Replies

1. 
   ring | Sep 05, 2008 11:00am | #1

   I don't know of another commercial product, but here's a decidedly low-tech tip for us "deprived" individuals - I've dropped clean stones into opened varnish cans to take up the airspace.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

1. 
   EdHarrow | Sep 05, 2008 08:14pm | #4

   I use marbles.  Works a treat, but I've never made a convert, LOL!

1. 
   cmiltier | Sep 06, 2008 03:14am | #6

   Shhhhhh! Don't tell the kids, I use marbles too.

1. 
   EdHarrow | Sep 06, 2008 03:29am | #7

   I've been using mine for quite a few years.  I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost them.

2. 
   mike4244 | Sep 05, 2008 07:09pm | #2

   Propane.

   mike

3. 
   vonmagnuson | Sep 05, 2008 07:30pm | #3

   Try a good wine shop.  They make nitrogen purge canisters for displacing oxygen in opened wine bottles.

   Magnus

   "Remember, a bad carpenter always blames his tools" -Joe Conti-

4. 
   drew59 | Sep 05, 2008 10:32pm | #5

   Ditto on propane

5. 
   kreuzie | Sep 06, 2008 04:11am | #8

   Store the can upside-down. When you reopen it, the good stuff is right on top.

   kreuzie

    

6. 
   xmike | Sep 06, 2008 04:29am | #9

   I've had mixed results with propane, although it should work just fine.
   I've recently taken the advice to use the wine store stuff and have had very good luck with it. One thing - when you pick up a can of it, it seems empty - it's not, there's just no liquid in it.

1. 
   Tinkerer3 | Sep 07, 2008 05:10am | #11

   I hope all you users of propane are non-smokers!

1. 
   dgreen | Sep 07, 2008 05:24am | #12

   Not only a smoker but my favorite torch self lights if you press the trigger too hard! 

    

   ................................................

   You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Jack London

7. 
   Disputantum | Sep 06, 2008 07:27am | #10

   I haven't tried it myself, but Blow-Off or other canned duster would probably work. Tetrafluoroethane is about as inert as an organic compound can be. And it's much heavier than air.

8. 
   angkopa | Sep 18, 2008 02:40am | #13

   Last I heard, they were supposed to be shipping again by mid-September or so, but that's month-old news.  Not sure if they made that date or not.  If so, expect to see it in stores end of September or early October.

   Angie

1. 
   dkellernc | Sep 18, 2008 05:04pm | #14

   There might be a reason for this. I think bloxygen was one of the "unsaturated" chlorofluorocarbons, like 134a refrigerant. There is apparently a federal regulation that prevents the shipment of some of these 2nd generation refrigerants past a certain date - I think that date was this summer, so a lot of manufacturers of products that use it have had to re-formulate to something "greener".

1. 
   angkopa | Sep 18, 2008 09:33pm | #15

   Ah, that makes sense.  They are indeed moving to a different gas, and a different can (slightly shorter, thankfully) so that explains the forced move with (seemingly) little preparation.

   Angie

2. 
   Disputantum | Sep 19, 2008 08:04am | #16

   Bloxygen's own site says it's composed of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon: http://www.bloxygen.com/data.html, but maybe they've gone to an FHC and haven't updated the info yet.

   Edited 9/19/2008 1:06 am ET by Disputantum

1. 
   dkellernc | Sep 19, 2008 05:33pm | #17

   Hmm - I'd think it was the other way around. FHCs are the highly regulated component. When saturated fluorocarbons were outlawed and replaced with fluorohydrocarbons, there was an acknowledgement that the replacement chemicals were also ozone-depleting. Since they contain hydrogen atoms (the previous chemicals were fluorine, chlorine, and carbon only), they're not as stable and don't last as long in the atmosphere. The law included phase-out dates for fluorohydrocarbons as well, with time allowed to find suitable replacement chemicals, though I don't know what the date is for that switchover.

9. 
   BloxygenBoy | Feb 06, 2021 11:45am | #18

   Folks, This is an old post but I thought I'd update the links and some of the knowledge. Here's a link to the Bloxygen Frequently Asked Questions Page:

   http://www.bloxygen.com/frequently-asked-questions.html

   All our production issues have been resolved and we are available at Woodcraft Supply, Rockler, Highland Hardware, Woodworker's Supply, through Waterlox, Odie's oil, and more. We also sell on Amazon, eBay, and through our website.

   For over a decade or more, we have used ultra-pure Argon as our protective gas for storing varnish, paint or anything sensitive to oxygen or moisture. Argon is more expensive, but it's heavier than Oxygen or moisture and protects the leftovers better than anything.

   Relative to other solutions, we note:

   What about other solutions? For years this problem has frustrated woodworkers and finishers. Of all the attempts to solve this problem (see below) none we've seen are as quick, as safe, or as successful.

   What about marbles? Some folks try to eliminate the air space in their container by throwing marbles or rocks in the liquid. In addition to contaminating their product, they often find that cleaning the marbles results in lots of wasted time and product.

   What about a smaller container? Transferring your liquid to a smaller container will reduce the air space, but you'll still have oxygen in there. Since the labeling was on the original container, tracking the instruction labels and warnings could be a problem.

   What about exhaling into the container? As scuba divers or paramedics know, the air we exhale is NOT oxygen free. We inhale 21% oxygen and exhale about 15% oxygen.

   What about tipping the container over? Storing your leftovers upside down will only guarantee that the skin will form on the "bottom" of the liquid. Your finish will still be ruined.

   CO2? We use ultra pure Argon because it's totally inert. CO2 is okay, but it's not totally inert and will react with water to form carbonic acid. If you want to liquify CO2, you need a stronger container than an aerosol can...think paintball or BB gun. They are thicker steel. A container with liquid and gaseous CO2 is about 870psi at room temp.

   What about Air Dusters? The compressed gas dusters contain difluoroethane CAS #75-37-6 which is flammable when concentrated in a fuel/air concentration of 5.1-17.1% by volume. Inert gases do not burn. Given that this is NOT an inert gas, no sound prediction can be made about the effect it will have on the millions of different finishes out there.

   What about Propane? No. Just NO. This is dangerous.

   I'm here to help and I've been a woodworker and finisher for over 30 years.

   Have a great day and make some dust!