I want to equip my flight box with a good prop reamer(s). I only fly electric so I'm looking for reamers that are good for plastic props. Should I get both tapered and stepped reamers or just one or the other?

Thanks for any reamer source leads.

Originally Posted by itsme2

Should I get both tapered and stepped reamers or just one or the other?

FWIW, I use a tapered reamer, and have been for years. Just go easy and from both sides. That is take a little off, and flip the prop, and take a little more off. Check for fit, and repeat. Fairly easy to get consistent results.

Problem with stepped reamers (for me anyway) is that one tends to go too fast with them, and then the hole is no longer centered. Seen it tons of times at the field. Also you will need to find one that is stepped for the shaft sizes we use with electrics (usually metric) as most, that I have seen, are sized for glow (Imperial)

Another nice option would be the step style drills often used for sheet metal work. It's like a tapered reamer but it has steps on it at some incrementally different cutting diameter. In using it for reaming a prop I'd go in from both sides to meet with the side wanted in the middle. If the hub is very thick it may have a step in it from the next larger size but you'd have a good 1/8 wide portion where the size is the one you want. Used in other ways the size needed could be cut at only one side or the other and the other left tight or opened up as needed.

The big advantage with them over the use of a tapered reamer is that if you cut a little too deep the hole is still the right size over some portion. Just that the portion with the right size is a little shorter than it would be other wise. WIth a tapered reamer if you go a little deep then the hole is opened up too far as well.

Here's a page from Aircraft Spruce showing what they look like. You'd have to do something about a handle. Also you may need to search for a metric one for electics.

http://www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalog...tstepdrill.php

I use a tapered reamer - works fine.

Originally Posted by BMatthews

WIth a tapered reamer if you go a little deep then the hole is opened up too far as well.

I do this a lot less once I got the feel for it; so to speak. If you do go too far, just wrap some electrical tape around the shaft to size it accordingly. Slice to the width of the prop first. I have also done this with masking tape for finer depth control. I've used this on up to .60 glow in my glow days, and up to 15" props (around 600 Watts) on electrics. I haven't had to try it (yet) with my +1000 watt setup, but I don't see a problem with it.
If you go too far for the tape trick to work ( should only need 2 or 3 wraps of electrical tape) then you need a lot more control . Also by that time too much have have been removed from the hub to be used safely.
Start with more wraps than you need, and remove/cut accordingly.

Certainly a tapered reamer is what I've used before too. And like you guys I never really had any problem with it. Sneak up on the fit and it's not hard to achieve a light press fit which works very well.

The Uni-Bit option just popped into my head for some reason when I put the posts about the stepped reamers and the taper reamers together. Seemed like a nice way to go if a guy could find the one that worked with the engines or motors that are used the most.

What about using a uni-bit on drill press, what could you use to hold the prop while drilling it?

Drilling plastic on a drill press is always a risky operation. It's just way too easy for the drill to snatch and spin the prop. So any time I drill a prop out using my drill press there is ALWAYS a block of something clamped in place to hold against one of the blades for WHEN it grabs and tries to rip itself out of my grip.

The Uni-Bit chip slot is steeper angled so it MAY prove to be less grabby. But I would not bet my fingers on it. Use something to stop the prop from moving in case you can't hold it.