Today I opened a one gallon can of exterior oil primer. I used under a quart. I won’t be using it again until next year.
Is there any way to prevent the paint from drying a “skin” layer on top?
I filled the empty space in the can with propane. I did the same think with the quart can of Penetrol.
I know that I tried that propane method years ago, but what I can’t remember if it worked.
Replies
Ed,
Store the can upside down, if it does form a film it will be at the bottom.
Mike
Mig gas (argon ) works well
For that sort of thing, I buy empty quart cans and fill them up. I just got a bunch at Homer Depp.
ne sutor ultra crepidam
Clean the gutter at the top of the can very carefully. When you put the lid back on the can, it should sit down flush, just like it did when the can was new. This allows the seals between the lid and the can close properly. If the top doesn't close flush, the seals don't work. Solvents escape, air gets in, and the paint cures in the can.
Ed,
If you can't get mig gas, then buy a can of bloxygen from most woodworking supply places. Spray a 6 second burst into the can and put the lid on immediately. Your primer will be perfect in a year or 5 when you open it.
After using a quart of material from a gallon can, merely cleaning the rim and lid well will not be enough to keep the product from skinning over because of the amount of air you will have in the can.
Lee
Cleaning the rim does work. I recently re-opened a quart can of varnish which was about half-full. There was a slight skin on the surface of the varnish, but the remainder was fine. I don't know how old the can was, but it has a price sticker on it from a lumber yard which closed about five years ago.
For very little money you should be able to buy bags of 2 inch pot balls having holes from a garden centre, they are for putting on the end of garden canes to stop you stabbing eyes out.
Drop a quarts worth in the can, the finish rises and roberts your mum or dads brother.
If you can get the lid to re-seal, your paint should store just fine for a long time. Since cleaning that sealing groove can be a hassle, I buy those plastic pour "spouts" at the hardware store.
They're about 6" - 7" long with one of the long edges molded to snap over the inner edge of a paint can. They're, inexpensive, flexible and can be used on a gallon, or quart, can. They do a great job of keeping paint out of the sealing groove and getting a good re-seal is a snap.
I use the propane method,it works.I used to turn the can upside down,also works but the skin will form on the bottom.Using propane and closing the lid quickly prevents any skim.
mike
Easier than the propane is to use the duster spray sold for computers and camera equipment. It costs around three dollars a can at Walmart. I tested it several years ago and it worked exceptionally well even on highly reactive finishes. Another trick is to never pour leftover paint back into the can, it will accelerate the reaction.
John White
Yestermorrow School, Waitsfield, Vermont
Whenever I open a new can of paint, I use a hammer and a fine prick punch to poke about a dozwn drain holes in the rim seal It helps the paint to drain before sloshing over the can. Also, the seal will be preserved without gummy interference from dried paint
After use, wipe down the label. daub a splotch of paint on the can's bottom and store the container upside down.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled