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**Alan Wheeler** · 17-08-2008, 12:49

I will be very interested in how it turns out and how long the Anti-foul property works.

Electro plating is easy to do, although professional applicators have a few tricks that would be difficult to achieve by the amature. Mainly in the use of some rather higly toxic chemicals. Basic electroplating can be easily done and copper is the easiest probably, of all Chemicals. The Anode should be a sacrificial piece of copper and the Cathode is the prop you are wanting to coat. A weak solution of Sulphuric acid as the bath. The copper anode looses a couple of electrons and dissolves into the solution as copper sulphate. They are attracted to the cathode and gain to electrons and it becomes copper again. You can also add Copper sulphate to the solution. Pro's get a little more complex and thus also produce a far superior surface. They will often use Cyanides of particular metals and a couple of other nasties in the solution.

Chief Engineer · 17-08-2008, 18:16

How many volts DC (I assume) should be required?

fstbttms · 17-08-2008, 18:43

I can't help but think that if electroplating props was easy and effective, this wouldn't be the first most of us are hearing about it.

Whimsical · 17-08-2008, 19:13

When electroplating using an anode that is a similar shape to the cathode and maintaining consistant spacing gives a far more even distribution of the plating. Easy for a prop just use a sheet of copper plate each side of the blade.
What is the prop material. Don't know if I like the idea over a stainless prop.

Chief A lot will depend on the solution, spacing of electrodes and the speed you want it to run at but I would expect something in the 12 to 20 volt range. Have read of people just using a 12v battery. I have a variable power supply up to 50v at 5 amps when I played with it but I can't remember exactly what I settled on. I played with plating gold so know zilch about copper. Would definitely recommend to play with bits that don't matter first. On a piece the size of a prop you may end up with fairly good current. I remember a couple of amps and that was with small pieces.
Probably a lot easier and cheaper to just polish the sucker up and get a commercial shop to put on the copper.

Mike

**Ex-Calif** · 18-08-2008, 17:16

I got certified in electroplating in like 1984. I don't remember much but I do remember copper being the easiest to bond to most materials. So much so that it often was a bridging layer between two incompatible materials.

I think this is a great idea and I am curious how it works out. My concern is that copper is pretty soft and may not hold up well.

Whimsical is probably right in wanting a pro to do it. If the prop is a standard taper shaft or something not to bad, but if it were a variable prop or something you'd definitely need to mask off the precision areas.

Also getting the current settings right and the solutions right is not just a, "That's about right." proposition IMO.

**Wotname** · 19-08-2008, 05:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by fstbttms

I can't help but think that if electroplating props was easy and effective, this wouldn't be the first most of us are hearing about it.

Agreed but on the same token, if it was universally a bad idea then we "probably" know why and so far there has been no definitive reason given as to why it shouldn't be done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whimsical

.....
What is the prop material. Don't know if I like the idea over a stainless prop......

Bronze; agreed that stainless would be a less actractive prospect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

.....
I think this is a great idea and I am curious how it works out. My concern is that copper is pretty soft and may not hold up well.
......

Agreed, copper is soft but so is paint.

My GUESS is the possible downsides are:
1. Short(ish), therefore not cost effective.
2. Possible electrolysis issues.

Anyway, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Worst case is I will know why it doesn't work instead of guessing

.

orion1 · 19-08-2008, 05:20

Tried the Majic Marker trick. It Don't Work! Of course I used black not Pink.

**Ex-Calif** · 19-08-2008, 06:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by orion1

Tried the Majic Marker trick. It Don't Work! Of course I used black not Pink.

Dang! That was my next move too.

Oh, well. I'll try pink and see if it does better - LOL...

Trekka · 30-09-2008, 14:08

I tried the stamp pad ink trick. Will tell you next spring how it worked.

billr · 03-10-2008, 18:20

Earlier in this thread I mentioned a boatyard that I frequent in Washington state. I just returned from there and they are still recommending painting on a bit of STP oil treatment on the prop before it goes back in the water. Its quick, cheap, and it seems to keep the barnacles and mussels off the prop. Of course, that's cold water in Washington. Not sure how it would work in other areas.

Roy M · 03-10-2008, 19:31

PropSpeed guys. It works, whether or not the boat is idle or active. Any growth is quickly shed once the prop spins. All of the other ideas, Lanocoat, STP, bear grease, don't hold up. This stuff does. Resistance is futile. Give it a shot.

**Wotname** · 03-10-2008, 21:42

Just picked up my prop after electroplating it with copper. Won't be in the water for a few months yet

. Will report back in a year or so

Little Otter · 05-10-2008, 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by fstbttms

I'm not laughing.

You should be, if they made R2D2's to do this job then people could1. hire you to clean their props when R2 froze up and2. hire you to clean R2 when he started to grow barnicles, plus if you had the patent then you would be a millionar and could retire.