Propellor cleaning with acid?

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All_at_Sea

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My bronze prop is covered in a limescale type stuff, very hard to shift. Is there a chemical that might do it without damaging the metal? I have searched the forum but no luck.
 
Angle grinder and steel wire brush attachment. It will take about a minute and leave a nice smooth finish. Acid will make it go a pretty pink colour, not good.

Pete
 
All_at_Sea said:
My bronze prop is covered in a limescale type stuff, very hard to shift. Is there a chemical that might do it without damaging the metal? I have searched the forum but no luck.
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There is a dilute form of hydrochloric acid that can be used with no ill effects,,,,certainly not over a lot of years I have used it!

In Spain its known as Agua Fuerte but I understand you can get it in the UK as 'brick cleaner'

Used it on 3 boats this year, no problem, good to have a hose ready to thoroughly dilute and rinse away arisings.

Hope this helps!
 
capnsensible said:
There is a dilute form of hydrochloric acid that can be used with no ill effects,,,,certainly not over a lot of years I have used it!

In Spain its known as Agua Fuerte but I understand you can get it in the UK as 'brick cleaner'

Used it on 3 boats this year, no problem, good to have a hose ready to thoroughly dilute and rinse away arisings.

Hope this helps!
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I think that you are referring to Muriatic acid.

Muriatic Acid is a strong, corrosive, inorganic acid (HCl), manufactured by absorbing hydrogen chloride in water. It is one of the most corrosive of acids, and is particularly destructive to cellulose, breaking the cellulose chain into even smaller units, resulting ultimately in its complete hydrolysis. It is the same chemical as Hydrochloric Acid.

Uses include cleaning brick, etching concrete, cleaning metal and for swimming pool maintenance. Will attack varnish, fabrics, metals, plastics, most paints and many other materials. Can be diluted with water.
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Not all brick cleaners are hydrochloric acid based.
Check the label and the safety data sheet.

Bronze props are likely to be manganese bronze which is not a true tin bronze. It is a copper zinc alloy, ie really a brass ,containing only a small percentage of tin.

Take care only to remove the lime scale type deposit and not to de-zincify the prop.
 
VicS said:
Not all brick cleaners are hydrochloric acid based.
Check the label and the safety data sheet.

Bronze props are likely to be manganese bronze which is not a true tin bronze. It is a copper zinc alloy, ie really a brass ,containing only a small percentage of tin.

Take care only to remove the lime scale type deposit and not to de-zincify the prop.
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Quite
I wouldn't use acid on my prop. Use a kitchen scourer, please don't waste your time "polishing" it (see other thread)
 
Leave the brick cleaner on only long enough to loosen the calcium, a scotch bright pad is all you need after a few minutes exposure to the cleaner.
 
Yes you can I think we used something called On/off but do not leave it on for longer than a few seconds. It makes a fizz of the scale but you must rinse off with water and then sand the prop and polish it after. It will leave streaks in the propeller if you don't so needs to be protected after using ON OFF

With Gori props, it works quickly but like all things it needs to be treated with care.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2339

ON/OFF aka muriatic acid

FMI
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/119812-barnacles-prop-shafts-trim.html
 
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What about plain white vinegar? Put the prop in a vinegar bath for fifteen minutes, wipe clean and rinse. Has always worked well for me, never seen any ill effects on the prop.
 
I have always used some 20 year old Disclean
This is a strong HCL brick cleaner - i do not think you can get it now due to HSE requirements but i have ot from building days
does no damage at all so the modern brick cleaner from travis perkins etc certainly will not harm anything
Just wash it off with fresh water afterwards & forget polishing
Just leave it clean
 
westhinder said:
What about plain white vinegar? Put the prop in a vinegar bath for fifteen minutes, wipe clean and rinse. Has always worked well for me, never seen any ill effects on the prop.
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The acetic acid in vinegar will, in addition to the acid effect, also tend to dissolve calcium carbonate deposits by forming calcium acetate complexes in solution. I suspect that vinegar may be slower than hydrochloric acid at 'brick acid' concentrations, but be pleasanter and safer to use and more controllable.

BTW Nice to see the old, pre-systematic name 'muriatic acid' used for hydrochloric acid - it means 'pertaining to brine or salt', presumably from its original production from common salt.
 
Or, you could sand down the barnacle residue and anti-foul the propeller. The barnacle glue makes a perfect primer.
 
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