How to Make a Homemade Boat Propeller

silver boat propeller attached to green boat
What You'll Need
Aluminum or stainless-steel sheet metal
Tin snips
Metal saw
Paper and pencil
Safety gear
Welding materials
Weights
Vise
What You'll Need
Aluminum or stainless-steel sheet metal
Tin snips
Metal saw
Paper and pencil
Safety gear
Welding materials
Weights
Vise

Propellers are the most important part of a boat's propulsion system because a boat engine needs a propeller to move the vessel through the water. However, propellers are expensive. Luckily, with the proper tools and steps, you can make your own for the fraction of the cost of a new one.

Before beginning, keep in mind that building a homemade boat propeller from scratch is not an easy project. Therefore, the steps in this project should serve as a general outline.

Step 1 – Choosing Your Materials

First, you need to choose what materials you want to make your propeller from. Because the propeller will be submerged underwater, you should choose a material that’s resistant to corrosion. Stainless steel or aluminum are two of the best choices. While stainless steel is more difficult to work with, it is suitable for salt-water use, while aluminum is not.

Step 2 – Planning Your Design

Next, plan the design of your propeller. You can choose from either three- or four-propeller designs. Whether you use three or four propellers depends on whether you’re more interested in higher speeds or easier boat handling.

Step 3 – Cutting the Metal

Once you have your circle, you can start marking the design of the blades on the metal you chose to work with. While you could complete this step yourself, it might be easier to go to a fabrication company and have them cut a circle out of the metal for you.

If you choose to cut the circle out by yourself, take safety precautions. Wear safety gloves, a mask, and any other gear as suggested by the saw's manufacturer.

Step 4 – Forming the Homemade Propeller Shapes

To properly form the propeller, bend each propeller wing slightly outward. Depending on how pliable your material is, you can bend them by hand, or shape them in a vise.

Step 5 – Welding the Propellers to the Shaft

Warning: If you are not an experienced welder, you should hire a professional to weld the propeller to the shaft. If you are an experienced welder, make sure you follow all proper safety precautions. Keep in mind that, if you don’t weld the propeller correctly, it could fly off the boat and seriously injure you or another person.

Next, weld the finished homemade propeller onto the shaft. Depending on your skill set, you may complete this step yourself or hire a professional to complete it.

Step 6 – Balancing the Propeller

It's important to balance your propeller. If you don’t, it will shake while it's spinning around. Finding the perfect balance can be both difficult and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, so it’s best to hire a professional if you haven’t done this before. If you have, spin the propeller to see if it shakes. If the propeller isn’t perfectly balanced, you can weld weights onto different sides until it is balanced and revolves without vibrating.