Best custom prop maker?

[rjones3]

I'm working on a special electric boat project, and our team needs a company to get a prop to fit a Konny Motors lower unit. (it's an oddball straight shaft w/pin and diameter of .59", but we can machine spacers)

Our biggest constraints is we need counter-rotating props (two shafts on the boat), and something around 7"DIAx8.5" dimensions for the prop. Obviously, we need something typically available in hydro racing since they don't vent exhaust through the center hub.

Any recommendations?

Russ

**EDIT: By counter-rotating I mean I need a right hand and a left hand prop

[Graham]

Custom Props

Try Craig Dewald who is located in Reading PA. Craig may be able to help or make a recommendation. TP# 610-926-2964 shop. He might refer you to his Son David.

Sincerely,
Don Graham PS: Tell Craig that I gave you this info.

[alky6]

Oddball shaft

The oddball shaft isn't oddball at all (for an alky guy!) 15mm shaft with a 5mm pin hole. Make sure you get some good shear pins and use a lock nut and lock washer on the prop shaft. Good luck.

[Fast Jack]

Best prop maker

Craig is the best prop maker and he is the best prop maker for our sport. All of the J props come out of Craigs shop , He charges APBA Historical a fraction of the value of the props,and turns out custom work in a very short time .

[Bill Huson]

three's a charm . . .

#3 for Craig Dewald. He's the prop man fer sure . . .

[B Walker]

If your on a budget the antique PRO guys may be able to help you out. They turn the "wrong" direction. Not sure about your dimensions though.

One of the antiquers wanna weigh in?

Craig Dewald is my first choice as well, but Ron Hill may be able to help out with such an odd animal too.

http://www.hillmarine.com/

BW

[sam]

BW is correct, finding RH (clockwise) rotation props for a 15mm Konny will not be easy.

For matched pairs of newer more efficient props the thing to do may be to bore and bush 2 props intended for Mercury's larger Super Speedmaster racing lower unit. They are one of the few, later 20th Century units that used both rotations. You would also have to shorten the length of the prop's hub or make a longer prop shaft. If you were making the longer prop shaft, you might as well make it fit the prop. Dave Steckbauer may have some shafts that are junk to him, but could be cores to make shafts that fit in the Konny housing.

This would probably be the lest expensive and quickest way to get a matched pair of counterrotating props behind Konnys.

These props are most commonly found with 8.5" to 9.75" diameter and 15 to 22 inches of pitch. The diameter is easily reduced by a competent prop guy, but the pitch is pretty much stuck where you find them on these.

If the pitch is too high you may have to make a speed reducing gear arraignment. Pep Hubbell did this 60 years ago with a gear within a gear on the driveshaft. The top of the driveshaft that went to the lower unit had a cup shape with teeth on the inside facing up and the motor drove a gear inside it (similar configuration to an automotive oil pump, but bigger clearance). He also turned it over for overdrive configuration.

[Dave M]

Choices

You also have a few others that make props for our sport, custom.

Brinkman Propeller and Marine - Grass Lake, MI

Boat City Propellers - Bryan Tharp, Oaklahoma City, OK

Pinner Props - Flordia

Ron Hill - Hill Marine - California - www.boatracingfacts.com (owns website) Does a lot of pleasure craft and specialty stuff for application similar to yours as well.

I don't have my phone book with me currently or I could give you the phone numbers. Maybe some one will chime in and you can contact all of them and see what works best for your application.