How-to Article...
Convert that old case into a handy propeller carrying case...
The case is an old Underwater Kinetics case that I used to use as a transmitter case. The UK cases and comparable Pelican brand cases are fairly expensive and might be overkill for a prop box, but you can rest assured that your valuable propellers will not get damaged! The same kind of prop box could be made using a less expensive case.
I started by gutting the bottom section of the case where my transmitters used to sit. I made a raised board that would fit in the bottom of the case and keep the props snug against the foam in the cover of the case. The board was made using old pieces of ¾" hardwood flooring. Again, probably overkill, but when you have free stuff laying around, why not use it right?
The propeller holders were made with 3 inch long ¼" carriage bolts and nuts. I marked the bolt locations on the board and drilled them using a ¼" drill bit. The bolts were inserted through the bottom side of the board and held in place with a nut. Once all bolts were mounted and firmly tightened, I made a soft foam piece that fit over all of them to protect the bottom side of the propellers. The bolts are sufficiently long to accommodate any of my gas props and I use another ¼" nut on each to hold the propellers in place. When the cover is closed, the foam in the cover of the case softly cushions the top of the props.
The case I used is 17x10x7 inches deep and easily holds 30 gas props.
The nice part about this prop box is that by building a raised board I can actually take along all my prop working tools with me for tweaking at the lake. As can be seen in the pictures, it will easily allow for cupping pliers, files, prop balancer and even a prop duplicator to fit inside the box, safely cradled in the lower compartment.
The downside (there usually is a downside) is that because of the materials used in the construction, the box is a little on the heavy side. The sturdiness, however, makes up for this in my opinion. You could actually jump up and down on this case all day and not damage your props!
Happy Boating!