Practical Sailor Tests Paint Preservers

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Weve touched up our varnish, slapped antifouling on the hull and, brightened that bootstripe. Now what to do with those half-full coatings cans? Its not too late to save some bucks next season by making sure the cans wont skin over or go clumpy. The trick is to chase out the oxygen.

Paintgard

We could dump marbles into the can to fill up the remaining air space or transfer the contents to a smaller can from the local paint supplier. Instead, following a suggestion from several readers, this year, we pumped our half-empty cans of finish with Bloxygen.

Bloxygen contains pure argon, a naturally occurring gas used for welding, as well as in packaging bagged foods like potato chips. A 0.40-ounce can sells for $10 on the Internet. When ours came in the mail, it was so light, we were certain wed been sold an empty can of “Florida sunshine.” However, according to the maker, each can is good for 75 quarts. Pumping the stuff into the coatings can requires no fancy handwork, but you want to make sure the cans rim and lid are clean and still seal tightly.

Weve heard reports from woodworkers who have used Bloxygen for a while with good results, so were fairly optimistic about its performance.

Another paint-preserver were testing has not yet hit the market: Paintgards, plastic floating “lids” that can be placed over the top of unused paint. Made from recycled plastic bottles, the lids act to seal the remaining paint. Raised areas in the lid trap air so that it “floats” on top. Noting the not-so-snug fit inside a gallon can of latex, we had laying around, we suspect its not a failsafe solution, but it is too early in testing to know. The suggested retail price is 85 cents per lid-a little pricey for what it is in our view, but if it works, it will be worth every penny.

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Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.