cleaning barnacles etc off props

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blueglass

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I've done a quick search but can't find a definitive recommendation on forum for a product (presumably acid based) which has proved genuinely effective in cleaning barnacles/tubeworm casings etc from props and rudders. Any offers? apologies if I have missed something.
 
how developed are the barnacles?

my boat has been in Gosport for the season and i managed to just push them off with my hands, got a few scratches but nothing that needed treatment!
 
Mechanical removal is the only way whilst boat is in the water. Depending on size/shape of props, use metal wallpaper scraper/spatula to push-scrape or one of the paint scrapers to pull-scrape. You can get the props smooth with rust-removing harsh sponge-backed scourer. For biggish props you may need scuba gear to stay down a while. Barnclaes are v abrasive so i make sure i have gloves and feet protectors and wetsuit.

Once the boat is out of the water you can jet-blast most of them off, tho (even speaking as a bitof a twat safety-gear-wise) i wd make sure one wears goggles for this.

In france where the population is less nannied (or less well protected i spose) you can buy hydrochloric acid from castorama , the B+Q equivalent. Yeehah! This is fab gear. You need to be upwind and use a garden spray thing. It doesn't harm plastics or metal, but it does harm skin and it dissolves anything calciumish like barnacles where the chemical reaction takes place as follows:

HCl + CaCO3 => frothy grey water-rinsable gloop + weird toxic fumes so stay upwind for crissakes

and the same applies to stainless steel primary filter which you can plonk into bucket of 1 inch of HCl and they wil be like brand new in a minute of frothing and hissing. Heat is released during this very pleasing chemical reaction.

Hope this helps
 
I found some great stuff....advertised in MBY about 2 years ago...environmentally friendly scale / limescale remover.

Ran it through my engines and it fizzed all the scale off.

Same on props but took longer to do because I couldn't be bothered to take props off.

Was so "friendly" it was rated as okay to put into seawater directly.

...only thing is I can't remember what it called!!!!!

If you strike out tell me and I will dig back through my old receipts and see if I can find it.
 
The yard in our Marina pressure wash the hull then get some Aquaferti (probably spelt wrong will check later) this they spray over the shafts & props as tcm says its acid based and removes the lot.

I believe this stuff (sold in all ironmongers) is for cleaning off ceramic tiles of which there are many out here. Oh and its dirt cheap too
 
What is the effect of putting hydrochloric acid on aliminium ? and for those of us with stern drives is the rubber bush at risk? Are those bathroom lime scale removers acid based ?

Interesting thread because I have a stern drive and duo prop to do in January.
Pete
 
I have a bronze prop, and after one 1/2 season had a bit of a battle removing barnacles with various plastic scapers, although it worked ok.

I also cleaned with a rotary soft brass brush, which removed nothing but the traces of fouling, and have a reasonable sheen. Then several coats, rubbed in really well of marine w/proof grease.

The fouling and barnacles were quite unaffected by this - but the two subsequent haul-outs found the barnacles so quick and easy to remove - I could almost have just used my fingers.
 
Machine Mart sell concrete cleaner off the shelf.
5 L for about £5.
This is hydrochloric acid.
Wear gloves
wear goggles
pour it on. or brush
leave 10 mins and hose off.

This really is nasty stuff read the instructions and warnings.

Starbrite barnacle remover from the swindlers is similar but costs a lot for 500ml, perhaps buy a bottle of the 'proper cleaner' for the instructions then move on to the stronger stuff that works !
http://www.force4.co.uk/ProductDetails/m...8b-7c94f0e91835
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/search.asp?q=concrete+cleaner
 
I used to have mine done once a year mechanically and then burnished bright - looked like new!

It occurred to me if I continued in the way eventually there would be no props / stern gear left. It was a grim job too sitting underneath for several hours.

This year as tcm says a garden spray with HCl and then a light run over with wallpaper scrapper and FW rinse - vertually same results in minutes. Boat actually went better too than with the former method - do not understand why really but will use HCl in future.
 
Agree with tcm. Hydrochloric acid is amazing stuff for this. I've seen it just painted on to my props with a brush and all the fouling jet washed off only a few minutes later
 
Thanks folks - very useful. Sounds like Hydrochloric acid is the thing. All I have to do now is get hold of some. Boat is in the south of France for the winter and I don't think the airlines will welcome me on board with a flagon of acid, so I will have to get something down there. No hardware type shops for miles so may have to get a swindlery version with HCL as active ingredient. what's french for HCL anybody?
 
brick cleaner is usually quite dilute HCl.

I pour 1 inch of HCL into a mop bucket and then place the big primary filters and spin them for only 10 seconds: the reaction is not actually violent, but it s darn rapid, and generates heat. I wd not leave 10 minutes! But again, with more and more dilute gear (eg viakal is more dilute than brick cleaner) the longer it needs leaving i spose
 
10 mins was after pouring onto a prop.
(as it happens I did this on Sunday)
There is an immediate fizz/froth and then the alkaline growth neutralizes the acid so in theory leaving it 1/2 hour wont achieve much.
After a 10 min splash 11 months growth was rinsed off and lovely golden props were exposed.



I agree to submerge stainless filters extra care is needed and I wouldn't leave too long ( a second dip would be better if needed).
 
Yes.
I started using the starbrite stuff as above on my 1988 volvo 290 legs.

I found the concrete cleaner was quicker and cheaper.
Both bring them up like new but suggest you start with the star brite first.

Cleans the stainless reverse latch like brand new.

Trim tab rams get a splash too but get well rinsed.
 
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