Bronze prop - Paint or Polish?

[vyv_cox]

Of course, I hadn't considered the anode.

Painting the prop reduces the cathode area, thus reducing anode loss. Our prop and shaft anode life has doubled or more since we started painting our prop.

 

[Daydream believer]

That's interesting, I would have thought grease would wash off very soon. Any particular grease, or just a gen. purpose marine grease? I do have some copper grease, the stuff used on brakes.

I have a number of 5 litre tins left over from my joinery works. It means I can plaster it on liberally. . It is just high speed Shell machine grease I used for maintaining the machines.I do not think it washes off immediately & I think that it maintains a film on the boss etc for some time. (I have an autoprop)

 

[johnalison]

Tried allsorts and now settled on acid bath descale, hammerite special metals primer and 2 coats of trilux spray. After a year in the solent, no mid season clean very little trilux left but hammerite nearly intact, minimal fouling

I wonder if their primer works any better than the stuff that Trilux make? I used it for the first time two years ago and some came off. If more comes off when I lift next month I might try the Hammerite instead.

 

[MikeBz]

I’ve used Lanolin in the past, following guidelines - polish prop, heat it, apply the grease. I reckon it’s all gone after half an hour of motoring. Certainly the prop was no better at first scrub than if I’d done nothing at all. YMMV.

 

[Tranona]

That's where I got the quote from about it being banned.

Sorry for mis information. I know about the ban 3 or 4 years ago and bought mine (primer and top) - enough to do 4 or 5 sets of prop blades, but noted that it had come back on suppliers' websites like that one so assumed the ban had been lifted.

 

[stuartwineberg]

I wonder if their primer works any better than the stuff that Trilux make? I used it for the first time two years ago and some came off. If more comes off when I lift next month I might try the Hammerite instead.

I found trilux primer to be absolute rubbish but trilux over hammerite seems to do well. As seasons end the prop is pretty much red as the trilux has eroded leaving the primer

 

[bignick]

I really like the idea of copper plating mine…

Copper plating a propeller

 

[Malish]

hammerite special metal promer followed by velox until my tin runs out (e-bay shows a source in Italy but £30 postage....)

 

[vyv_cox]

I wonder if their primer works any better than the stuff that Trilux make? I used it for the first time two years ago and some came off. If more comes off when I lift next month I might try the Hammerite instead.

I first used Hammerite on my prop in 2013. Although I abrade the Velox off each year the original Hammerite is still the same. After the success of the prop application I did the P-bracket about two years later and have also never renewed it.

I find the Hammerite needs abrasion by about 180 grit to get Velox to stick to it well.

 

[Kelpie]

Polish. And snorkel with brush, gets the blood pumping

Yup, that's what I do. Helps when the water is 27⁰ of course.