Prop antifouling

[castaway]

Im possibly inviting ridicule from better informed forum members but ever since painting my prop last week I have been tring to come up with a better solution. (theres a pun in there somewhere)

As a kid I remember copper plating items in a solution of copper sulphate, I remember attaching 1 side of a battery to the item to be plated (cathode??) and the other is the (anode ??). Leave to cook over night and in the morning you have a nice even copper deposit all over said item.

So question is would this work for a larger item like a bronze prop? If it did would it set up some mixed metal problems of its own? Would one have to use a dangerously high voltage?

If it worked it the copper plate should keep the little marine blighters at bay for a season or so.

Maybe I should of posted this on April 1st, but it is a serious enquiry... Regds Nick

 

[ccscott49]

Your bronze prop, is mainly copper! Painting is ok for slower moving props, but black lead is better, leave it alone now. However are you sure your prop is bronze? if it's brass, which I suspect, as real bronze props are not normally fitted as standard, putting any kind of electric current through it, would start de-zincification, you do not want that!!!!

 

[castaway]

Youre prob correct. But wouldnt it only cause dezincification if the prop were the anode side ?? Regds Nick

 

[ccscott49]

Probably Nick, but applying any kind of current to props etc. raises the hairs on the back of my neck, once lost a prop because of it, cost me 100 quid to replace it, when I didn't have 100 quid! So I'm always very, very wary! I wonder if it could be achieved, whether it would work, seems no reason it shouldn't, seeing as copper sheething etc does work. You could have it copper plated professionally, I wonder if this has been considered in the past or whether it sets up some kind of electrolosis of it's own internally or externally. I'm sure somebody will know if it's possible/works.

 

[castaway]

Its a sort of "Saturday afternoon at work when Id rather be sailing" idea, but the possibility of profesional plating was another avenue/possiblity... quite a nice day here at LHR

 

[ccscott49]

An unusually beautiful day out here on Ekofisk aswell! Almost dinner time, steak tonight, always is sat night, boring bastards the Norwegians! I will give this copper thing more thought! I'll ask my bruv, he's a wizard with all things boatie and most other things aswell, a real smartiepants! another directional driller!

 

[hlb]

How about teflon coating it. Would that work or just be as duff as a teflon frying pan!!

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[philip_stevens]

Haydn,
I posted the following reply, to similar prop questions, on the 20th Dec last year, and got no answer.

My previous posting,
>Has anyone used Teflon based non-stick type antifoulings on their bronze prop and stainless steel prop shaft? Isn't it VC10 or something?

If so, what was the result?<

I await an answer this time.

regards,
Philip

 

[castaway]

Philip.. Trouble is that the last thing on any ones mind on the 20th December is their propeller.... Regds Nick

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Colin my brother in law ,is a wire liner with camco his name Neal Gilbert do you know him he has been in the northsea area 20 years My father in law. worked on Piper . got off tuesday It blew up the next morning Cheers bob t

Bob T

 

[longjohnsilver]

Directional drillers?

Colin does this mean that you're both dentists? <G>

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Directional drillers?

Now you know why I put "oilwell bender", stops this kind of thing! tee hee.

 

[ccscott49]

BOb,
Sorry I don't know him, but most of my work was done abroad, not in the northsea, just came back to retire I hope soon! I lost a good friend on the piper, was on the piper bravo two monthjs ago, the marker bouy for the alpha can be seen from there, not good memories! I do know CAMCO, but nobody who works for them now, used to in Dubai.

 

[Forbsie]

I used to work on the Piper 'A' when it was being built and lost an old friend when it went up too. God bless them all.

On a brighter note, have you ever come across my mate Ferrier Raitt in your travels? Works with Pathfinder now.

 

[ccscott49]

Funnily enough, I know Ferrier very well, From Holland then Norway, now Aberdenn, in fact I work for him! I'm a consultant for Pathfinder, working out here on the Ekofisk contract! You should try and contact him!

 

[Forbsie]

Well would you believe it. I had dinner with Ferrier and Avril last time I was in Abz, they live in the same street as my father. In fact I've recently bought a dvd of Memphis Belle for them because their son Darren is the spitting image of Harry Connick Jnr and they had never heard of him.

What a coincidence.

 

[ccscott49]

I had dinner with them last month and they were on board Englander, last year in Portugal, we are old friends, from the days of Smith Int. in Holland. It's a very small world!! Especially in the Directional Drilling field. I'll tell him, be calling him later today with progress reports!

 

[Forbsie]

That's great. Send him my best. Hopefully see him next month when I'm up there.

...now about this prop antifouling...should I paint my prop?

...oops, I don't have a prop...something else for the snagging list...

 

[philip_stevens]

Nick,
Well, yes, I get your drift - but go through the rest of the posts on this thread......and I'm still waiting for an answer - 22nd April!!

regards,
Philip

 

[Twister_Ken]

As using a copper-based antifouling is not recommended on a bronze prop, I don't imagine copper plating it would be good for its health either. Usual recommendations around here are grease (lanolin or vaseline) or black lead, as used by Nora Batty for shining up her cooking range. Vaseline failed miserably for me last year. At the LBS I asked the Blakes stand, which recommeded their Waterline boot topping product, so I now have a shiny boot topping line and matching prop. Waterline says on the tin suitable for all substrates except aliminium. Will report at the end of the season.