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How I make my blades


Stephen Jones
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Hi, Just thought i would share with you how i make my blades for Auto gyros.

There are many ways to shape a blade i am sure, but for me i found it hard work sanding square spruce to the right profile and trying to get a even profile full length.

So i found that B&Q sell 6mm pine beading just the same length as a sheet of balsa.

So i glued two to the edges of a sheet of Balsa 4 inch wide.

pine blade blank.jpg

pine blank 1.jpg

This was divided up into four blades.

I also decided to try a all Balsa blade with a small 5mm x 1.6mm spruce Leading Edge.

spruce strips blank.jpg

I used my router to make a slot into which i can glue the spruce strip.

spruce strips bank 1.jpg

 

Then cut up into four Blade Blanks.

blanks.jpg

Steve

Edited By Stephen Jones on 13/08/2020 17:44:46

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The Profiler,

So out of some spare wood i decided to make a slide bench to Profile my blade and all it cost me was some drawer runners .

profile sander.jpg

profile sander 1.jpg

Of coarse you need a blade to start of with onto which i stuck some sand paper so that it`s profile could be sanded into a hard block of foam.

profile sander 2.jpg

And then i stuck some sand paper onto the foam profile.

Steve.

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Posted by Richard Harris on 16/08/2020 14:26:42:

Steve,

Well thought out, have you tried the lighter blade with the hardwood under strip on the LE edge yet?

Rich

Hi Rich,

I have not tried them yet. I will be trying them on my lidl auto gyro .

As i have some damage on mine due to learning to fly as i guess everyone else has done during the learning process.

My main reason for wanting to try the new Balsa blade is due to how hard it can be on the sandpaper i have resorted to using a file in the past to get the leading edge to profile as spruce can be hard as nails.

Also it occurred to me that the leading edge needs to be hard due to blade strikes and hard balsa is easier to sand. After all it is only the top of the bade we are sanding.

Hobbyking blades where made out of foam with a plastic leading edge,

I could also use a wider strip of spruce on the under side if i want more strength .

I have found sanding the new balsa blades much quicker or it could be new new Profiler.

I will let you know when i have tried Them.

Cheers Steve, smiley

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Hi Martin,

Thank`s for pointing out that B&Q do scarf wood over a given lengths.

As wood is a natural product it would be very difficult to get a 3 meter lengths of straight wood.

So they do this with wood that is over a given length.

dowl.jpg

It is easy to spot.

However the wood i purchase is only sold in lengths of 900 mm.

pine.jpg

Which i checked before hand.

But i agree it is something to look out for.

Steve smiley

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Yes, i could of explained it a bit better so her goes.

profile sander.jpg

Above you can see i have a small piece of worktop onto which i have screwed some 3x2 and on top of that a small piece of skirting board that will remain stationary as both a guide and for my sanding tool to be mounted.

Next to the stationary board is a white piece of skirting board and that is on two Drawer runners so that it will slide back and forth with no slop as it is butted up against the stationary board.

I marked it`s center so i know where to position my sanding block .

I now marked a perpendicular line from the edge of the skirting board as a guide. now i know where to place my working blade the one with the sandpaper on, i used 3 small pieces of double sided tape to hold the blade in place making sure the blade is lined up with my lines. Sliding the white board back and forth to make sure it is correctly lined up 1st it was stuck into position.

I then mounted a foam block onto a hinged arm placed over the center line and Centre up with the blade.

Now all that is needed is for me to draw lines around the blade i stuck to the board and for me to slide the board back and forth with the sanding block above the blade this would in turn sand the profile into the foam i would keep sanding until the foam block is in contact with the sliding board.

I then remove my sanding blade as it`s job is done.

I now stick sandpaper onto the foam block.

Now to make a fresh blade i stick my blank blade carefully onto the white board making sure it is in the correct Orientation and in the lines i drawn on the board.

Simply sliding the white board back and forth with the sanding block held over it .

I best do a video to show how it`s done.

I hope this helps my head is pickled at the moment.

Steve.

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