What's the best way to store that 1/2 gallon of paint left over after a project?
I don't think I've ever opened a used can that's a few months old without finding rust along the inside lip or a film of dry paint on top. I am very careful about cleaning the lid and the seam where the lid seals and making sure the can is closed tight - rubber mallet tight.
This morning I had to strain a 1/2 gallon of Kitchen & Bath paint because of the rust that fell in when I opened the can.
I've moved some of my paint into emptied plastic tubs (in my case, 2lb protein powder tubs) for longer term storage.
Huh. Your storage location must be damp, and/or subject to big temp swings. Previous owner left several partial cans, several years old, in furnace room here, and they were still usable for touchups. I did make it a point to stir the hell out of them, however. We talking latex or oil? IIRC, latex stores longer without problems. I don't think a rubber mallet is tight enough- I use whatever hammer or heavy metal object is handy, and a piece of 1x4 to avoid dinging the metal. Maybe you are cleaning the lid TOO well, and it isn't making a seal any more.
aem sends....
aem sends...
way to store that 1/2 gallon of paint left over after
Storage is my walk-out basement workshop. Temperature swings, yes - damp, no.
Latex
Rubber mallet seals can so that it looks like it came from the store
With the folded corner of a paper towel? I gotta stop using Brawny!
I also scratch a line into the lid to match where the seam is on the can, so if there are imperfections or spills in the groove, I can match them up. I think this is more important the second time a can is opened then the first, but I do it the first time anyhow.
Others will have more direct answers to your question.
I guess I have a dry house. I've had paint dry out after a long time, but I don't think I've ever had rust.
I didn't even notice this. I think a rubber mallet can bend the lid, including the rim.
I just use my arm, pushing down on the heel or my hand until it moves into the can a bit, then going to the other side, maybe 180 degrees or maybe 3 times at 120 degrees. I move it some that way. Then I get on my knees and put the weight of my body above my knees into it, utnil I feel it move far enough I know it is at the bottom. At 2 or 3 places.
I have the opposite of a bottle opener, that I or someone got at a paint shop, that one hooks onot the riim and lifts to make the rim go down into the can, but I've never used it. I like using the heel of my hand because it's much wider, 4 inches instead of a half inch.
Why not just store the cans upside down? JG
At the recommendation of my paint store, I use a small dead blow hammer. Rubber mallets bounce.
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Too much moisture where the paint is stored. Perhaps a plastic bag around the can would help. I have several different products - primer, varnish, lacquer - that I use repeatedly and they are fresh after at least 3 years. I reseal the lid with a mallet - actually a wooden meat tenderizer that I don't use for food - and just tap around the rim evenly. Also, when it is opened, don't pry only one side but go around the rim at several spots. If your storage area is damp, it might help to wipe the rim with a light coat of oil when it is first opened.
I've always used a combination of mm's advice (for closing the tins) and JGS's advice about storing the tins downside up. I've kept tins of gloss paint for several years this way and never had skin or rust.
Very Simple! Store your cans UPSIDE DOWN. Eliminates O2 at the lid, no rust, no film when you open it again (if any forms, it forms on the bottom!) Told you it was simple.
I tried storing them upside down, but then I couldn't read the labels. Painted a whole room the wrong color once.
Thanks all!
Right! And as you painted the room, you kept the paint cans upside down preventing you from reading the labels. Makes absolute sense.
-- Right! And as you painted the room, you kept the paint cans upside down
-- preventing you from reading the labels. Makes absolute sense.
Actually what really happened was that when I opened the upside down can, all the paint spilled out. When I scooped it up and put it in another container, there was no longer a lable for me to read. I tried putting it back into the original upside down can, but it just kept spilling out.
In addition to the other hints, here's one from my days in the photo processing lab.
Half-filled bottles of chemicals reacted with the air trapped in the bottle and decomposed, so the problem became one of removing the air. There are probably a zillion ways to do that (use smaller bottles, replace the air with Nitrogen, etc.). Here's what we did:
Wait for it now...
Marbles.
Yep, from a big sack, we dropped in enough marbles to raise the liquid's level to the neck of the bottle, minimizing the trapped air.
I Googled "marbles+bulk"
Here's one seller. 1 1/16" marbles, 30 marbles per pound, 30 pounds for $44, including shipping (that's 900 one-inch-plus marbles!).
Looking at the company's home page, they've got interesting stuff: Leather gloves, $0.99
4" saw blade for granite, $2.00 Digital multimeter, $8.38 Locking door knob sets (for your rent house), ~$3.50
Since the problem child is latex, when sealing the can lay a layer of plastic food wrap (aka Saran and a half-dozen other brands) across the top surface of the paint. If it should someohw skin over, the skin will come out with the wrap. You might also put another layer just over the opening when sealing.
I tend to use mine up ... if I only have a half-gallon left over I'm likely to go back over the room or whatever with an additional coat over the parts (outside corners, near doors, etc) that are more likely to take wear. You might also, as another poster mentioned, decant it into smaller containers ... quart spaghettis juice jars should work just fine and, with a small amount of foresight, be free. There -definitely- use the cling-wrap stuff over the mouth and across the threads.
The key in any of these suggestions is to impose a barrier between the paint and air or other contaminants.
The moisture that is causing the rust primarily comes from the paint itself. Putting a barrier over it keeps it from losing the moisture -- and that keeps it from skinning over.
Just a guess.
Bill
EXCELLENT link! Can hardly wait until Charlie (woodturning) gets hold of this one!
Bill
An old trick to varnish users.
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I'd heard about it, but lost most of my marbles years ago. Now I know a cheap source to get more!
Bill
Don't forget, it also works for expensive polymerizing oils.
For latex, I buy $0.89 empty quart cans.
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