Day 1 of making a Corvair/Pietenpol airplane propeller 

Thank you for explaining the pietenpol, one of the most unique aircraft in all of aviation history.

girl you are one of those people who can teach more in 20 minutes than some in 5 years I am grateful to you for this

Просто песня и красота. Авиамоделист с 1959 года.

My grandfather told me to always carry a pocket knife. Not only is it useful but if you ever get lost just pull it out and start sharpening it. Within minutes somebody will come along and tell you that you’re doing it wrong and then you can ask them for directions. The same is true for just about any tool. At the end of the day it’s yours and your right to use it however you see fit. Keep doing you. Also, I just recently (maybe 2 weeks ago or so) found your channel and have been loving it. I’ve had it in my mind for years to build myself a prop; I’m old enough now to know that I will probably never get around to it. When I’m finally ready for one I will be giving you a call. A couple comments from watching a few videos now: - the speedball roller that you use to spread the glue is generically called a brayer (sp?). Not sure if that helps you find potentially cheaper alternatives, if needed. - in one video your father used a chainsaw to remove a section because of the thicker hub. I’ve seen you use a 4” angle grinder fir sanding. They do make wood carving disks that would have removed that excess fairly quickly. Cutzall and saburtooth are two of them. - in one video you had grandma helping move a blank through the bandsaw with the help of the rollers on the top of a planer. Rockler, at least at one point, made spherical rollers that were essentially round ball bearings trapped in a housing that could be screwed to a board. The benefit was that material placed on the could roll in any direction, making them ideal for things like bandsaws where you aren’t just feeding the material but also moving side to side. It would be extremely simple to screw a few 2-3” apart on a length I’d 2x4 and have the tops at the same height as the bandsaw table. One for in feed and one for our feed would support the prop 100% and you’d never have to hold the weight again. Want any info in any of the above just reply and I’m happy to email links. Thanks for the videos!

what a great family life! great crew.

Love the video. Love Katrina's cat suit.

As an aircraft mechanic based in Sydney, Australia, I have one comment to share. I LOVE the shop cat! It never ceases to amaze me how these cats just wander into our lives, select us and make us their slaves. The ones that pick us make the best pets.

I gotta give you ladies mad props for building these propellers! I'm here all day!

So glad that you are keeping a traditional hand crafted business going here in America. Good luck

THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH for just having your soothing voice narrating whats going on, and the true sounds of the equipment in the background instead of music, It is such a nice blessing in disguise. It truly envelopes the depth and artistic love you both express in your profession.

I always enjoy seeing straightforward, practical methods of making stuff, especially anything airplane related. There is no better teacher than hard earned experience and I learned a long time ago to listen to those who've been doing something for a long time. Bravo!

Please keep making videos

I'm afraid it was the shop cat that grabbed my attention. There's something about a cat that simply turns up and gives unconditional affection. I never ignore a cat's uncanny intuition.

Awesome Class A work.

Built by blonds, love watching the vids. I'm a third generation pilot. My grandmother ran the flight school. She was very much on empowering women in aviation. I would say she'd be proud of you ladies. Keep 'Em Flying!

Just fyi, we used that same glue in high school shop back in the 60's. Apparently no one has come up with any thing better. Great work.

I remember when Katrina first started with you. Runs that bandsaw like a champ!

Nice work👍

Just an idea to help you to not lose things like drill bits................Make up a shadow board (just look up making a shadow board for tools). I build furniture and make guitars (for myself and friends). When I have finished using a particular tool/item. Just put it back in it’s place on the shadow board and you are ready/set to go. For the next time you need it. Also your shadow board tells you if something is missing. As it’s not in it’s place. It’s just a useful thing to do.............if you are that way inclined. I was always losing/misplacing tools/items. Shadow boards have minimised that and I just find them useful.

I love your channel and want it to succeed. I suggest you try to do a full cycle of the life of a prop. Starting with a video of your wood supplier to the installation and first flight of a finished prop. Not that I don't enjoy seeing you girls work and the kids are a bonus. Hope they start working around the shop.

Beautifull job and beautifull worker

14:35 is the point where you realize there are still good children and parents in the world. Great propellers, but that is the crowning glory right there.

Enjoyed you videos. I have a pattern shop we make wood patterns for metal castings and fiberglass molds. You have similar equipement to us just us it differently. You also make the same thing every time , we almost never make the same part but we use the same methods. We still make by hand but we do sub out some cnc work as customers sometimes only provide 3D models of what they want. Usually we are remaking parts from drawings 30-100 years old. I don't think some of the new designers could dimension a drawing properly to allow a job to be made by hand. You are lucky to have the templates to work from. Can't believe you wear black clothing all the time but at least you can see the dust! Cheers Warren .

Supermodels making custom propellers... it doesn't get any better.

So beautiful wish you all the luck, because you have the skill, in the world!

Great to see true artisans making hand crafted products..................................stay safe, well and healthy.

Nice work..

As already mentioned an entire video of the production of a propeller with both Katrina and you would be great, for me it works therapeutic watching it, it’s almost addictive because of the calmness that is radiated by you both. Looking forward to it.

Props for sharing the great work you guys do!

Very interesting, thanks. Keep on smiling.

Great video, good to see craftsmen in action

11:45 mark cutest kitten ever

That's awesome! Great video, very interesting .

I've always been a fan of wood props, I actually made one in the same manner that you guys do. Used aspen and mahogany, then formed a brass leading edge protector with soldered on screws...more for decoration than anything as I'll never hang it on one of my planes. What I'd love to do is recreate a Jablo/Rotol blade, used on some British WWII aircraft. They used .6mm veneer, in ply counts up to 50 or more, with additional plies at the root of the blade. Ordinarily that would cause the root to be thicker, but they used some really high pressures to compress the plies to the same thickness as the tip while the glue cured. This gave the prop a much higher density where strength was of particular concern, and lower density at the tip that helped reduce centrifugal forces. The finished product in bare wood looks particularly stunning.

Very nice job, which tree use wooden

Always impressed with the skill and knowledge!

Man, that is a 'family' business :) Wonderful!

You are two amazing girls..fascinating work.

I think I'm in love!

Great video Alaina, you and Katrina do wonderful work. I love the workmanship you both put in to making beautiful functional propellers. Keep up the great job and keep making wonderful videos sharing your dream.

Thanks for sharing blessings to you and yours as always stay safe

Nice family and work I liked the four legged helpers too.

Good video. As a carpenter I know that feeling when you can only find the dullest drill bit in the size you need and then … when you stop for a cuppa, you find two or three of them! 🙂

really love watching the precision you put into these, very inspiring to watch.....best wishes.....Paul

Artist 😍

Fantastic. You two had my undivided attention. The manufacturing process of the props is very interesting. Ramble on Alaina, it all makes very good sense to me. You do a great job explaining things. Tnx. R.

Hi, i know nothing about planes or props but being a carpenter i really enjoyed how you make these, great channel, Hi from Wales UK.

Hi Alaina and Katrina, Two lovely women working to make what will be a finely crafted prop. Does it get any better!!! Hi to Grandma and you all stay safe.

I have little or no interest in Aircraft props but I do love watching people with skills and you have some real talent. Thank you for sharing your video.

LOVE! EVERYTHING! ABOUT! THIS! CHANNEL! AND ! THE! LADIES! Soor. I got excited.

Always good when team work functions well. You bought that one drill bit that always wants to hide from you. There is one of those in every workshop. (;-))))

This is cool

Love from indonesia..i like this video.

You are such a good narrator. Thank you.

Shear brilliance.

safety glasses using band saw!

Love the vids!

Large shops with repetitive tasks tend to setup workstations with all the tools that you need at that particular workstation (and not 'sharing' tools across workstations). Have you ever considered doing that in your shop? That is if you had a toolbox next to your glue up ... it might have rollers, pencils, clamps, a drill with the drillbit(s) you need. In by the mixing table ... the drill (a different one than the other stations) to mix, the mixer, stand for the filter. Then your not pacing back and forth so much and you have everything right where you need it. Not that your doing anything wrong, it just might help with misplacing things and keep you from walking back and forth so much.

Fantastic craftsmanship and an equally great channel. I know how hard it is to make quality videos; well done.

Gorgeous very well built women skillfully working in a quality specialized woodworking shop. Why wouldn't everyone watch.👌💕🔥

Sweet :)

I can feel the panic of losing a tool right in the middle of a time sensitive task. I used to go crazy looking for putty knives so I bought many and just tossed them about like gravel in the van in every box. Still I couldn’t find them at times.

Nice work have you made the prop for mikey McBryans prop for his Fokker DR1 yet? I’m doing the fuselage for him

Fun video! Always like to see a shop with kids and animals. BTW, if you don't know how to sharpen a drill bit, it's easy, once you get the hang of it (looks really weird first time you see someone do it).

Best props by far

😍🙋👍👍

I really enjoy your videos. That lathe is hypnotic I would watch hours of that. Thanks for all the explanations and stories too. I'm wondering how are new patterns made ? Or do you have enough now to not need new ones ? Cheers

Two beautiful girls, beautiful work and in addition is done just fine. In the next life, I would like to work for you. :-)

Wow wow G video

Nice Job

💗🌷❤

I love your craftsmanship but have you never considered some 5-axis CNC?

Consider using an electric blanket over/under the press during glue ups to maintain proper temps on cold days

With the Orbital Sander, from Day 3 you mentioned vibration. Mountain Bikers used to be able to buy fingerless gloves, with a gel in the palm that had the same squishiness as human flesh, (saddle covers too, but I cant see a use for one in your shop) the idea was to stop the vibration from some surfaces affecting hand and arm joints. I just wonder if those gloves might be a help for you with the orbital sanding hours? More of the Shop Cat please!

I think the black stretchy 'uniform' should be mandatory for all shop workers.

I thought the bandsaw position was deliberate. Standing back as far as you do to have control of the timber, if it was lower, it would really compromise your ability to see the cut line. So, although I judged it to be unusual, it got a pass from me. I don't always do what is expected with my little cnc lathe, but heck it is mine and I will use it as I like.

Next time I need something cut on a band-saw, I’m calling her to come to Florida and help me out!

Have you considered epoxy? The nano reinforced epoxy is vastly stronger than the wood it glues. With a mixing pump you simply pump and use. Just wondering.

Fantastic video! I’d love to have a prop for my wall. The bandsaw guard got to me too. I’d recommend dropping it to about an inch above your boards. I’d also recommend vice clamps on the hub first and add clamps further out before you drill your pins. You can see the glue squeeze out from the blades but none at the hub. This should improve your glue-ups.

You need a CNC ROUTER to cut out the various prop designs

Have you thought about selling some of your offcuts? I wonder if a pellet maker could recycle them? (pellets for fuel for bbq grills and smokers)

I'd like to see the whole process of how you make the patterns. How do you calculate the twist and how do you shape a pattern so that the twist is accurate? My understanding is that the amount twist varies from the hub to the tip. How do you allow for that with props of different diameters?

What do you do with all those wonderful cutoffs from the ends of those planks?

i thought it was a clever way to mention that this proyect was for peter sripol

❤❤❤❤❤🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

God Bless Texas! I love G.R.I.T.S. Girls raised in the South.

I see it’s (weld-wood) glue is it a Resorcinol type of glue ?. Lovely work I will be placing an order in the near future.

Probably a question you've heard a thousand times, have ya thought about a CNC??

I wonder if your kids ever took a prop to school for show-and-tell? Love to see a family involved family run business. About how many props do you make in a year? What is the smallest prop? What is the biggest prop? What is the oldest prop? How often do you make a new design? Is there any prop that stands out as unusual?

What happens to your cut offs?Do you repurpose those bits or does it become firewood?

Hello, please give me a link to the site of the aircraft designer, for which you are making such wonderful propellers.

Does the sanding of the bare woods prior to gluing key the material as well as making it smooth. And what grit is used on the pads?

what's the plane called you are making the prop for? trying to find it but don't understand it completely (sorry not native speaking English) I searched for "peeten pull air camper" :) Nicely explained.

How much do you charge for a prop going on a corvair engine? My uncle is making an airboat and he is still deciding on wether to use a corvair or some other automotive engine around the 90-100 hp range. Hes going to be buying a prop soon so I am curious how much these props run. Thanks

Where can I see and get prices on decorative props love the hand made look it's beautiful

What was the name of the orbital sander you used? I missed it when you said the name

my new, favorite RU-vid site....beautiful women making really cool stuff with serious skill.....

Inspired woman

I don't even fly airplanes, but think this is amazing. Have you ever considered switching to CNC machining instead of your current lathe?

And now I read that that DAP glue has ceased production. What happens now? I read years ago that resorcinol glue was close to the best bond possible.