Burnishing the propellor

Tranona said:
Can only speak for my now 7 seasons old 2 blade (without anodes!) which is as new. Coated in Trilux from new, and twice dipped the blades in brick cleaner to remove old paint and redo with primer and top coat. Hub just needs a clean up and new topcoat every year.

Don't think the material has changed on the 2 blade, although they have now added anodes.
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A photo of a two-blade prop with severe dezincification of the gear teeth was posted here a while ago and my recollection is that it was said to be a Flexofold. Strangely, I have photos of fairly recent prop blades from at least three manufacturers, all said to be bronze or nibral, that show what appears in the photos to be dezincification. In at least one of them the boss is non-metallic, which would seem to rule out any form of electrolytic action.
 
That could well have been mine, after not inconsiderable effort flex-o-fold admitted to a 'duff batch'.

The replacements were fine almost two years on but as the 'hub' was also damaged during the period the defective blades were installed I now a composite hub with the new style blades which include the anode.
 
Little Grebe said:
That could well have been mine, after not inconsiderable effort flex-o-fold admitted to a 'duff batch'.

The replacements were fine almost two years on but as the 'hub' was also damaged during the period the defective blades were installed I now a composite hub with the new style blades which include the anode.
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Interesting Little Grebe, I fitted my Flexofold two seasons ago, and I noted the hub has corroded quite alarmingly when I pulled her out this year. When was your duff one purchased?

http://www.albinballad.co.uk/how-tos/fit-a-flexofold-propeller/
 
Little Grebe said:
As far as I can tell most of the problems are associated with props bought in 2015.

With the benefit of hindsight it was obvious there was a problem when my boat was lifted out having had 10 months in the water.
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Ah, mine was purchased then too. How did you proceed with Flexofold? Did you go direct? Any contact you can suggest? Damn it, my last prop lasted 25 years, this one doesn't sound like it will last two :)
 
Little Grebe said:
That could well have been mine, after not inconsiderable effort flex-o-fold admitted to a 'duff batch'.

The replacements were fine almost two years on but as the 'hub' was also damaged during the period the defective blades were installed I now a composite hub with the new style blades which include the anode.
Click to expand...

I suspect that 'duff batches' occurred with several other makers also. It is not unreasonable to suppose that all of these propellers are cast in the same foundry in China, which might account for this rash of problems. In the talk I gave at RYA NW cruising conference last week I showed four supposedly bronze propellers, all different makes, that appear to have suffered dezincification. All are relatively recent.
 
vyv_cox said:
I suspect that 'duff batches' occurred with several other makers also. It is not unreasonable to suppose that all of these propellers are cast in the same foundry in China, which might account for this rash of problems. In the talk I gave at RYA NW cruising conference last week I showed four supposedly bronze propellers, all different makes, that appear to have suffered dezincification. All are relatively recent.
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Thanks Vyv! Good to hear from you, hope you are well. Any suggestions for how pressure can be applied to Flexofold if they don't comply (apologies for thread jacking :rolleyes:, I should have spawned a thread)?
 
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