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[logoman]

I have a few old model boats from the 1920's that have propellers painted red, with matching interiors to the ventilators.
Did warships ever have red propellers, or was this a thing that model makers did at the time?

[CGAux26]

There was a man in my boat club who painted his rudders red, so he could see them to steer better.  But props?

[BrianB6]

After 45 years I still have not got around to painting the rudder and the red plastic prop works well. 

[roycv]

Hi logoman, I have an old prop painted red and a similar pin locking method onto the shaft.  I am pretty sure it was a Web Fittings one.  I have a Web catalogue, and pricelist, showing all manor of model boat fittings all in brass or other metals.
I note that the ones illustrated are contra rotating, is that an electric drive?  If so which electric motors are they?

Four years ago I was offered an old model boat on the basis of "It is yours or it is going into the skip"!  I went to get it hoping for an old electric motor inside, so was very surprised to find a top of the range clockwork mechanism driving the prop.  It was a scratch built boat about 85 years old now. 

I refurbished it and fitted RC and she goes very sedately on the water for about 7 minutes.  Had to make my own winding key though as several commercial clockmakers who said they made winding keys did not want to know!

regards
Roy

[warspite]

From watching several programs on classic ships where a prop was fitted - i think it was the great eastern thats in Bristol, the presenter stated that the IK Brunnel design of prop is as as efficient as any prop since and it was painted red - now I dont know if thats the museum or the actual colour they found on it - is / was the anti fouling paint of the day a red, anyone know?

[logoman]

From watching several programs on classic ships where a prop was fitted - i think it was the great eastern thats in Bristol, the presenter stated that the IK Brunnel design of prop is as as efficient as any prop since and it was painted red - now I dont know if thats the museum or the actual colour they found on it - is / was the anti fouling paint of the day a red, anyone know?

That's interesting, and exactly what i'm trying to find out. Since all of the photo's of ships in dry dock that I've seen are black and white, it's difficult to tell.

[warspite]

other than the great britain (not eastern) image on a web search, only this is shown (well actualy a photo of the prop in dry dock of the MSC Maxine looked like it had a red prop)

[roycv]

Hi my money would be on the primer /anti-fouling of the day although the Victorians had great faith in red.  Many had red underwear as it was thought it kept you warmer.
Roy

[Akira]

Many of the "old" propellers were made of cast iron. It was strong, and cheap. also, many of them were not machined other than the bore. As for being red, red lead was a common anti rust treatment right up to the 1960's, although not on props then. I would suspect that red props were in fact covered in red lead to help prevent electrolysis and it worked great as anti fouling treatment as well.

[dodes]

All I can add is that I have seen many caste iron props in my time, all on tugs from steam to diesel. They were always black in colour the natural colour when submerged in salt water, plus I have seen a few large 4 bladed props in Naval Stores put out for disposal and they were black. I suspect that in real life if you painted propeller's at the next docking the paint would be worn off as saltwater is abrasive. The big props I suspect were spares for the old Empire class, since long gone, but naval stores have al kinds of obsolete stores tucked away in corners and forgotten about. Remember the SALMO in 1980 ordered a certain size shackle, but was told there would be a delay in sending it, when he asked why the storeman said it had been in store since 1929 and that arrived black.

[dodes]

I forgot to mention the delay was it had to be retested due to its age. But I always put black plastic propeller's on models of old ships. But we are a model boat group and I am interested in how the model looks 10 feet of in the pond so a red propeller does not bother me and I do use old red plastic props time to time.