Cleaning / polishing the propeller- how?

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cmedsailor

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How do you clean the propeller during lay out? I recently bought some kind of propeller brush made of “rubber hairs” (I think is a 3M product and it looks like “Propeller Polishing Coarse Pad 150mm Dia” in this site http://www.umc.co.uk/brushesandpads.asp ) that really cleans everything. Question is however, how hard I could use this equipment. I saw that simply by touching the propeller at such a high speed it cleaned off everything and hopefully not destroyed my bronze propeller. Do the bronze propellers have anything that must not be removed (any kind of “skin” to make them really shining). And lastly how could I make it really shining?
Thanks
 
If you bought the product from UMC it is almost certinly designed for use underwater and will depend upon the water for cooling and lubrication. If you can use it with an air tool and lots of water it may work OK out of the water. I have always used wet and dry (very fine) but have had reasonable results with a scotchbrite type pad on a mouse sander. You don't need to wory about the 'skin' on a bronze prop. but do take care to keep the edge profile clean and as close to original as possible to ensure efficiency. The finer the product used the shinier the propelor will become. The big question is how do you keep it that way when in the water?

Yoda
 
Go to B&Q. Buy a plastic bucket, rubber gloves, a disposable paint brush and a container of brick cleaner.

Put on rubber gloves.
Pour an inch or so of brick cleaner (actually mostly hydrochloric acid) into the bucket.
Hang bucket over propellor
Brush brick cleaner onto propellor.
Watch the wee beasties' shells fizz and dissolve.
Repeat until all blades, hub, shaft etc are clean.
Top up bucket with water to dilute contents, and pour down a drain
Hose off prop
Allow to dry
Polish with whatever takes your fancy

Before anyone says "it'll dissolve your prop", it won't. It'll actually do less damage than abrasives.
 
chrisbailey

I use vinegar diluted with water.
Put the prop in a large plastic container pour in a pint of vinegar top up with water so that the prop is covered and leave for 24 hours then wash off with fresh water. This removes the barnicals and calcium and leaves the prop nice and clean for polishing, cheap too.
 
Re: chrisbailey

That propeller brush I bought has cleaned everything very easily. No need for vinegar or any other liquid to do the job. However how could I polish it now to make it really shining? With a very very thin (800) wet sand paper?
 
Re: chrisbailey

Is there any point in getting such a high finish to a prop? Is there any evidence that this delays/prevents fouling?
I suppose this opens up the old debate as to whether you should antifoul the prop or use any of the (expensive) coatings sold for the purpose
 
Re: chrisbailey

Barnacle residue makes a fine grounding for antifouling paint.

Pressure spray, smooth, dry, paint.

Only on the sharp edges does the paint get spun/worn-off in use and the wee beasties don't like living on the edge either.
 
Thought of this but have Variprop with internal moving parts.

Went on web yesterday and discovered Meleroda Finishing Systems based in Salisbury.

Ordered sheets of Wet & dry to replenish stock in packs of 50 very cheap - can't advise on quality yet.

What really impressed me was that woman suggested a colleague phone me back regarding polishing prop. Surprised when they did and he then explained the products/tools they sell to propeller companies to polish props. He went to great lengths to explain everything - very helpful.

I have my bag of goodies on the way and will post on results later - proof of the pudding etc
 
Ok All goods order yesterday pm received lunchtime so good service from Moleroda. Came with catologue which indicates that these people are specialists for equipment for polishing/lapping metal. NB do not sell paint/GRP compound but many compounds for various types of metal.

Wet & Dry paper is german manufacture and looks OK. I used to use a lot doing car crash repairs and sometimes its worth paying the extra for 3M's.

Need to use this paper before final verdict (good paper does not crack or split easily when either dry or wet)

2 No 6" Mops (1 is Sizal - spell?) go into a high speed polisher or grinder and used on edge. Compound is a solid block that is melted onto edge of mop by pressing spinning mop against block.

Will be locked away in Garage tonight polishing prop I hope there is something interesting on R4!!
 
Had this question mentioned only a couple of weeks ago and I replied then with my method. Clean the prop with a rotating disc fitted to an electric drill. I use a nylon brush which has carbide bits in it used for removing paint and grafiti so it doesn't damage the prop. When its nice and shiny paint with half a dozen coats of `Owatrol` before launch and away you go. Done this for the last couple of years and result is NO fouling. Took me less than 5 minutes to clean the prop off last Monday and stick the first coat of owatrol back on a nice shiny prop. Pity the rest of the underwater side of the boat isn't so easy!!!!
 
That's a use for Owatrol that I've never heard of before.

A couple of questions. How much fouling was there on the hull? Are you in a high-fouling area?

The reason I'm interested is because I have a small amount of Owatrol left from anoher job and this could be a way of using it up.
 
Didn't do a mid season scrub this last season so at the end of the year I expected there to be quite a lot on the hull. Turned out to be the same as previous couple of years with lightist to medium fouling. I use the International CX2000 anti-foul from Jimmy Greens and it seems to work well here in Milford Haven. AS I mentioned above I always get on as many coats of owatrol as possible but you need at least six for it to be effective.
 
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