Bronze prop antifouling
- Thread starter jerry_jones
- Start date
martinaskey
Member
I polish the prop but not to a mirror finish.
then apply teflon grease.
I suspect a lot gets washed off but the remaining layer seems to do the job for the season.
M
then apply teflon grease.
I suspect a lot gets washed off but the remaining layer seems to do the job for the season.
M
vyv_cox
Well-known member
Seems to be quite large tins for a single smallish prop. Our tin is small, 250ml I think, but looks as if it will last for years. A company in Chichester sells it in this size for £36.80, primer and A/F. http://www.navigatorsmarine.co.uk/velox.php
GrahamM376
New member
Darglow said definitely NOT to use any copper based antifoul on Featherstreams.
Laurie
Member
www.navigatorsmarine.co.uk/velox.php Am going to try it on my new autoprop
JensK
New member
What is brick cleaner?
Best regards
Jens, Denmark
Best regards
Jens, Denmark
Halo
Well-known member
Hi Jens
It is a commercial product sold in Do It Yourself type shops in the UK. It is used for cleaning wall bricks - especially those which have formed a layer of white scale or efflourescence over many years.
It is typically sold in 2.5 or 5 litre plastic containers
Chemically I think it is a dilute solution of Hydrochloric acid (HCl) which acts to dissolve the alkali or basic calcium type of scale
It really is amazing on bronze props and allows me to retunr mine to a mirror finish with very little effort over the winter
Martin
jwilson
Well-known member
I am a little puzzled why you should not use a copper-based AF on a bronze prop. Will contact with copper cause dezincification of the bronze, which is the usual problem with old props? I don't think so, but I have never had a chemistry lesson in my life.
The stuff Vyv Cox uses looks good, but I seem to have good results from a couple of thin coats of zinc-rich primer followed by just antifouling the prop (and the bronze skin fittings) with the same copper-based AF as the rest of the hull. Sailing yacht, so not a fast-spinning powerboat prop, which I know needs polishing to mirror.
The stuff Vyv Cox uses looks good, but I seem to have good results from a couple of thin coats of zinc-rich primer followed by just antifouling the prop (and the bronze skin fittings) with the same copper-based AF as the rest of the hull. Sailing yacht, so not a fast-spinning powerboat prop, which I know needs polishing to mirror.
Tranona
Well-known member
The prop he was referring to has stainless steel (316) blades, so not relevant to this discussion.
vyv_cox
Well-known member
It has been suggested many times that copper plating a prop should A/F it for life. It seems sensible and quite a few have tried it but almost nobody seems to have done it successfully. I suspect that the hardness of a pure copper coating, something like 60 Vickers, means that its erosion resistance would be very low, giving it a very short life. I don't know whether it is possible to plate with copper-nickel, which has good antifouling properties. Its erosion resistance is far better than that of copper, although that is not great either when compared with the brass of most propellers.
Nicholas123
N/A
How long do you leave that on for for it to work?
Slowboat recommended grate blacking last time & that's what I shall try in the spring.
GrahamM376
New member
Most feathering props are made from a mixture of metals. In the Featherstream's case, the blades are stainlness, the hub bronze and I haven't a clue what else may be inside the gearbox.
Halo
Well-known member
I just watch it untill it stops fizzing and then rinse the prop with lots of water
Took about 10 minutes last time
Grate blacking is for protection I think. This assumes a bare bronze metal prop being proptected by a zinc anode only and then cleaned up at the end of the season
JensK
New member
Thank you - I will try to find it
Jens
Jens
Laurie
Member
Re Velox:
Have ordered some..............I think it may be slightly? more critical than some antifouls in it's application? We'll see, but sounds and looks promising (see prior comments and piccies)