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PropGold vs Prop speed


erice

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Hi Erice, I've just been through this, trying to find an alternative to either prop speed or anti foul. I made a home brew prop speed which is just a modified silicon filed with mek. The primer is just an epoxy etch primer. You have to get the tack point just right for the mek to eat into the soft primer like the goldilocks zone not too hard not too soft. I found it to be exactly the same as the prop speed demo video. After a couple of days the silicon had died right out too. But, I'm a little ashamed to say, I chickened out from putting it on my prop. Whilst hunting down prop speed info I came across Pettit paints barnacle buster. It got better reviews than prop speed and was easier to copy. Barnacle buster is zinc. No more no less. So I gave that a try, I bought a spray can of the highest content zinc I could find and put 3 good coats on the prop and shaft. It's too soon for results yet, it went on about 2 months ago. I liked the Pettit idea because they are a large paint manufacturer so they are unlikely to be doing something wacky and zinc won't do any harm and it was cheap and simple to apply. It also made some sense. But no, to answer your question, I haven't tried prop gold.

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Not really sure how Zinc is going to stop growth. The main issue is...well....what are your Anodes made from?? So how do you control the situation so the Zinc paint doesn't wander off instead of the Anode, most especially once the Anode has depleted say 50% or so? Sometimes a form of Zinc is used in Anitfouls, but it is Zinc Pyrithione, which is not the same as Zinc.

Lanocote has been tried many times and it just doesn't last. Simply because it is too soft and when the Prop runs, it washes off.

Interesting to know MEK reduces Silicon. I used Epoxy thinners. Ordinary thinners does not work. But the real test is whether the Silicon is going to adhere well enough. I won't be able to put my Prop to the Test until Feb. The biggest issue I had was getting the coating thin enough to coat the prop really smoothly without it running and I think this is one of the reasons where the real two pot prop coatings have the big advantage.

The other reason the real prop coating have an advantage is the adherence. You need a primer that will adhere to the prop and also adhere to the Silicon. I found that part the most difficult. Many primers and undercoats simply did not like adhering to the Silicon.

I know nothing about PropGold, but would suggest that the only major difference is that Propspeed can only be applied by an approved applicator and the PropGold obviously not. Thus Propspeed is going to be more expensive and tends to be a one time application for the price, because yiu don't get left with the Tin if there is any left over. PropGold just might mean you can get several applications from a Can, providing the stuff doesn't go off in the can while in storage.

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nothing too scientific

 

when the boat is on the hard, clean up the prop with an angle-grinder, wire wheel, flapper disc etc

 

rub down by hand with with 80 grit wet'n'dry

 

clean with acetone

 

spray on a couple of coats of crc zinc-it, (highest zinc concentrate paint that seems easily available in nz)

 

wait until prop is hot and dry in sun then put on thickest lanolin can find

 

a la lanocote instructions

 

http://www.forespar.com/products/lanoco ... ttom.shtml

 

lanocote supposed to last 6 months

 

so while on mooring, wetsuit on each december? + june? to wipe off what's grown and put on new coat

 

that's the current working/learning plan anyway

 

plans are free and can always be changed

 

once experience has been gained :sailor:

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interestingly enough

 

on the, australian made, propgold + nz websites

 

say

 

The PropGold system is only applied by applicators who have completed the PropGold Applicator License (PAL). Further, Greencorp Marine will only sell PropGold to licensed applicators ensuring our product is always applied correctly.

 

http://www.greencorpmarine.com/propgold/

 

The PropGold system is only applied by applicators who have completed the PropGold Applicator License (PAL). Further, New Zealand Marine Distribution will only sell PropGold to licensed applicators ensuring our product is always applied correctly.

 

http://www.nzmarinedistribution.co.nz/# ... stems/ccyo

 

but then they offer an on-line diy pack and training video

 

http://www.propellerservices.co.nz/prod ... cts_id=102

 

which i think is a good thing

 

for the reason you mention wheels

 

love to keep what's left over

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Prop speed can be bought over the counter in the states and other countries, but it's sales are restricted in nz and oz at least. I reckon international paints or protective paints non ferrous primer would be better than prop speed's. On prop speed's diy application video they openly talk about it as just a two part etch primer and a thinned out silicon. luckily in the States they demand the right to buy something and cock it up. Like most of this stuff it's not a particularly special recipe, I used kitchen sealant for it's water and mould resistant properties :lol: :lol: . They can hold on to the idea for a while, make some money and then the idea gets out and it's all over. As for the zinc, it's a hard reducing surface, and stuff doesn't like to grow on it, it's also cheap and very easy to apply I can easily do it between two tides, if it only last 6 months I won't mind doing it. I'm also hoping that it's not sold by lots of anti fouling companies because it's a low tech solution with no profit for them, exactly as Pettit find it. We'll see in about 3 months if it works.

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I recently went with a new application of prop speed based on the following:

 

1. With my small prop, professionally applied propspeed was cheaper than what I could have done myself using propgold, even considering there might have been enough left over for a second application, and I avoid the risk of stuffing up the application.

2. My boat had previously had propspeed that has worked extremely well - I probably could have gone another year without doing anything.

 

I also considered trying to make my own, but found very little info on the net on doing this successfully, and figure there would be more success stories being reported if it was being done successfully, so decided against. Also, from my very limited knowledge of the chemistry, I got the impression there are different silicon formulations, and the silicon I could obtain might be quite different to the proprietary formulations??

 

I think they can charge what they do because it works....I'm glad I don't have big multiple props though....

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Just now we are coming up two months into our annual three month aimless cruise. (Mucking about around Waiheke at the moment.) A couple of weeks prior to departure I Propgold-ed the propeller. As you know, there hasn't been much wind this summer so we have done a fair bit of motoring. Even so, the prop has quite a bit of thick slime on it which is adhering rather tanaciously to the blades. As a previous Propspeed user, I would be getting up to 18 months before I would see the level of fouling that I am seeing now. Self application of Propgold versus so called professional application of Propspeed is not an issue in my case. I am fussy about my propeller and have seen professional applicators using less than acceptable standards of cleanliness, so I have always talked the Propspeed people into letting me apply their product myself. So, as far as I am concerned, the two products have been put on my propeller in exactly the same way.

I'll see how the Propgold pans out overt the remainder of the summer, but on the evidence so far I'll be going back to Propspeed.

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Over two years ago I applied peller clean to my 4 x alloy props, cost around $160 to buy the stuff from the same trade me trader who now sells propgold.

 

I hauled the boat a month ago and after a water blast the props came up mint..I had been watching them closely for the past two years and they were always very clean after a run up,even just idling in gear in marina berth.

 

So impressed I tried to get more of the stuff for a reapplication only to be told he now only had propgold..don't know how propgold stacks up and its a shame he stopped selling pellerclean as that stuff rocks.

 

However , I have no reason to suspect his new propgold is not as good as the pellerclean..he was good to his word when I dealt with him and the product stacked up as he promised.

 

In the end got some one to apply propspeed just cause my time was short and prepping and painting  4 x props was time I did not have...

 

But if I was doing just one prop would definitely do it my self again. 

 

Will be interesting to see how the professionally applied  propspeed stacks up in comparison to off the shelf stuff applied by someone with zero professional training or experience. 

 

Apologies for pics quality but these two pics show the props when freshly done and then after two years in the marina and many hours at 3000 rpm in between.

 

Edit..the pic in the tent is two years later.

IMG_2332.JPG

IMG_0027.jpg

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