Cleaning the Crud of my props

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U4

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Hi Guys

Both my props are currently sat in my garage (sad place for them to be I know!) while some work is being carried out on the drives / engines.

They are covered in limescale and muck and I have the weekend to get them shiney again as they are going back on the boat on Monday.

Any suggetions on how to get them clean (without lots of scratching) would be hugely appreciated...!

Dan
 
Go to B&Q and buy some brick cleaner. Put a little in a bucket and then put the props in one at a time. Sloosh the mixture around so it goes all over the props. Sit back and watch all the crud disappear! :D When clean and shiney, rinse well with fresh water.

When finished, add lots of water to bucket ( to dilute the acid ) and pour contents down the drain.

I claim no credit for this method - I got it off this Forum.
 
Pinnacle said:
Go to B&Q and buy some brick cleaner. Put a little in a bucket and then put the props in one at a time. Sloosh the mixture around so it goes all over the props. Sit back and watch all the crud disappear! :D When clean and shiney, rinse well with fresh water.

When finished, add lots of water to bucket ( to dilute the acid ) and pour contents down the drain.

I claim no credit for this method - I got it off this Forum.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I'll do this tomorrow and post some before and after pics just in case anyones interested!
 
I have used Starbright's boat bottom cleaner before and it worked just as Pinnacle described the brick cleaner working. I am sure brick cleaner is a lot cheaper than a marine product like Starbright's boat bottom cleaner! Good luck with cleaning your props!
 
As Pinnacle says, brick cleaner is the answer.

Be very careful as its strong acid and you only have one pair of eyes! Get goggles and gloves, have a spare bucket of clean fresh water right next to you in case.
 
So I dutifully plodded over to B&Q and picked up some 'own brand' brick and patio cleaner for a grand total of £8.00!

Cleaned the props and then tipped the lot on the patio (as per the instructions on the container) so now I have a clean patio as well as sparkling props!!

Here are the before and after pictures.

Brilliant advice, thank you very much.

Before;
dirty.jpg


After;
clean.jpg


Thanks again for the advice.
 
Just a quick one..... ( i had to mention it, i work for water companies)

When tipping away , ensure its not down the " drain" but down the sewer instead. Drain lead to the storm drain system and filter into streams, rivers etc.

probably should consult the EA for advice on disposal of acids as even diluting can leave some nasty chemicals present.

ben
 
Soaking was a just a few minutes and then I gave it a gentle hand with a cloth (with rubber gloves on). Didnt take long at all. Probably the most time consuming thing was trying to find a bucket big enough to take the props!

Yes Paul, they are S/S.
 
Yes they do look good, and they were fitted back on with the drives today.

The rest of the boats as clean as the props! beautiful day in Christchurch today.
 
Sorry to bump this back up to the top, but I've just been to B. & Q. to look at said brick cleaner stuff.

It states quites clearly on the destructions, 'Do not use near Stainless Steel, Brass, etc.'

Now I'm reasonably comfortable that the worst thing it's likely to do is to slightly discolour my S.S. props, but I just wondered what those in the know think. Could it possibly attack/weaken metals to such a degree as to be a worry?
 
carlton said:
Sorry to bump this back up to the top, but I've just been to B. & Q. to look at said brick cleaner stuff.

It states quites clearly on the destructions, 'Do not use near Stainless Steel, Brass, etc.'

Now I'm reasonably comfortable that the worst thing it's likely to do is to slightly discolour my S.S. props, but I just wondered what those in the know think. Could it possibly attack/weaken metals to such a degree as to be a worry?
Click to expand...

Out of interest, what would it do to aluminium props?
 
It will strip off the outer oxidised layer very quickly, then go on to destroy the rest of the aluminium. UNLESS you wash it off very thoroughly with water, making sure none is left in any nooks and crannies. This is assuming pure aluminium, not coated or anodized. Remove the anodization or coating, or scratch through it, and you are in normal aluminium area again. Even anodized coating can be removed with acid. If you have a coating or paint finish, then it will withstand the acid for extended periods by comparison, but any scratches will allow the acid through to the underlying aluminium.

In summary, don't use acid on aluminium unless you know what you are doing, and can remove every trace of it immediately after it's cleaned what you need to clean.
 
I have always found that using a prop at fairly frequent intervals keeps it nice and clean without any hard work or chemicals - worked well on all my boats ranging from 50 ft MFV to 16 ft inflatable with outboard.
 
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