best method using oxalic acid

john m

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just recieved 5kg of oxalic (25 pound deliverd) and want to use it on my 35ft boat white grp very feded what is the best method and mixing
 
I tried the trick of mixing with some wallpaper paste so it wouldn't run down the topsides. The paste was a PITA to remove /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I won't be doing that again, unless someone knows what went wrong?
 
I dissolve crystals in warm water 10% by volume.
Then put it in a small hand spray with a fine nozzle - something out of the garden centre. Spray on hull, leave for awhile. Repeat until stains disappear. It leaves white streaks on the antifouling. You need protection. The H&S people will probably have me arrested
 
I have found that Y10 [which is basically oxalic acid made into a paste] works much better on a warm day. The first time I tried it was on a freezing cold day and it didn't work at all. Then I tried again on a warm day and it shifted the brown stains like magic.

The technique I use on my 28 foot boat is to start at one end paint it on with a paint brush, just like applying wallpaper paste. Having got to the other end, I go back to the starting point and wash it off with hot soapy water and a plastic washing up pad. A hose won't shift it because it clings to the hull, although a pressure washer probably would but I don't have access to one.

I find I need to redo it every year and I use about 4/5ths of the jar [400gm?].

My gelcoat is 40 years old and I have been using Y10 on it for about 8 years. The previous owner used to use Jif. Last year I got a man to polish it and it came up shiny and white. Although it doesn't have that overdone kitchen appliance shine you see at the boat shows, it's a long way from needing to be painted.
 
It hasn't shown any signs of doing so in 8 years but I don't leave it on for more than about 20 minutes. You could always email the manufacturer and ask their advice.
 
Any of you guys ever tried citric acid ? I did and it works as good as oxalic just let it react a little longer and it is less toxic ! Hydrochloric acid works as well . You buy the concentrated solution in the supermarket and dilute 10 times with water . I think this is the cheapest .
 
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