Prop Speed

[Skunked Again]

Has anyone used this product?? What type of prep work needs to be done?.. If your rudders and trim tabs have been painted in the past must all the paint be removed or can this be applied over previously painted surfaces? Have you seen drastic results in the performance of your boat?

http://www.propspeed.com/

[giantfan]

My buddy used it last season and it worked great.

A bit expensive but there was nothing on his gear when he pulled out in the fall.

Below is the directions that are on the can.

"Clean off all marine growth. Sand with 60-80 grit sandpaper. Wash with clean water and wipe surface thoroughly with denatured alcohol or acetone to remove sanding dust. Allow to dry. We recommend using 2 people to apply propspeed. One person to brush the etching promer base and a second person to follow with the clear coat as the etching primer base dries.
After thoroughly stirring etching primer base, measure off required quantity and catalyse with etching primer hardener-a mix ratio of 4 base to 1 hardener by volume. Brush the catalysed etching primer base on the running gear using a disposable brush. When the etching primer base begins to dry (3-5 minutes) proceed with applying the clear coat with a separate disposable brush. Be sure all edges are free from drips. Do not nick, scrape or touch the finished surfaces. Allow to dry. it will be slightly tacky to the touch. Do not immerse in water for a minimum of eight hours. The prospeed system is not recommended nor approved for use in aquaculture of contact with food products"

It doesn't say anything about removing paint, but I would.

I think the cost was around $200.00 for 500ml.

I know it is hard to come by right now as there is a big demand for it. Mesco got some but it went out as soon as it came in.

I made a mistake and purchased some on ebay due to not being able to wait for mesco to get more (had to splash or I would have exploded). The picture looked like a gallon can and the price was $200.00 so I figured that it would be the same size that my buddy had.

NOT!!!!!!

This guy sent me a 200ml sample pack for $200.00
Thats not enough to do one of my props!!!!

It was listed on ebay as 200ml (sounds like alot doesn't it???) and I didn't compair it to what was at my buddies shop.

Shame on me.

I hope this helps.

[dubb]

You have to be down to bare metal. Then sanded with 80 grit. You need two people because of time constraints between primer and clear coat. The real negative to this stuff is if you bump bottom and scratch the props it finished. I'm getting ready to haul out tommorow and can give you a better idea of how it held up. Most people seem very pleased with it.

[Canyon Runner]

We used it for the first time last year on the 48' Viking and it worked out great - no growth at all - has to help significantly with speed but more importantly fuel consumption.

However, as stated above, we did have rope wrapped around the wheels and shaft which did take off the prop speed and in those spots alone there was growth but nothing much to speak of and they just need to be touched up this spring.

[FinRazr]

Also speak to Nimrod he ran a post here awhile back about it.

[Nimrod]

Love the PropSpeed product. Works great. I second what was said by Giantfan and Dubb about prep and haveing two people to apply. Check out these other thread about PropSpeed:

Looking for advice on keeping my props clean

In the yard on the hard

[fishy]

When we picked up our boat in Fla. they put it on down there and after 1 season it was still tacky when we hauled it in Nov. no growth put her back in in March same application haul out in Nov. no growth. 2 full seasons 1 application worth the extra dollars in my eyes.

[Banshee]

An Option I was turned on to was to clean the shafts and wheels with Muriatic Acid. It eats all the bad crap off the shafts a, then apply two coats of STP. My friend in Wanchese told me this and I am going to give it a try.
The acid does Clean the shafts right up.
JW

[Nimrod]

Hey JW,

Muriatic Acid and a putty knife certainly works well for removing barnacle pads, tube worms, etc. We used it for years but fortunately haven't had to since we started using the PropSpeed.

The Muriatic Acid can be nasty stuff so just be careful when using it. I was always very careful not to let the acid get into the cutlass bearings even though they could probably handle it. Keep it off anything non-metal and rinse real well when done.

[Skunked Again]

Thanks for the feedback.. I think we're going to give it a whirl... I'll let you know the outcome.