Barnacle Glue

Wow, That drew some real quiet. I so far have experimented with acetic acid (vinegar) and an oxalic acid bathroom spray. The vinegar seems to work to some degree and with some degree of scrubbing. Still waiting on a warm enough day to do some serious experimentation but would not mind bypassing this phase of the project and going straight to the clean up.
 
You know me, Doc. I'm always quiet. I can't offer any help anyhow. The water I moor is is far enough upriver to be brackish at most, and all it grows is the green slime.

Tell me some more about the oxalic acid spray. I am a big fan of Barkeeper's Friend, which has oxalic acid in it, and a spray might be real handy for the spots that are difficult to rub.

Anybody besides me and the guy who told me ever hear that salt water growths will die and fall off on their own rather quickly if the boat is in fresh water, and vice versa for the freshwater algae?
 
Tyboo, It's funny, I was telling a guy the same thing about fresh water killing salt water bugs this weekend and threathened to launch C-AK into t a nearby pond to test the theory. Instead, I launched the pressure washer and blasted away at the little crustaceons until I could stand no more. End result was mostly barnacle free but with little glue rings still there. Time to experiment I guess.
 
Starbrite has Boat Bottom Cleaner-Barnacle & Zebra Mussel Remover. If I remember correctly, it works well. If I don't remember correctly, let me know. Its at Defender Marine for $13 a (small) bottle

Boris
 
The Starbrite stuff works for me. Gotta clean the Air Doc one of these days, and that will be where I start. Full report when it warms up. Worked great on the 22.

Dusty
 
80 grit sandpaper with or without a sanding block will remove the "little barnacle rings" in about 10 seconds. I know house framing carpenters who can't swing a hammer either and can only nail with pneumatic nail guns too! Anyone for basic boat painting prep skills?

What's wrong with sandpaper and/or a scraper??
 
Has anyone tried any of the kitchen products for dissolving calcium deposits such as CLR or Lime Away.???

Seems like it might work.

Just a thought...

Merv
 
I tried some CLR and some vinegar but it they don't seem to make it much easier. Problem is, the glue itself isn't calcium. I think it is similar to super glue with cryptonite in it. I am going to try the starbright stuff but in the long run, I would like to reverse engineer the stuff and find out how get it off real easy.
 
Side note. The 80 grit sand paper was a real bad idea. I got within four feet of the hull with it when I felt something or someone smack me up the side of the head.
 
The barnacle glue is an organic compound, a protein, and won't be affected by oxidizing agents like oxyalic acid, a rust remover, or by calcium removers like vinegar and Lime Away.

Might try to get a detergent powered stain remover that can attack the protein and give it some time to react, periodically scrubbing to remove the layers of glue laid down. Hopefully a really strong laundry stain remover would break the protein down in concentrated form if given sufficient time and a little gentle scrubbing with a plastic scrub pad that wouldn't scratch the gel coat.

We cleaned stained glass pipets (measuring tubes) out down inside where no brush would go with a mixture of potassium permagenate and red fuming nitric acid, but that stuff would eat your boat away as well! Joe.
 
Sea Wolf":3f5fid6s said:
We cleaned stained glass pipets (measuring tubes) out down inside where no brush would go with a mixture of potassium permagenate and red fuming nitric acid, but that stuff would eat your boat away as well! Joe.
Click to expand...
Hoo-hah! that's a recipe for Mn2O7, isn't it? It's unstable as all get out -- I think you might be thinking of potassium chromate and sulfuric acid, which makes chromic acid, an extremely powerful oxidizing agent used in the bad old days to clean glassware. It would take the barnacle residue away, but also would eat gel coat.

I wonder if there is not a concentrated enzyme detergent which would do the job, maybe in paste form.

Tough problem. As you say, it is mostly a tough protein, not attackable using ordinary cleaners. I suspect in the end, the best method would be wet sanding with maybe 220 grit, then 400, then 600, then polishing compound. You'd lose some gel coat, though.
 
Dave-

Right your are! I got a bit confused in my failing memory at 63! :roll:

We did make the Mn2O7 also, though, as a demonstration to the students, and used a feather to set it off after it dried if we couldn't find a cooperative fly to land on it! :smileo

The concentrated paste launcry stain remover is exactly what I was suggesting. :idea

No barnacles in Shasta Lake to try it out on, though. :disgust

Joe.
 
Oops, :shock: Made up a batch of Mn207 before I saw the subsequent posts about its volatility and effect on the gel coat. Now all I have is an outline of the boat consisting of little barnacle glue rings on a deepening pit in the driveway. :) Actually, I had seen some literature on barnacle glue and desires to make it commercially for among other things a surgical tissue adhesive. I like the idea of using some sort of protease and will give it a try. Hmmm. Where can I come up with some digestive enzyme??? Come here fido. Only joking..hmm. Seriously, my problem is not what I would call severe. I just left her in the harbor a little longer than I wanted, without bottom paint and now that I will have her on the trailer most of the time I want to get the gel coat looking nice again with minimal elbow grease. I am thankful for the posts and open for any other suggestions.
 
Doc, your comments about having barnacles in the shape of a CD25 made me laugh ... you now have the first Stealth C-Dory!!

Sea Wolf's comment about proteins got me thinking. I vaguely recall using Alolph's Meat Tenderizer (helps digest proteins as I recall) as first-aid for jellyfish stings and certain other marine critters that stung folks while working in the Keys years ago. Like 30 years ago...so this could also be a figment of my imagination.

I seem to be getting more of those figments cropping up, but in any case it should give Tyboo and others a good laugh.

Remember: "Anything Casey says may have Nothing to do with Reality."

Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
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