Rope coatings

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colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
845
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
I'm am at the end of my supply of Yale MaxiJacket rope coating. I used to buy it in smaller more convenient amounts from Knot and Rope Supply, but they no longer sell it.

They now sell something called "Gator Dip", which sounds like either something you find on a party platter, or something for treating fleas on your pet alligator. And quart is the smallest size, but I can deal with that.

The only other coating I find in quarts is Marlow's Armourcoat.

MaxiJacket is sold in quarts, but at almost twice the price of the other two above.

Does anyone have experience with Armourcoat or Gator Dip? And how they compare to MaxiJacket?

Mark
 
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thinwater

thinwater

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Mar 26, 2011
3,870
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
From the testing I did (I started testing and using Maxi Jacket 15 years ago) Armourcoat is very much like MaxiJacket, just watered down 50%. In fact, it is often helpful to dilute Maxijacket 50% so that it soaks in better and does not stiffen the line as much. I do this on everything other than very high chafe dock lines. This is particularly true with UHMWPE.

Gator Dip seemed more like Maxijacket, but I have not tested it much.

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It seems unbelievable, but Maxijacket reduces wear on polyester by 3-10 times, with 5-8 times being typical. It is very nearly as good as chafe gear. I didn't believe it either, until I saw it over and over again. Not just ropes. Pack bottoms. Canvas. Never tried sail, but probably not (they are already resinated). Gloves are made a little slippery, but I have used it successfully on winter bike and sailing gloves (not on the grip area).
 
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C

colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
845
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
That is good to hear that these perform similarly to MaxiJacket. I've never found MJ to be particularly thick, and when I brush it on 12-strand dyneema, it seems to penetrate and coat the inner strands. But it does stiffen the line a lot. Not really an issue in the applications I have had.

Gator Dip says it can be thinned with water, so maybe that's the best value - used straight like MaxiJacket, or thinned 50% like Armourcoat.

The Gator Dip SDS says it is a water-based acrylic, while Armourcoat states it is a polyurethane. I don't know if that makes a performance difference.

Both acrylic and polyurethane bring up the question of whether any common water-based acrylic or polyurethane will perform the same (and I do understand that "acrylic" and "polyurethane" represent many different chemical formulations).

Mark
 
thinwater

thinwater

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Mar 26, 2011
3,870
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
My understanding is that Maxijacket is polyurethane. I don't know how that relates to performance.

The mechanism seems to have something to do with keeping the worn bits in place so that a wear layer remains on the surface, rather than worn bits falling away. But I don't pretend to know. I do know that I tried varnish and paint and other things, and they didn't work.

Actually, there is one other thing that works pretty well for other applications. Gorilla Spray adhesive diluted 5:1 with a xylene/acetone blend. It's polyurethane. It actually increases the grip a little, such as gloves and where clutches bear. I came across this when looking for something to increase the grip on gloves after a season made them smooth. It worked. But also surprisingly well on halyards.
PS testing. May be behind paywall
 
C

colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
845
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
I wrote Knot and Rope Supply about Gator Dip and this was the response:

"Both Maxijacket and the Gator Dip is water-based urethanes. The Gator Dip does not dry as hard and stiff as the Maxijacket and has a much longer shelf life. Yes, the Gator Dip performs well as chafe protection."

The Gator Dip SDS published on K&RS's website says it is an acrylic trade secret, so I don't know about that PU claim.

The shelf life thing is strange, as I have years old MaxiJacket that still looks and performs like new. Probably 10yo now.

I'm going to buy some and see.

Mark
 
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thinwater

thinwater

.
Mar 26, 2011
3,870
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Project_Mayhem said:
@thinwater Your testing reveals some incredible results!

Out of curiosity, would these coatings prevent some dirt from getting lodged in or in between the strands? It sounds like it might
Click to expand
Not sure. I never used them off the boat, say on climbing gear.

I don't know if there is any effect on mildew, for example, because they were not high mildew areas. But it helps some.

Coatings stiffen the rope, so they are mostly for spot applications, like mooring lines and clutches. My understanding is that it was developed for clutches and to prevent core slip with Dyneema cores. I have used it with good success on the forward half of a furler line that was subject to chafe when roller-furled. It REALLY helped, not just with chafe, but with how the line rolled (less tendency to burrow through layers of wrap).
 
P

Project_Mayhem

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Sep 24, 2018
4,144
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
thinwater said:
Not sure. I never used them off the boat, say on climbing gear.

I don't know if there is any effect on mildew, for example, because they were not high mildew areas. But it helps some.

Coatings stiffen the rope, so they are mostly for spot applications, like mooring lines and clutches. My understanding is that it was developed for clutches and to prevent core slip with Dyneema cores. I have used it with good success on the forward half of a furler line that was subject to chafe when roller-furled. It REALLY helped, not just with chafe, but with how the line rolled (less tendency to burrow through layers of wrap).
Click to expand
Ahh spot usage makes sense. This is a pretty interesting topic. I'll definitely read your PS article on it. Thanks for the info!
 
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