Previously named "One good turn deserves . . .Another".

Though I have several going at one time here is another to sink your fangs into. This tutorial will be about doing wood laminate propellers. To start with here are the original diagrams that were my beginnings. Done by the great Bob Horton, who taught me how to do these. First familiarize yourself with these then we'll talk.

As I have mentioned before, some manufacturers did not clear varnish propellers but shellaced them. To do laminations on propellers you can either laminate woods with expoy or enamel paint kit items. I could post either method but painting is a bit quicker for most modelers to do. You almost have to have a separate setup to use woods.

A. For woods;

1. A box of rubber / latex gloves.

2. various thin woods from dollhouse marqueting sheets for floor planking and etc. The thickness is important here.

a. bass wood

b.mahogany woods

c. walnut

3.Clear varnish, semi gloss is best for small scale.

4. Homemade wire supports to hang them on while drying.

5. Beau coup Xacto blades (#11 are best.)

6. The lanimations should be an average of three of two kinds. 3 bass 3 walnut etc.

Here are some modern replica wooden props on full scale flying WWI types. These may give you an idea where we will go.

Here is my 1/48 build of MvR's Dr.I 425/17 with a three wood laminations variation instead of just the two.

Here is my 1/28 scale build of Oblt. Udet's early Schwerin Fokker D.VII labeled "Du doch Nicht!!" which means "certainly Not You!!" The prop is a wooden one that Martin Digmayer carved out from one piece of wood and he used varnish applied in layers to create the laminated look.

Here is a laminated prop with walnut and bass wood on a 1/48 build of an Albatros D.Va.

Here for MerlinV is a four bladed prop with three woods in the laminations on my 1/48 Fokker V.7. I made two identical layered blanks (see step 4 above) and cut them down on the same pattern. Then I Lincoln log cut the hubs to fit. Viola.

The dollhouse woods I mentioned earlier often come with a gummed backing that needs to be scraped off. Soaking with solvent and scraping is the best way to remove it.

Greetings all

The diorama "Home from the Front" is one of my older 1/48 builds. Done before the Eduard Albatros D.III was released it incorporates resin copies of the Eduard Alb. D. Va wings and the Glencoe fuselage. The wood veneer is the marqueting wood I spoke of earlier. The prop is laminated wood as well. The pilot is an OOP item from Van's Scale Modeles. The mechanic is a modified CMK item.


The build depicts a late built Albatros D.III that has a replacement lower wing. The red brown had been deleted from use by the time this machine was assembled on the factory floor at Johannistahl. It was one of the few D. III types still with Jasta 5 during the late winter of 1917-1918. It is believed to have been used by a Ltn. Stroebel and is shown here having returned from an uneventful but cold patrol on 24 Dec. 1917.

The Albatros D.V 1119/17 has a painted kit propeller and represents the machine assigned to Oblt. E. von Althaus Commander Of Jasta 10 during July 1917. When MvR returned from his head wound treatments reports came to him that caused him to transfer von Althaus out of JG.I. The insignia is from the international Morse code and displays the letters "HA". This goes back to the days when he was refered to as "Hussar Althaus". Cavalry in the field began Morse code tranmissions with such identifyers.



This is Alb. D.V 4594/17 as flown in Oct 1917 by Ltn. Paul Straehle of Jasta 18. He took this machine with him to Jasta 57 when he was named commander.

Here is a recent painted kit propeller from the new Roden 1/32 scale Pfalz D.III kit review. I have done here at Aeroscale.

Now finally here is the most recent effort. This kit prop was painted to represent the laminations. (Done for the VVS air campaign.)

Aaah, that would be a Pune, or Play on Words...

Stephen, you have obviously spent many hours perfecting this technique!
I have to say your examples whether laminated or painted are exemplerary!.

Thanks heaps for posting this tute.

Cheers,

Hugh

What were those reports? Was it a personality clash, or reports if von Althaus losing his eyesight?

There was supposedly some blackmarket activity. MvR had to treat him with kid gloves because not only was he nobility but he was a holder of the Blue Max as MvR was. There is more to the story but its not for publication here.

Is anyone interested in the secret of painting the look of simulated wood laminated propellers?

Stephen,
Please, by all means, do continue. Since my time and space prevent me from starting even a modest wood shop, painting these laminations is my only real option.
Dwayne

That should be a full feature like the Digital Diamonds

Damn! Yes please.

Cheers,

Hugh

These really look superb. Absolute class!

Ok first a bit of text.

1. white sheet of paper or 3X5" card one or the other it won't matter.

2. draw a line veritcally (north to south).

3. Lay your prop down, center it on the line with blades at horizontal. (East to west).

4. Mark on the paper the end points of each lamination.

5. in #2 pencil mark on the edge blade / paddle the same as #4.

6. Your propeller should be a base colour of varnished wood.



7. On the front face of the paddle apply your darker lamination colour like a narrow Nike swoosh icon.



8. From the paddle edge the lamination narrows down to the prop hub in a narrow stripe.

9. Photo references that I have posted earlier should be reviewed.

10. After dry use clean thinner in a brush to straighten the dark lamination edges. This also adds wood grain to the base colour.

11. Once done rotate the other blade / paddle to the same loction and duplicate 4-10.

12. Once dry flip over to the back paddle faces and use the dark lamination edge on the paddle to bring more dark paint down to the propeller hub.

13. After dry use clean thinner in a brush to straighten the dark lamination edges. This also adds wood grain to the base colour.

14. Rotate to the other paddle / blade rear face and repeat.

Greetings all; Here are two half completed propellers from the Roden Bristol F.2b kit. Note the laminations are opposite in locations. Note the colour at the hub and then how they go out to the tips.

NOTE! the curve of the laminations ALWAYS are on the front leading edge of the propeller.

Any questions?

A very simple and useful tecnique..thank you for sharing. I have just used this on the prop for my albatros Im working on and it looks good.TY