Propeller Identification

[Drew]

Hi

I was given this half of a propeller off a friend and was wondering what is was off and if was worth anything.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Drew

[Dbahnson]

I can only tell you what's in Bob Gardner's book, which is that Cohen and Son was a furniture manufacturer listed in 1918 to 1920 but went back to furniture making at the end of WW1. So your blade is almost certainly from those few years.

Unfortunately, there were thousands of different models even during WW1, and without reference data and model numbers it's almost always impossible to narrow it down to a specific plane or engine.

Bob will be interested in the decal, when he chimes in here . . .

[Drew]

Thanks for gettign back to me.
Wow would not have thought that.
Yeah i thought it would be hard to indentify what plane it would be off as he didnt have the hub with it. But thats some interesting info on it.
I thought about giving it a light sand and then giving it an oil to put it back to looking better. Is there a specific oil i shoudl use on it, just dont want to wreck it.

[Dbahnson]

I thought about giving it a light sand and then giving it an oil to put it back to looking better. Is there a specific oil i shoudl use on it, just dont want to wreck it.

Don't sand it, even "lightly". There is nothing to be gained by doing that.

Bob generally recommends high quality beeswax. I've used linseed oil, which I think brings better "depth" to the appearance and then a coat of wax after the linseed oil "hardens" somewhat. Both protect the surface to a large extent.

[Dbahnson]

Bob is trying to post, but is being blocked by the software, which I'm trying to fix.

It's a never ending battle against spam on any forum, but I never thought the software would block a moderator and long time contributor on the forum. Yikes!

[Bob Gardner]

Test

This is a test reply. Bob Gardner

[Bob Gardner]

Yippee ! It works. Thank you Dave.

Bob

[Bob Gardner]

Drew,

Many thanks for posting this info. I spent many hours researching the Cohen company with almost no success, so I'm delighted to see your prop blade.

I have copied your photographs for my collection and will digitally repair them but could you email me a hi-res photo as well? My email address is aeroclocks at btinternet dot com, written thus to evade the spambots which trouble so many fora.

As Dave mentions, I have always used bees-wax on old wood. BUT it must be pure beeswax in a tin bought from B & Q. They and Sainsbury's also sell it in an aerosol form but this contains modern silicones which are powerful and often damage old surfaces.

As well as my photograph collection I also have a small collection, about fifty, of prop blades or sections of props, all with decals on them. If you ever wish to sell your blade I'd much like to add it to my collection.

Oh! and a postscript; I live in Yorkshire and would like to see your prop if you are not too far away.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Dbahnson]

Recently, I've been intrigued with the prospect of using high quality shellac on a piece like this, which will never have the value of an entire intact propeller in original condition, so I'm less concerned about the alteration in its "original" state than I would be with an intact propeller.

As I understand it polyurethanes were not developed until after the war, so props were varnished with either oil based varnish or shellac. As for appearance, it's hard to beat shellac for adding depth and highlighting color. It doesn't protect against alcohol on the surface but otherwise preserves the underlying surface quite well and can be easily rejuvenated.

I agree with Bob about anything with silicon it it. Silicon is almost impossible to reverse once it's been applied to any surface.

[Drew]

Hi Bob

Thanks for the reply. Yeah i was doing a bit internet digging and was coming up blank with that company as well. I will give the blade a wash and send through some more high res pics for you. I will do my best to get some better close ups on the logo for you.
Doing a digital copy of it would be good. With washing it, would you suggest just to use plain water or would soapy water be ok.
Also with the bees wax there a a few different types for woods, im assuming that i would get the natural colour one so as not to change the colour of the wood on the blade.
We dont have the brand Colron Beeswax here, i could get it on Amazon. There are a few here in Aust that i could use that are 100% natural.

Would love to show the blade in person but i live in Sydney Australia. Probably one of the reasons i was having a hard time finding anyone who knew anything about the company ect.

Cheers
Drew

[Bob Gardner]

G'Day Drew,

Yes, I was aware that Anglo-Saxons have spread world wide and I did wonder what your reply might be! A peculiarity about early wooden propellers is that only Anglo-Saxons and their derivatives seem interested in them. This is a generalisation of course but when I was a dealer in props a decade or so ago most of my sales went to Britain, Germany, Australia and NZ.

Washing your prop sounds dangerous. Proceed with caution. Don't splash water all over it. Use tepid water with a few drops of washing-up liquid. Clean it with a damp cloth. Try an experiment first by cleaning a small area on the back of the prop. Similarly with the bees-wax; try a small amount on a corner of the decal.

I look forward to seeing your prop when finished. Bees-Wax will give it a lustrous shine. And if you ever decide to sell it please keep me in mind. It has a value of £300 GBP which Google tells me is about 525 AUD.

With kind regards,

Bob