OK are you ready for a stupid question.
 

What exactly does lab your prop mean?
or
What exactly is blueprinting your prop?

Re: OK are you ready for a stupid question.
 

Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question........only stupid people.:D :D

OK!

So what does it mean to have a prop Labbed or Blueprinted?

As far as I know....it consists of trueing and thinning of the blades.......

And secondly....props are very rarely true to the size they say they are.....they vary quite a bit..........tolerences I guess......

It can run some money but usually always ends up benefiting the speed and performance of your sled........;)

It means the same thing. To bring the propeler to the ideal shape or to machine it to the factory specs the way it would be if they could make a perfect mold. They thin the blades and check the pitch and rake and the shape of the blades. This usually increases the engine rpm by 200-300 rpm as long as your not up against the rev limiter. It also will allow you to run a bigger prop than you normally would be able to.

Blue printing
 

As a machinist I can tell you "blue printing" is making sure that the part, a prop in this case, meets the specs and tolerances that are specified in the original blue print. The same thing holds true for engines. I have heard some wild stories about everything from making a blue print for a specific HP or combo, to engine builders actually giving someone a blue print for their engine.

I don't know about "labbing" a prop, but my guess is it is a process that takes the "blue printing" one step farther. In as described before, thinning, shaping, and insuring proper pitch.

Propellers for air craft was one of the first widely used uses for the CNC (computer numerically controlled) machine centers. These machines make it much easier to produce high quality parts with tight tolerances, as little as .0007 of an inch and sometimes less, over and over.

Aren't computers wonderfull :D

Didn't mean to run on, I just love my work. :cool:

Got it, thats for the info.

Hey Makino, Machinist, is that the same as Tool and Die maker?

There are some pictures of Mercury's lab finishing shop in the March 2002 issue of Hot Boat Mag. Look for the "Shop Tour" article, gives an inside look at Mercury Racing.

'In one photo, you can see all the hundreds of blade patterns they use for 'blueprinting' or "lab finishing", all hanging on the wall.

There are some pictures of Mercury's lab finishing shop in the March 2002 issue of Hot Boat Mag. Look for the "Shop Tour" article, gives an inside look at Mercury Racing.

'In one photo, you can see all the hundreds of blade patterns they use for 'blueprinting' or "lab finishing", all hanging on the wall.