Paint saver

I'm not sure if everyone already knows this but you can keep paint for years in an almost empty tin, if you put argon or argon/co2 mix on top. I used a lot of silver enamel about 5 years ago and kept about 1 litre in a four litre tin when i was finished. I swirled a few seconds worth of gas from the hose to the welder into the tin and left it until recently. It was completely separated and took a ton of stirring but it had no skin at all and worked as good as new. I do this will all my paint but this was the longest I've left any. I was suprised it still was OK. The lid has to fit well so the argon can't get displaced.

Good tip.

I put a piece of wax paper, stolen from the kitchen, under the lid of unused paint to help the lid stop sticking and it also probably provides a slight seal.

I seem to remember once reading about someone storing cans upside down, which would also help seal if you could keep it from sticking.

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Originally Posted by Legion

I seem to remember once reading about someone storing cans upside down, which would also help seal if you could keep it from sticking.

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Thats right,It was a Popular Mechanics years ago when I read it. It works too, but I don't always think to do it.

Grahame

makes sense . .. on the same tip i wonder if nitrogen would work
aaron
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Nitrogen's only slightly heavier than oxygen so I think they mainly remain mixed, otherwise the nitrogen in the can would naturally settle to the bottom during storage since the atmosphere is 80% nitrogen. Argon is more than double the weight of oxygen or nitrogen.

Sounds like CO₂ would work as well. I can easily grab a bit of dry ice from work. Because it "sublimates" slowly it will gradually push the air up out of the can which would have the lid just sitting on. When sublimation is complete seal the lid. Sounds like a plan.

Dean