Prop Fouling - update...

[dickh]

To recap, I highly polished my bronze 2 bladed prop in the spring prior to launch.
When taken out yesterday the prop had several barnacles on it together with a lot of stringy weed, the shaft also had the stringy weed. This probably explains the lack of speed by the end of the summer. And the shaft anode was half worn away.

What is the best protection for the prop? - I've tried hard antifouling(MPX) and standard A/f(Flag) and now highly polished but nothing seems to work effectively.

I've seen an article in PBO some time back that recommends Black Lead, ie ZEBRO - the stuff you 'black' stoves with, that was highly effective.
What is the forum's opinion of this? and other alternatives?

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Chris_Robb]

Mine comes out next week 1st Nov - polished prop and applied Lanolin - applied with a blow torch - so that it had a thick - but smooth layer all over. No loss of speed so far this season - water too cold to swim in (or i'm too old) so not visually checked yet - but signs are very promising - also dirt cheap to do.

Tried anti fouling 4 years ago - all came off so not much help.

I'll post the results then

 

[dickh]

This was another method I'd heard about, most interested on the results when you haul out.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[nicho]

Chris - the only lanolin I know is something that ladies put on their hands. Can you tell me what it is pls, 'cos it sounds encouraging

 

[Skyva_2]

Extremely sticky stuff you can buy from pharmacists, who use it for making up pills (IIRC). About £6 for a large pot. Also useful for applying to SS screws in Aluminium threads.
I could show you some at Hythe! I've used it on the prop with some success.

Keith

 

[Twister_Ken]

Technical treatise on Lanolin

Well, not really, but lanolin is a posh name for sheep sweat.

When compressed bales of sheep fleeces are delivered to woollen mills (er, that's not mills made from wool, you understand) they are as hard as, well, hard stuff. To break them up they are dumped into vats of hot alkaline solution and mechanically agitated. This dissolves out the sheeps' natural grease which has solidified and is holding them together. It also floats out lots of other sheep 'byproducts' (know what I mean missus), as well as grass.

Woollen spinners being canny northern folk, they are not ones to waste a brass farthing. So the grease is skimmed off the top of the vat, filtered to remove other bits of ex-sheep and ex-field, and sold to the toiletries industry, where it eventually ends up in expensive cosmetic creams costing ten guineas an ounce.

I always found it faintly ironic that the cosmetic industry's customers would spend good money swabbing their own sweat out of their faces, only to replace it with the ovine variety - "Madam, why are you rubbing sheep sweat into your crows feet?"

 

[Skyva_2]

Re: Technical treatise on Lanolin

Also useful for keeping a screw on the end of a screwdriver and retrieving bits from hard to reach places. No airframe fitter would be without it!

K

 

[doug748]

Re: Technical treatise on Lanolin

The black lead tip was posted on this forum (I think). Zebro is a very bad idea and the suggestion was quickly retracted!

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: Technical treatise on Lanolin

Two other uses:
It is an additive in certain lubricants, especially those used in compressors handling natural gas. Absorption and dilution of lanolin by the gas is far lower than for hydrocarbon lubs so it tends to stay in place and provide boundary lubrication. It is also a component of some steam lubs, as it resists wash-off better than oils.
Winter canoeing. Lanolin on the back of the hands helps to keep them warm and doesn't wash off. Mind you don't get it on the palms, though. Takes practice!

 

[snowleopard]

volvo...

i'm told volvo make a type of a/f for silicon aluminium bronze props. haven't tried it yet (probably comes in min 1.5 litre cans!) but have had some success with vaseline which kept the props clean for several months.

 

[harvey]

I'm on dryish land now and my neighbour used lanolin and his prop is clean as a whistle. I shall use it next year!

 

[MCW]

International recommended I paint my prop (bronze) with two coats of Trilux straight onto the metal. There has been no fouling but the A/F seems to have blistered and now is very uneven to the point that it will need stripping or flatting back before recoating.

 

[Chris_Robb]

My boat comes out this week end so I'll post the results of the Lanolin test on Monday 4thNov

 

[PeterGibbs]

Try polishing and then smearing with VASELINE.

In heavy fouling areas, nothing will maintain totally clean prop surfaces, especially from barnacles, and that includes the proprietary paints. Pitch and tar have their own problems.

Incidentally, barnacles spawn in the early season, usually April. So delaying relaunch can be to your advantage!

PWG

 

[Twister_Ken]

I tried vaseline last year. It grew a great crop of sea squirts.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Technical treatise on Lanolin

Why is black lead a very bad idea? It's been used for years with good results, not this new fangled graphite material (Zebo), which is not real black lead, but the old fashioned stuff.

 

[dickh]

That is the result I got when I did exactly the same - it looked like electrolytic action so I didn't repeat it.
I think I'll try Lanolin next year - unless someone comes up with something better!

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Chris_Robb]

Tried Vaseline last year - results not good, but better than nothing. This year applied Lanoline - no loss of performance so far - boat is coming out next Friday, so I will let you know results - but looking successful so far.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Lanolin - did it work?

Yes it did. Last year I coated a large 3 blade prop with Lanolin applied with a blow torch to get an even distribution. The prop had been polished prior to application.

On Friday 1st November the boat came out of the water (Launched at Easter).

Apart from a few small barnacles the prop was completely clean,

 

[Gordonmc]

Re: Lanolin - did it work?

If it works for props, how about skin fittings, paddle wheels etc. Or how about the rudder.
Come to think of it, why not coat the whole hull in the stuff. Can't be more expensive than a/f. Or is that just baa-rmy?