Stainless Propeller Concerns

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Hello,I have a customer that wanted me to weld a rather large crack on his stainless propeller. The crack is about 3/4 the width of one blade. My concern is this: I thought "no big deal...just weld it up and send him on his way". However, my brother and several others stated that this might become a liability if the propeller blade fails under service. My thought is "what the he** do I know about propellers? I just know how to weld stainless".I will tell him that I have no idea how the propeller will react under a load and I will assume no responsibility if it should fail....Anyone have experience welding up propellers ? goo or bad?  Just looking for a little more input before I do the job ... If there are too many red flags then I will just decline the job.Thanks for the inputKell
Reply:A co-worker I used to work with welded stainless props all the time for friends and friends of friends of his with no ill effects. After they were welded, they were ground and polished smooth and you could not even tell they had been repaired. If you know how to weld stainless, and have done it for enough years to be confident in your work, I say do it. I know I would.
Reply:Well also not that not all SS are meant to be welded. Try to find out what alloy it is and then we could probably tell you if it's even a weldable grade. --Gol'
Reply:Thanks for the quick replies! I will see if I can find out what type of stainless the propeller is and go from there... Seems like a "no brainer" to me .... been a tigger for over 20 years now .. (man I'm gettin old!)
Reply:Hopefully this is a boat and not a plane!! I would make sure the thing is properly balanced after welding it.I love the smell of burning metal!! Started with a O/A torch, got a millermatic 180, then a old miller dialarc 250 HF watercooled tig.  This is not a cheap hobby!!
Reply:If you're unsure of the grade, just weld it with 309. It will be fine, I fix them often. One of the shops I do stuff for is Hering propellors. They make fast, FAST props. They weld them up all the time, no ill effects.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Originally posted by jgorm:Hopefully this is a boat and not a plane!! I would make sure the thing is properly balanced after welding it.
Reply:Originally Posted by kjemisonHello,I have a customer that wanted me to weld a rather large crack on his stainless propeller. The crack is about 3/4 the width of one blade. My concern is this: I thought "no big deal...just weld it up and send him on his way". However, my brother and several others stated that this might become a liability if the propeller blade fails under service. My thought is "what the he** do I know about propellers? I just know how to weld stainless".I will tell him that I have no idea how the propeller will react under a load and I will assume no responsibility if it should fail....Anyone have experience welding up propellers ? goo or bad?  Just looking for a little more input before I do the job ... If there are too many red flags then I will just decline the job.Thanks for the inputKell
Reply:Originally Posted by kjemisonThe crack is about 3/4 the width of one blade. Kell
Reply:Yes Dave, they are using a special pitch correcting machine, a balancing rig, and most of the work is done on CNC machines. It is very interesting to see them tune a prop, and the pitch is different on the blades on purpose, one bites, the other slips, they basically alternate. Straight voodoo. All the props I weld are either turned into spares, or are low speed junkers. Nobody in their right mind is handing me a $5000 prop and asking me to make it work better; it just isn't going to work out that way!!!!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:the prop can be welded using 309 or 308 filler no big dealas for being bent it very well can be  as dave said..  i use pitch blocks  and a pitch gauge/rake gaugeto check for being bent,  then weld up,ground down then, polished back to the finishOH !!! NEVER STRIKE  WITH A STEEL HAMMER use a brass or copper hammerhope this helps or he can ups it to me  and i'll do it
Reply:Hey prop-doctor:You have water big enough for power boats in Oklahoma?  I drove through there about 26 years ago, all I saw was prarie dotted with oil wells.  Didn't see any water big enough to float a canoe!  -MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:LOL:   why yes  there are 20 lakes within 1- 1 1/2 drive from me im in the northeast corner of OklaGrand Lake is one of the biggestclosest to me is Fort Gibson only 5 miles away we have more shore line in the state than the east coast and gulf