Cleaning prop under water - tips?

[2big2small]

Thanks for all the replies so far. (If you want to chime in please remember that this is about under water cleaning, not on the hard.)

The reason why I’m so cautious about scratching is that it might put the prop out of balance and then wear the bearing on the one hand, and on the other, far more likely, every little scratch is a nice invitation to more barnacles and what not and really increases their grip on the surface.

I like the hardwood cleaning method because of that. On my first boat, in the boonies, I used to scrape my hull with the wooden part of a broom and it worked really well. I never had to scrape my prop before however.

All the replies have also piqued my curiosity about metal tools with rounded corners. I’ll make sure I have at least one such tool on board.

Originally Posted by Don C L

5. I LIKE your idea about a bag injected with vinegar, I am going to try that next time!

Ah! A kindred soul who appreciates my genius! Well, if you do it, let us know how that worked out for you. Likewise if I’m nuts enough to go fumble with a bag under water before you do then I’ll certainly let everyone here know how it went down (pun intended). And I just might because I’m very curious about the feasibility and results.

[deblen]

https://www.amazon.ca/BBQ-Scraper-Na.../dp/B00MADL7EI

[puffcard]

5 in 1 tool is great tool, for me it has to be a scrapper. This one has a point to clean the folding prop gears, the half round for hub and shaft and long enough to NOT cut your hands while scrapping. Nothing is as sharp as those little bastards, wear gloves. Also easy to find and cheap. Coat with a grease before use and wash off with freshwater after. After a good scrapping to bare metal, try a light coat of Lao-coat or white Teflon grease like Superlube on prop and shaft. On second thought if planning to pull soon don't, will not help your painting of the prop.

[Tingum]

Originally Posted by Davidhoy

You're overthinking the problem ;-)

Just scrape the barnacles with whatever tool will get them off. You're not going to damage the prop unless you start bashing on it with a hammer. A few scratches will not affect the prop at all, and no one is going to see it anyway.

Regards,
David

x2. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. It's not a racing hydroplane prop! Wear a rash guard while scraping so the little fish don't try to eat your freckles and moles! One sheepshead bite to a nipple and you won't want to scrape ever again!

[Jim Cate]

The reason why I’m so cautious about scratching is that it might put the prop out of balance and then wear the bearing on the one hand, and on the other, far more likely, every little scratch is a nice invitation to more barnacles and what not and really increases their grip on the surface.

You might give this a little more thought! The tiny scratches that you just might put in the surface are totally inconsequential, especially when compared to the mass of even one small barnie that you have removed. You are worrying about a non-problem.

Jim

[2big2small]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

You might give this a little more thought! The tiny scratches that you just might put in the surface are totally inconsequential, especially when compared to the mass of even one small barnie that you have removed. You are worrying about a non-problem.

Jim

Yep, I know that.

[JPA Cate]

Most likely you can acquire a 4 l. bottle of vinegar pretty cheap. Why bother to crush the barnacles first? a lot of work free diving, and you'd need extraordinarily long jaws to get clear across the blades, might consider bashing them with a maul, instead. Even then, just how are you going to get the vinegar to displace the sea water in the bag? You going to have a cohort suck out the water, while you close the mouth of the bag, then they lower an appropriate length of hose, and pour the vinegar down it through a funnel? Better measure the volume of the bag you're going to use, you'll run out of breath before it fills if they have to go buy another 4 l. Maybe you could use good vinegar for the last bit, and keep the leftovers for salad dressing... If you like salad dressing.

This would be easier with a hookah, imho, maybe you could borrow one, after you've found a method you think will work. Although it would be a fun experiment, I'm beginning to think it will be so hard to do that it won't be worth the effort. It sounds simple when you say it fast, though.

PS. Just knocking off the barnies with a 2" s/s putty knife is what we did. Now we use "Prop Speed", or one of their look-alikes, and wipe it occasionally with a sponge.



Incidentally, slightly off topic, but we have bagged the propeller before leaving the boat sit in a marina for a while (3 months), and just excluding fresh sea water keeps the growth to a minimum.

Ann

[a64pilot]

I just scrape it off, I have tried the Scotch Bright green pad, and it does little to nothing, which surprised me, cause it will eat away aluminum.
You can’t hurt the prop, not with just a scraper, if you bash em, you still have to scrape the little ring that is left off. I have tried.
It’s not much of s job really, not worth hiring a diver for if your in warm water.
I’m hiring a diver myself tomorrow, cause we are in 50ish degree water, and I don’t have my dry suit with me.

[2big2small]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Although it would be a fun experiment, I'm beginning to think it will be so hard to do that it won't be worth the effort. It sounds simple when you say it fast, though.

Well, I did say in my opening post that this was the most convoluted method I could think of.

[Jim Cate]

Re the great vinegar experiment:

IMO, you will not only have great difficulty in expressing the water from the bag, and then filling it with the vinegar, but keeping the vinegar from steadily being diluted by the surrounding water will be pretty damn hard... and the dissolution of the barnies and their footprints will take hours, not minutes, even with full strength vinegar.

I routinely use white vinegar to soak the knotmeter impeller when it gets fouled, mostly with tube worm shells, and that's full strength... takes quite a while to remove even this relatively soft fouling.

Draw your own conclusions...

Jim

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Re the great vinegar experiment:

IMO, you will not only have great difficulty in expressing the water from the bag, and then filling it with the vinegar, but keeping the vinegar from steadily being diluted by the surrounding water will be pretty damn hard... and the dissolution of the barnies and their footprints will take hours, not minutes, even with full strength vinegar.

I routinely use white vinegar to soak the knotmeter impeller when it gets fouled, mostly with tube worm shells, and that's full strength... takes quite a while to remove even this relatively soft fouling.

Draw your own conclusions...

Jim

Ah ye of little faith!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Ah ye of little faith!

Guilty as charged, your honour! I beg the court's indulgence... whatever you do, don't sentence me to serving on a King's ship...

Jim

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Guilty as charged, your honour! I beg the court's indulgence... whatever you do, don't sentence me to serving on a King's ship...



Jim

Sentence him to transportation to the antipodes.

[IslandHop]

Big prop small prop? I like a big wire brush, smoothed heavy chisel

[IslandHop]

I liked that vin bag too, leave that on all winter. I used the wooden handle of the wire brush, always use a softer metal than your prop. I like chisels for singling out stubborn Barneys they have enough mass to not need to hack at like a scraper. Just set it to the offender and bump it with your palm. Scrape the leftovers and always work parallel. I also use concrete scrapes for big or coral infested jobs