Titanium Prop??

[Big D]

Looking for info on a prop. I believe it's titanium? Picked this up 20+ years ago when I bought on old Hondo / turbo motor package. Looks new and does not appear to have ever been ran.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[REXCRAFT1]

WOULD LOVE TO KNOW ALSO

 

[gottaminute?]

Looking for info on a prop. I believe it's titanium? Picked this up 20+ years ago when I bought on old Hondo / turbo motor package. Looks new and does not appear to have ever been ran.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

IF i had to venture a guess.....

ACE would be the same Ace Industries on Pioneer blvd , near the 605 and slauson ave that built the Champion v-drive and sold through Nicson. Our family did a lot of work with them (60s & 70s) balancing fancy turbine impellers. I remember my dad saying they had made some some drag boat propellers from solid chunks. They did a lot of blade shaping/finishing using pantograph machines. Think 3D enraving. I don't think "titanium" was ever mentioned, but i remember there was an issue with the strength due to cutting through the Grain structure. Breaking or just not being able to maintain the shape, not sure as i was too young to understand the specifics.
Someone there was into drag boats at the time and one of the other guys built a fixture for their balancing machine so he could spin a fully assembled (pressed together crankshaft) honda 4 cyl motorcycle engine . Crank, rods , pistons(in teflon cylinders) and all. They were definately capable of making that prop.

a long time ago......... it would be crazy if one or more of them had survived...... then again, i could be way off base.

pat

 

[warpt71]

If you havent ran it in 20 years, what are your plans for it?

 

[twocents]

The only titanium propeller I was aware of was made back in 1972 for the offshore v-drive race boat (Spectra 20' #87) driven by Gil Gilbert and co-piloted with Rick Fowler who was employed by Spectra Marine to do custom rigging. The company that made the titanium propeller used the brand name ACE. The company was located in the Culver City/Marina del Rey area very close to Hughes Aircraft/Helicopters. The company specialized in machining titanium helicopter parts for Hughes. The prop on the #87 Spectra was a two-blade (11.25 x 15" -- for 1.125 shaft diameter) and machined from a solid block of titanium. At one point the company had ambition to go into production on machined titanium props for racing, but soon realized that the cost factor was too steep, even for boat racers. Not sure if more than one of these props was ever made.

 

[Big D]

If you haven't ran it in 20 years, what are your plans for it?

Just wanted to see if it had any historic or monetary value. Just a conversation piece for now.

 

[lenmann]

Just wanted to see if it had any historic or monetary value. Just a conversation piece for now.

You said you "believe it's Titanium". What leads you to that belief?

Not challenging your belief, just trying to learn here.

 

[bonesfab]

I had a customer that does 3d printing scan the prop off my boat. He supposedly had one printed in the same material they make turbine wheels out of. Titanium inconnel combo of some form. He moved away and I never saw it. at least I got my old prop back.

 

[SPECTRABRENT]

This would be the 87 Spectra 20 twocents is speaking about

 

[Big D]

You said you "believe it's Titanium". What leads you to that belief?

Not challenging your belief, just trying to learn here.

from what I can tell, it's not steel or SS. The appearance seems to be anodized blue. Somewhere along the way I was lead to believe that it was Ti?

 

[white tortilla]

I’d assume that it must be extremely lightweight which would lead to the titanium inquiry.

Otherwise just another thought based off the color alone. I have had some underwater Vdrive gear “blued”, the process which guns would go through, and results have looked similar to that propeller color.

 

[025]

A sanding disc will throw white sparks it it’s ti

 

[Cal509]

If you really need to know, I can have our metallurgist shoot it with a XRF scanner that can identify materials.

If titanium, it would be very expensive for plate in that size and thickness.
Commercially pure or alloy Ti (6Al-4V, for example) would be no picnic to machine.
Casting, then finish machining would make more sense for titanium.
And casting strength and fatigue characteristics depends on the quality of the casting.
No mag particle, as neither Inconels or titanium materials are magnetic.
Just liquid penetrant or radiography.

For the record, Inconel and titanium materials are as similar as night and day.
About the only common characteristic between both is that they are metal.

The color of the prop indicates to me that perhaps a thermal treatment process of some type was used.
The "bluing" is typical of titanium that is subjected to elevated temperatures (>500F) as it indicates surface oxidation.

Titanium would be a poor prop material as it has 1/2 the stiffness of stainless steels or Inconel alloys, for that matter.
Aluminum is worse, which may explain the difference in blade thickness and profiles.