Bronze prop antifouling

[jerry_jones]

I have heard suggestions that using a hard racing or boot top antifoul on
a bronze prop is a no-no, and indeed, after polishing up with some wet-and-dry, I can see areas of copper colour on mine which suggest the beginning of dezincification. It still rings like a bell, so I trust I have caught it in time.

So how do people suggest I keep the flora and fauna off it this year?

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[yoda]

I have never had a problem using an errodable antifouling, yes it may become pollished to the point of not being there but you don't then have to rub it back! Of course if you spend lots of time motoring it may be different.

Yoda

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[philip_stevens]

What about "AQUALINE SPRAY - High efficiency self polishing copper free antifouling. Suitable for propellers, flaps and outboard motors. Suitable for aluminium surfaces."

on <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtpaint.freeuk.com/antifoul.html>http://www.yachtpaint.freeuk.com/antifoul.html</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>regards,
Philip

 

[poter]

This came up in a post recently...

Lanolin seemed to be the answer!


poter

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[Born_Free]

I've always used 'Xebo'. It's old fashioned fire blacking, just work it well into the prop and don't polish it up, works a treat on my old motor sailer on an 18" prop' , and I probably motor as much as I sail her, so it gets plenty of use, and nothing ever grows on or sticks to it. It's available from most ironmongers, or fireplace shops, the sort that sells woodburners and the like.

<hr width=100% size=1>I have nothing to declare, except my genius
(Sorry Oscar)

 

[Evadne]

I used erodable for many years with no ill effects, apart from the usual ones of not stopping the barnacles growing, but following advice here I now polish the prop., and get at least as good protection.
Reports last year on anhydrous lanolin were mixed, some swear by it, some say it doesn't stop growth but makes the beasties much easier to remove and one seemed to think it was some form of attractant, causing barnacles and kelp to grow uncontrollably. I suspect that its application and how the boat is used has a bearing on its effectiveness.

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[Laurie]

Is there any further consensus or not on the protection for bronze propellors? I have just fitted a Brunton Autoprop to my boat, and asked Bruntons for their advice: alas whilst on other matters they've been very helpful, on this they were non committal. I wanted to apply primer and then Trilux. Can this be applied to bronze? Even on Internationals website it was hard to get definitive advice.

 

[Poignard]

I've always used 'Xebo'.

I googled Xebo to find out more about this product and got some very strange results!

Perhaps you meant Zebo? :nonchalance:

 

[Halo]

I polished mine (Flex o Fold 3 blade bronze) to a mirror finish for the last 2 closed seasons and it only got some hard scale on it after a pretty intensive 8 month sailing season . After advice from this forum I used brick cleaner to remove the scale - it works like magic with a fizz as the scale is dissolved.
The prop anode was reduced to very little over the season and perhaps lanolin etc would reduce the rate of absorbtion but I wont be trying this.
cheers
Martin

 

[longjohnsilver]

There's a product called TK Line anti fouling which is aerosol from from Force 4 chandlery which comes highly recommended by people who have used it on the Mobo forum. I'm hoping it works well as I've bought 2 cans to use this spring.

 

[Tranona]

Problem is trying to get anything to stick to bronze. I have had success with Trilux and also lanolin, but if you motor a lot it does not last very long.

 

[Laurie]

Problem is trying to get anything to stick to bronze. I have had success with Trilux and also lanolin, but if you motor a lot it does not last very long.

Which would be good.......but, except barnacles I guess??
This is the first bronze prop I've had, but even looking at spec sheets, no one seems to say "this is for bronze props.". I reckon I'm going to try Trilux with a primer........?

 

[vyv_cox]

I have used Velox for two seasons, very successful indeed. It has its own primer but I already owned a tin of Hammerite Special Metals primer, so I used that. The red colour you can see in the pic is the Hammerite, the black is four coats of Velox. This was taken before pressure washing and with no scrubbing during the season. About four months in the water and 90 hours motoring. I thought the loss of Velox was maybe because I had followed the instructions for four coats, so next year I only applied two. This was far more successful, with very little chipping.

It is quite difficult to get paint to stick on brass and bronze but the Hammerite worked well. In the second year I did the P-bracket with the same combination, with equal success. I also did the log paddle wheel with Velox, pretty good results.

 

[Laurie]

This sounds the stuff, and thank you for your pictures...on an Autoprop too! If that is as lifted prior to washing after 8 months, that's superb!!

Thank you!.

 

[vyv_cox]

This sounds the stuff, and thank you for your pictures...on an Autoprop too! If that is as lifted prior to washing after 8 months, that's superb!!

Thank you!.

Here's how it looked after the second season. In the water May to August, a 700 mile cruise followed by lots of hanging about in the marina (in Greece) Not a great photo, I was under pressure from the yard gang! Excellent result though, almost no fouling and not scrubbed during the time afloat.

 

[youen]

How do you paint it?

 

[vyv_cox]

How do you paint it?

Half inch brush as far as I remember. The paint tins are very small so couldn't go much bigger than that if I wanted.

 

[youen]

Is it easy to apply?

 

[vyv_cox]

Is it easy to apply?

Very easy. Applies just like any paint. A bit on the viscous side, rather like smooth Hammerite.

 

[richardh10]

I've got a brand new shiny prop, and I was wondering what to use, and this Velox looks like just the job. Where can you get it from?

Cheers