CPO Quick Tip : Proper Balancing of an APC Propeller

I was getting frustrated trying to balance my APC prop that was going on the Bixler 2. I got the blade balance okay, but I was very confused about the amount of weight needed to actually balance the hub. I used the CA glue on a piece of fuzzy velcro to see just how much added weight I would need, and soon realized something was wrong. I was following all of the instructions I could find on prop balancing with the Du-Bro Tru-Spin balancer (very awesome and highly recommended balancer, btw) but things weren't working out for me.

As a last resort, I went to the APC website so I could contact them about some support for an out-of-spec prop...and then...I saw something on their website that changed everything. It was a major "ah-ha!" moment for me. It turns out the standard method for prop balancing that everyone shows is not necessarily correct for the APC props. Ah...the joys of being a new builder. :-)

Reason: The center drill hole may or may not be straight and centered. Most of them seem to be, but my prop had it WAY off center. This is okay, because when mounted to the motor, it doesn't really come into play. However, if you balance using that hole, and it is off-center, then you'll have similar problems as I.

So, in this video I show you how I tried to balance using the standard method, and then I show you the preferred method based on the instructions from the APC website. It turns out my prop was in good balance, even though it didn't look like it from the start.

Of course, this may be common knowledge to experienced builders...but I found it as a huge hang-up as a newbie, so thought I would share my experience and the solution.

Oh...and everywhere I say "precision cut" or "precision milled" just pretend I said "precision molded". These are really molded, not milled or cut. They probably drill out the hole after the molding process, which is why it isn't reliably centered.

Feedback appreciated. Thanks for watching!