Saving expensive oil based paints

iveofione

iveofione

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I'm fairly certain that many of us have bought paint, used a bit of it and sealed the can intending to use more later. And whenever later comes the paint has skinned over and beneath the skin the paint has thickened. With good paint-especially for boats-now costing $30-$40 a quart the losses can add up. Save your paint!

Two products I use that prevent skinning are Bloxygen and Stop Loss Bags. Bloxygen comes in a spray can that feels empty but contains pure argon which is about 25% heavier than oxygen. Spray a bit in the can to force out the ambient air and then seal the can. Done carefully this will preserve the paint for a long time. Reading the reviews of Bloxygen though it is apparent that some guys can even screw up this simple process.

Stop Loss bags are heavy duty plastic bags that are filled with a funnel (provided) and are tapered in shape. Once the paint is in the bag just squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal the top. This eliminates all of the air completely and it can't skin the paint. These really work well, when I built my last pram 3 or 4 years ago I put the leftover marine varnish in a bag and didn't need it again until recently. When reopened the varnish was fresh with no sign of degradation.

Bloxygen is about $13 a can, Stop Loss bags cost about the same for 4 bags. Obviously if these products save just one can of paint they have paid for themselves.
 
You can also tuck a piece of plastic kitchen film, like Glad Wrap, against the surface of the paint and sides of the can. Be careful not to trap air bubbles on the surface and to be sure the film is tight to the sides. I have had paint remain useable for years that way. The same plastic film can be wrapped tightly around a wet paint roller for several days without the paint in the roller drying or degrading.
 
In a long list of obscure Ive threads, this probably takes the cake.
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Well done.
 
Kilchis said:
You can also tuck a piece of plastic kitchen film, like Glad Wrap, against the surface of the paint and sides of the can. Be careful not to trap air bubbles on the surface and to be sure the film is tight to the sides. I have had paint remain useable for years that way. The same plastic film can be wrapped tightly around a wet paint roller for several days without the paint in the roller drying or degrading.
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Indeed, I have been doing the roller thing for years. The roller life can be extended to weeks by first wrapping with the plastic, then wrap with a damp towel and then another wrap of plastic.
 
I believe all partially used paint should be hermaphroditically sealed to maintain its freshness.
 
MT_Flyfisher said:
II believe that “hermaphroditically sealed” means that it has both the force and firmness of a man, and the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.
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No, my friend...though I do like the analogy to the old antiperspirant ad...'strong enough for a man, but gentle enough for a woman'.

The reality is that preserving unused paint would be best accomplished through hermetically sealing the container.

But think about this; when was the last time you even saw a hermet?

Through loss of habitat, economic pressure, inadequate reproductive strategy, competition from invasive homeless species, social media, and over-harvesting, their ranks have been severely diminished. The hills around most communities, once teeming with hermets, are now sadly bareft of smoke from their shanties, hovels and caves.

Fortunately, an abundant supply of hermaphrodites has currently expanded into that important niche. Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' of capitalism always adapts to the needs of society.
 
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