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My bottom was soda blasted in the fall and over the winter I've stripped and polished all my bronze intake strainers. My wedge strainers were covered with growth and I'm not sure if the PO ever took them off. Every time the boat comes out of the water the hull is clean but all bronze parts are covered. I've tried several zinc spray products with no luck. Is there anything I can use to help combat growth on bronze parts? I'd like to try something different since I'm starting from scratch.
THere are a lot of products that CLAIM to solve the problem but I haven't yet managed to find any that actually do. But it may have to do with the location - some waters are "friendlier" than others as far as barnacles, marine growth, etc.
I use my boat every day and my metals still got LOADED. This went on for years!
I finally got aggrevated and called Petit directly and took down the part #'s the gent on the phone recommended and haven't had a barnacle since!
On bare metals you need to use an etching primer first.
Second the Petit metal primer (I forgot the name, but it's orange).
Third coat is old school HARD bottom paint. Trinidad 75% copper!
I wish I did it years ago. AND I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING!
I have been using Propspeed for 6 years in warm FL water on my props and it works great. We use the boat a lot and even though stuff starts to grow everything falls off within a few minutes. Those with bad results using this let their boats sit for long periods. When the barnacles grow so much that they are all touching they form a casing and that will not come off. Next haulout I am doing all my running gear and rudders with it.
Checking with a paint company seems a good way to go as their paint formulations likely vary be region and country.
I once gabbed with a couple of guys taking photos of a dozen or so underwater paint swatches on the the bottom of a sailboat hauled in my marina...they were testing antifouling in Long Island Sound, NY, for International Paint Company....and they said they used different formulations in other parts of the country.
(Warning: This may be "invalid" information according to rsmith because he would claim I did not "experience" this test personally....it's therefore only "hearsay")
Also good to ask if the paint for strainers and other metals works better with or without cathodic bonding......zincs. You don't need bonding on quality silicon bronze strainers, but if you want to use it, it's quite possible a different paint formulation would be recommended.
Does any company make marelon or other "plastic" strainers????
I have used the system above for years in West central Florida for years. It is bullet proof IF you follow the surface prep, dry time and re-coat times on the products precisely.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Hat41
Be sure to mask both ends of the cutlass bearings (I use small diameter cord) or all these repeated coats of paint will plug the water slots and ruin the bearings.
I'm in R.I. Way up Narragansett bay. During the summer months the water gets into the low to mid 70s. That's when we get high fowl conditions up here. The last two years we've had above average rainfall and it's made the the barnicals grow even faster than normal. I'm using Interlux products to barrier coat the hull they have a similar etching primer combo. I'm looking online at Petits underwater metals kit. Is this what your referring to the box is orange but it makes no note of the primer color? I still have a few weeks before I can even think of getting started. I'd like to research it a little more before I make a purchase. For once it's not a big rush. But it will be if I don't get moving. I've contacted Iterlux and of course ther telling me there product is superior to Petits and that's what I'd expect to here from any competent company man. However I've heard nothing to back it up. Has anyone used the Interlux etch product? Please advise
Jim
As said its not the antifoul properties of the paint but getting it to stick. I find that a light sandblast of the metal helps hold the etch and primer better. Also if you dont keep up on your zinks up the electrolisis will blast the paint off like a torch.
I'll try to find out the name of the zinc spray that Smith's Marina is using on my boats underwater metal parts. It has helped quite a bit. They are not totally free of barnacles but if I run the boat every week, which I ought to do anyway, they stay pretty clean.
I've had pretty decent success from the use of Zinc sprays, but in order to work it needs several coats as a single coat is so thin that in no time at all the little critters start hanging on. Three or four coats seems to work fine, probably more coats would be better. Also you don't need to buy the "marine" zinc paint for 20 some $ as the much cheaper off the shelf at Home Cheapo works as well at a fraction of the cost.
Walt
If it's just bronze strainers you're looking to antifoul, Primocon spray primer and then whatever regular bottom paint you use should be fine. I prefer Interlux Micron and haven't had a problem getting it to stick to the strainers when they're coated first with Primocon.
If you're talking running gear, there's no question that the PropSpeed works if it's applied properly. Funny looking stuff, but so what. And they're proud of it $$$$.