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Fitting spinner

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
Someone recently gave me a foolproof way to find exact center on a spinner and now I can't remember it at all. Also, there is allegedly a foolproof way to find the exact 180 degree opposite point to cut the holes for the prop. Wondering if any of you have either of these or particular knowledge from experience on spinner installation in an RV-7A (fixed pitch) that you'd like to share?

I'd really like to do this this weekend so I can stay on schedule and have an engine start before Oshkosh.
 
Use a carpenter's square to draw a 90 degree angle and then bisect it with a 45 (a combo square is good for this). Make the 45 long and the legs of the 90 at least greater than half the width of the spinner. Now nestle the spinner so it touches the sides of the square (you can make a couple of rails if you don't trust your eyes; even a glued balsa strip will serve here) and the 45 now bisects the spinner. Mark the spinner where the 45 intersects on both sides and you have your 180 degree points. You can also mark the backplate this way and then either mark halfway between to get the center or turn the backplate and mark again. Connect the opposite marks and where the lines intersect is the center.
 
Turn the spinner over and hold a square so that it's corner is touching the inner surface of the spinner. The two legs of the square will intersect the spinner at points that are 180 degrees apart. Super simple.
 
Hello Bob,

For the 180 points we traced the spinner on one of the Drawings then folded the drawing so the half circles matched, open the drawing back up and you have the 180 points.

We mounted the backing plate on an old turn table then sat the spinner on and rotated adjusted rotated until there was no wobble then drilled for the nut plates rechecking for wobble. The spinner was dang close right out of the box, quality kits from Van's !

pk
 
Prop Spinner

Bob, I used my wife's sewing flexable tape measure. Wrapped it around the base of the spinner measuring the full diameter. Next divide the total and mark the spinner each 180 degree apart. I also cut out a template of the propeller curvature and marked this on the spinner 180 degrees apart. I used an old fashioned wood working tool used to duplicate a radius. Can't remember the exact name except "duplicator". It's made of small stiff wires kinds like a comb and they slide in the handle/base. I pushed it down over the prop where the spinner would nest on the prop and it duplicates prop cross section. Using my dremel I made small cuts until I had a rough fitting spinner, then I used the barrel sander on my dremel to make the final fit. By the way, my prop was setting on the spinner back plate and center using prop bolts. It only to me and hour or so to get the process accoplished. As far as centering the spinner I found that my Van's spinner was true. I have no wobble. Hope this helps.
Charlie, RV-7, Tucson AZ
 
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

spinner_jul_2.jpg
 
LettersFromFlyoverCountry said:
Someone recently gave me a foolproof way to find exact center on a spinner and now I can't remember it at all. Also, there is allegedly a foolproof way to find the exact 180 degree opposite point to cut the holes for the prop. Wondering if any of you have either of these or particular knowledge from experience on spinner installation in an RV-7A (fixed pitch) that you'd like to share?

I'd really like to do this this weekend so I can stay on schedule and have an engine start before Oshkosh.
Click to expand...

Bob,

Where did you find the cutout template? I am looking for one for my 9A. It is a Sensenich 70CM7S9 (79). I found links to Sensenich's website for a couple of templates but the links are old and dead.

Thanks!
 
mikehoover said:
Bob,

Where did you find the cutout template? I am looking for one for my 9A. It is a Sensenich 70CM7S9 (79). I found links to Sensenich's website for a couple of templates but the links are old and dead.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I just made it on my own. cut out some poster board to get it over a prop blade. Roughly positioned it then filled in gaps with the blue construction tape. Cut it off and transferred to the spinner. Cut it slightly undersized. Repeated.

Wasn't very high tech.
 
mikehoover said:
Bob,

Where did you find the cutout template? I am looking for one for my 9A. It is a Sensenich 70CM7S9 (79). I found links to Sensenich's website for a couple of templates but the links are old and dead.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The Wayback Machine works...:)

Here is the 70CM cutout for the 13 inch Vans spinner...

http://web.archive.org/web/20050922215911/http://www.sensenich.com/new/rv6cut.htm

and for the smaller RV-4 spinner and an O-320...

http://web.archive.org/web/20050909005141/http://www.sensenich.com/new/rvcutout.htm
 
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