Cleaning off prop with flap-wheel?

[LittleSister]

I am intending to clean off/polish a bronze prop using an electric drill. The prop is oxidised and has some remains of anti-fouling and some small remaining bits of fouling. Would using a flap-wheel be appropriate, and if so what grit(s) and size (diameter) be best?

I have previously done this job by hand with fine grit abrasive paper (fine grit because i didn't want to score the prop, making it less efficient and giving critters a better grip), but this is very slow and tedious.

I imagine one could use something a little coarser to get the waste off, then finer grit to 'polish' out the resulting scoring.

 

[rotrax]

I use brass wire wheels in my drill at the fast speed. A cup wire wheel for the big areas and a narrow one for the corners and the roots of the blades.

It seems to work. After all, I have been doing it for over 40 years!

I clean the prop with brick cleaner first.

 

[Ammonite]

Poly Discs Products Expert

Sorry - just saw that you are planning to use a drill

Abracs Spindle Abrasive Mounted Poly Wheel Brush

Both work really well for this type of job

 

[LittleSister]

I use brass wire wheels in my drill at the fast speed. . .

I've had issues in the past with apparently 'brass' wire wheels turning out to be grey metal (steel?) with a gold coloured coating which wears off immediately. On inspection the label said merely 'metal'.

I assume steel would be too brutal on bronze.

 

[Bobc]

Flap wheel on a drill works brilliantly. You can then polish it up with a cloth polishing wheel and some Autosol.

 

[Martin_J]

I would go with Ammonite's suggestion of an Abracs poly wheel (from Toolstation!).

It will easily remove stuff like antifouling, it follows the contours of the prop nicely and is nowhere near as harsh as many flap wheels or wire brushes.

 

[jwilson]

I use a flap wheel on an angle grinder for the prop, followed by a quick rub with coarse wet and dry. Takes a few minutes. But I am happy to have a matt surface for a coat of high-zinc primer followed by quality antifoul. The prop has survived 18 years of this so far. The one year in the distant past I spent hours getting a prop mirror-polished was a disaster for fouling. The next year the same plus lanolin was even worse. And I'm too mean to buy expensive tins of special prop antifouling.

This is on a sailing yacht. If I was environmentally disgusting enough to own a high powered motor yacht I know I'd need high-polished props.

 

[Neeves]

As jwilson implies polishing the prop makes it more difficult for any subsequent coating to adhere. For the primer coat you want a rough, oil free surface. So wear disposable rubber gloves and abrade aggressively. I used a stainless wire brush on an angle grinder (wear eye protection). The surface is then sufficiently rough it 'catches' your skin, or a dry cloth - nasty - but perfect for primer. Then degrease ('paint' the degreaser on with a fine brush), prime and don't touch the blades with bare hands until you have applied your final coat, of AF.

Of course you could polish the prop until its a thing of beauty and leave uncoated - it will foul quickly, negating all the time and effort you invested to polish it. I found fouling likes Lanolin.

If you had a high powered motor yacht you would not do this yourself but employ a minion, trained in the art of extracting your money, and they would probably coat with Prop Speed.

Jonathan

 

[ducked]

On steel I generally use an abrasive disk made from a flattened beercan, which has bonus anti-corrosive effects, but it can be too aggressive for some materials, for example, alloy wheels. I dunno how it would go on bronze.

 

[Neeves]

And, later....

Velox, use the search function for the Forum, seems to be the coating of choice if

you want to keep your prop cleaner for longer.

I think there is also a user's report on Velox on Vyv Cox' website.....?

Jonathan

 

[nevis768]

I took mine off and used patio cleaner type stuff, excellent job