Painting a S/S Prop

GasCan II

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Messages
281
Just wondering what you guy's think about painting a S/S prop with zinc spray paint ? My boat is slipped in salt water for six months, when I pull her out I need to spend some time cleaning up the prop, will zinc spray help ?
Thanks for your thoughts.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,296
what are you trying to accomplish. to paint a prop, you will need to blast it to get it clean for the paint to stick.

if your trying to keep critters from growing on your prop, painting with AF paint helps for a short time
 

camalot

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Messages
144
We use toilet cleaner with hydrochloric acid, spray it on leave for 2 mins and wash off. Works great on tarnished lake water props as well!!
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
I painted my SS Bravo 3 Prop sets (twin engines) as a means of putting a weak metal directly on the props and also to keep the marine growth down.

IMG_2298.jpg

In order to make sure I got good adhesion, I pre-heated the props to about 200 degrees in the oven, then quickly brought them outside to put cold galvanizing compound on them. IMG_2320.jpg



The zinc kept the barnacles away, but algae grew on the props. So, in subsequent years, I still did the cold galvanizing, but also added the anti-fouling paint over the zinc paint. IMG_4443.jpg
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
11,798
Looks great Ted, I'm trying to imagine my wife's reaction to my putting a prop in the oven lol.
I would think painting them might reduce galvanic corrosion on the drive being moored in salt water like our boats are for half the year. If I ever switch to an SS prop I'll do the same.
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Wow, Ted, you have a lot of time on your hands! :D (do I assume correctly that your props have removable (Torq-Flo) hubs, or do you bake it all together?)

I slip in salt and I get growth (barnacles and plants) on the SS props. Once every 6-8 weeks I get in the water with a plastic scraper and clean 'em off. Takes a couple minutes per prop. Last year I sent my new son-in-law in. "Here, Justin, take this scraper... gonna teach you about boating." :)

My .02
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
Wow, Ted, you have a lot of time on your hands! :D (do I assume correctly that your props have removable (Torq-Flo) hubs, or do you bake it all together?)

I slip in salt and I get growth (barnacles and plants) on the SS props. Once every 6-8 weeks I get in the water with a plastic scraper and clean 'em off. Takes a couple minutes per prop. Last year I sent my new son-in-law in. "Here, Justin, take this scraper... gonna teach you about boating." :)

My .02

Bravo 3 props are solid hub no torq-flo hubs, just one big piece of stainless steel. So, I bake them as is. Only 1 prop fits in a regular size oven at a time, so it is a production process of heating one prop while I quickly paint the hot prop.

I got this idea when trying to paint the props in 40 degree weather . . . I figured if I heated the prop (to about 200 F) then the prop will have enough heat to easily dry the paint. It worked so well, I do it every year, regardless of the outside temperature.
 

KJM

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 31, 2016
Messages
1,186
Kind of a shame to loose that nice shiny ss look though..........
 

harleyman1975

Ensign
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
959
I baked cookie sheets of 1/4 gravel once to make epoxy floor in our bathroom. Wife liked that! Put pics on F.B.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Not boating in saltwater and certainly not privy to such things, do any of you see any difference between brushed stainless steel and highly polished stainless steel props? I guess what I am asking is does brushed SS allow growth faster then polished SS? Just wondering. :noidea:
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
No real scientific evidence that I am aware of . . . In salt water the marine growth is not particular, so I doubt you would see any difference.

I you use your boat frequently (couple time a week), then the marine growth does not take hold on the propulsion surfaces. Still will build up on the hull, if not protected.
 
Top