Varnish

[James]

Hi group, I need some suggestions on preserving a can of varnish after it's been opened. I tend to buy spar varnish by the gallon (have a boat) and need to preserve it between uses. Thanks, Jim

[graham]

Try this:

or this:

Graham

[Leon]

The absolutely easiest is to fill the can with an inert gass, like Bloxygen.

Or transfer the remainder into smaller quart cans filled to the top.

Or what I do, as my cans don't sit long before being used, turn the can upside down so that the unexposed portion at the lid end when you store it. The other end will begins to set but you don't have to work your way through the thick gunk.

[-MIKE-]

[Leon]

So you know if those bags are reusable, if you use the same product? I wonder if they would be usable with Gel Varnishes.

[Bill]

+1

[Ed Pawlowski]

Buy a bigger boat so you can use it all in one time around. With the money saved in spoiled paint it will pay for itself.

[James]

Good ideas. I just happen to have a large bottle of Argon attached to my Heli-arc welder so I'll look into adding inert gas to the can. Jim

[graham]

Those cans of inert gas are pricey (I have one for my better wines) and the fact that you have plenty of argon solves your problem neatly. Graham

[woodchucker]

` I use the bladders from boxed wine. My BIL provided me with 20 boxes. They definetly work well. I have been using them for years for shellac, poly, spar varnish , latex paints, oil based paints.

All have done nicely, contrary to what some of you say about the bags not being air proof . The nice thing is no rust from the can, and no issues with dried finish.

[James]

It is a bigger boat. It's a 28' Carver Santa Cruz. We just made a trip to Portland, Or to try out the new triple axle trailer. It wasn't quite right. Had to bring it home and move the outside bunks and raise them. Will be going back up in a week to bring it home. Then the fun really starts.Lots of projects to do on it. Has a fair amount of teak trim on it. Jim

P.S. There is no money savings on a BOAT (break out another thousand)

[James]

[Lew Hodgett]

James wrote:

------------------------------------------------------- Standard tool when doing varnish work on a small/medium power boat is a propane torch along with those paint brushes.

Shoot unlit propane down into can to drive out any air in top of can' then seal can with can top.

Then turn can up side down trapping the propane in the bottom of the can.

A couple of tips. A 28 ft power boat doesn't have any spars so you don't have any need for spar varnish, rather straight poly/varnish is what you need.

You'll be ahead of the game buying 750 ml cans of finish rather than trying to use a work around to try to take advantage of a larger package size.

Epifanes has what you need.

West Marine should have it.

Have fun and welcome aboard.

[Martin Eastburn]

They mention to squeeze out the air and then put on the lid. I think there would be some air still in the tube that makes is almost perfect. If full of argon or such then no problem.

I don't know why not. It might be more difficult to stuff in the hole...

Mart> >>> Hi group, I need some suggestions on preserving a can of varnish after

[James]

I actually liked the old Behr Spar varnish (before Home Depot got a hold of them) I used it on the swim platform of our 28' sailboat plus all the other wood that was on it. Held up really well. I'm now looking at Total Boat's Lust. Seems to have pretty good reviews.I have to mail order things since I don't have ready access to a West Marine except in Portland a 7 hour drive. Jim