HELP do i sharpen the edge to stop prop walking ?

[phillnjack]

ok here goes. this might sound like a few daft questions , but if you don't ask you cant be sure. or can you ?
I have 5 different props for my little outfit and all seem to give decent steering and each one a slight difference
to ride and speed etc.
But another prop I have that was a new old stock prop makes the boat try and twist itself.!!!!
With this particular prop I get bad prop walk and the boat tends to try and dive down to the front left when
wide open throttle is applied .
Been trying different props recently and none do what this prop does on my boat.
Today while admiring/looking at all my props in the garage (like we all do) I noticed what I am thinking is
the obvious, but now not 100% sure.
I am hoping what I have seen is the answer.
Now all my other props have sharp leading edges.
This particular prop is aluminium 3 blade 12 3/4 x 23 omc part no 390895
what I have noticed is the leading edge on this prop is terribly blunt, I would say its around 2 to 2.5mm thick
and absolutely dead flat !!!. (just as flat as a trailing edge)
I cant believe I had never noticed this before, and upon looking at other omc alloy props I have they are all thin and sort of sharp ish, definitely not blunt.
My 2 stainless props are razor sharp and don't give prop walk or twist like this one.
a 13.5x15 omc don't prop walk and neither does a 13x17 omc prop.
My biggest prop is a stainless 13 3/4x23 OMC silver streak (SRX). and that don't prop walk or try twisting the boat.
the engine I am trying this prop on is a 1995 60hp evinrude 3 cyl . that gives me 6,000 rpm with a 13x19 running the propshaft 6 inches under the transom.
cant get the boat out to try until after the weekend.
I am almost sure this could be my problem ,but asking before I sharpen it and possibly ruin the prop.
once I get a good idea if this prop size is any good I will be looking for a stainless version anyway.

so my Questions are
1/ would a very blunt prop cause prop walk ?
2/ would a blunt prop try to twist the boat ?
3/ should all props be sharp (ish) even alloy props ? or should alloy props be very blunt ?

so any help on this will be good

.

[phillnjack]

well taking the terrible blunt edge away worked wonders.
no prop walk and no trying to dive to the front left.
engine not really powerfull enough to get it much past 5,000 rpm, but upto that it worked pretty good with plenty of bite from zero up.
so now its a spare prop to keep for a while until it finds a new owner with a bigger engine who wants a ali prop.
I did not make it razor sharp, just got it smoothed out on leading edge.

[frederick55]

Glad it worked. Never heard that question or solution before.

[Magcat 62]

WHY even bother messing with a 50$ ALUMINUM prop? aluninum wont sharpen like ss too weak

[olboatman]

WHY even bother messing with a 50$ ALUMINUM prop? aluninum wont sharpen like ss too weak

Do to my own personal experience I have to disagree. Before I order a stainless prop for my performance boats I always modify my aluminum props to get close to the rpm and prop shaft location that I want. Then I use that info as a base line and ad or subtract for my starter ss prop. THEN the real mods begin! I know this may take more time but I like to tweek things. BTW I have sharpened leading edges on aluminum props to a knife edge.... I cut my hands on them way too many times forgetting to use a rag!!! Sucks to get old! Gary

[phillnjack]

the reason I sharpened the alloy prop was to get a rough idea if this size would work.
This was the thickest bluntest edge I have ever seen on a propeller and it was a brand new original omc propeller.
as for $50 prop, not in the uk it is not, it would cost over £120 here that's roughly $200 usa !!!! oh yes very expensive here for boat stuff.
that's why I fancied trying it for size before looking around for a stainless.