RAF India propeller boss

[Garuda]

I have seen this, or a very similar propeller boss advertised online. It is stamped "RAF India". The owner has given me permission to post photographs of it within this forum, in an effort to identify it, or at least to be able to discover more information in relation to it.

What is the significance of the stamp "RAF India"? I have asked the owner of this boss to provide more information. In particular, I have asked if the drawing number is still visible on the boss.

[JR44]

The RAF had a small force in India at that time.
This looks like it was a trench art picture frame at some point, but the front of the frame and some engraving has been lost.

[Garuda]

Thank you very much for the information. Yes, it appears to be only the front three or four laminations. Unfortunately the glue used on these older propellers was not particularly strong by today's standards, and such delamination is very common. I transported my original Garuda propeller to Adelaide a few years ago. It involves many hundreds of Kilometres drive through the desert, and it was summer at the time. My car at that time did not have air conditioning. In the 40 plus degree Celcius heat I heard a very loud crack. When I examined the propeller there is no visible delamination, but during that incident a significant amount of timber delaminated instantly. A few weeks ago it was wet and cold here in Canberra. I have been cutting and shaping some timber, making patterns for a reproduction T.6296 propeller. When it was cold and wet the timber became so swollen that I was going to sand it, so that it fitted with the corresponding lamination at the boss. In the last few days it has been much hotter, and the timber has shrunk by about 1/16". I had some timber in the sun because I have been cutting more patterns, and it cupped significantly in the summer sun. Timber moves, warps, cups and shrinks if not stored in stable conditions. For this reason, if I ever travel with the original propeller again I will only take it in an airconditioned car.

[Dbahnson]

Woodworkers are well aware that wood remains "alive" forever, expanding and shrinking primarily across the grain and changing very little along the grain, with similar variations dependent on orientation of the grain (e.g. along the length of the blade).

So in many ways a four-bladed hub is a time bomb with respect to its's integrity, because one way or another the grains of individual laminations have to meet at right angles. This Fe8 hub is a good example of what happens, particularly when there is a single piece of wood used as a plate on the front and rear of the hub.

[JR44]

I am building another guitar kit at the moment and have built a shed/summerhouse in the garden for that purpose.
The weather is cold and damp at the moment so I cant really start putting it together or paint it until the weather warms up a bit and it's not so humid in there.
It's a completely different environment to a lovely warm house.
Things have changed shape!

[Garuda]

more photos

I have been sent more photos of the boss.