Cheers     Neville

This was in the days before glas fibre props.  Also the circles were grass everywhere except Wichita Ks in those days and wood would break too easily.  I remember when guys went to the 8-8 or 8-7 props they started having problems.  I would run 9-7 in heat and 9-8 in finals.  Also remember we only had two racing events,  Rat Race and Team Race.  DOC Holliday

[Bill Sawyer]

What are the gray Tornado props made from and do they need boiling?