Anchorseal curds

[Roger Bell]

My local WW retailer has started carrying their own house-brand of Anchorseal...it looks and works identical to Anchorseal. It may even be Anchorseal with a house label for all I know.

Sometime this winter I left the gallon plastic jug outside and it must have frozen. Since it rarely freezes around here, I just spaced on it and left it outside. Now that I need it, I noticed that the product has turned into something resembling cottage cheese.....mostly smallish "curds" in a thin liquid. I was barely able to force some of it out of the jug. About 90 percent of the original content of product remains, so I would like to salvage it if I can.

So Anchorseal is some sort of wax emulsion, right? Since it doesnt smell like oil, is it water-based? Can I add some water and then mix up with a drywall mud mixing-paddle to regain a working consistency? Or what? What do you guys in the cold climates do when this happens to you?

[Leo Pashea]

I purchase Anchorseal by the 5 gallon bucket, and they always send me the "winter" formula. The winter formulation has an additive to prevent what you describe when the product freezes. (Mine is always in a heated shop, but because of my geographic location, I always get the winter forumlation. Another reason I buy direct from U-C Coatings.........they take care of customers!)

I would think you could set it in the sun, let it warm up good, add some water and mix it with your mud paddle. You don't have anything to lose, right?

[Jim Becker]

It may be toast...As Leo eludes to, the genuine Anchorseal comes in two formulas...one for colder weather. The regular version (which I have) specifically says, "do not freeze" on the label.

[Curt Fuller]

I'd try shaking it real hard or putting some in a bucket and whipping it up with one of those paint stirrers that go in a drill. I don't think there's anything in it that can go "bad". The freeze has just caused it to un-emulsify a little. I don't know how they make it but I have a mental image of pouring hot melted parrafin wax and hot water into some sort of a big blending machine.

[George Tokarev]

So Anchorseal is some sort of wax emulsion, right? Since it doesnt smell like oil, is it water-based? Can I add some water and then mix up with a drywall mud mixing-paddle to regain a working consistency? Or what? What do you guys in the cold climates do when this happens to you?

Of course it's warm here, but you are correct - it's a wax emulsion. Means water, a surfactant to help keep the immiscible wax in suspension, and in your case an inadequate amount of alcohol to keep things from freezing.

How big is your blender? Betting on a non-sudsing non-ionic surfactant, so with a bit of reserve room you might be able to whip those curds back into the whey. It's how they did it originally. Don't add anything. Everything's still there and chemically unchanged.

[Roger Bell]

Thanks. I cut off the top of the jug to remove the contents. No way it would come out of the spout....just some juicy "whey". I put it all in a bucket and whipped it with drywall mud paddle. I added about a half cup of water to get it started. It took quite awhile but eventually gained some reasonable consistency. It is still a bit lumpy but the lumps are real small. Probably could have continued longer and got a better final product......my wife said no-way on the blender idea. I got busted carrying it out of the house to the shop. Should have been sneakier, I suppose.

I painted up about thirty fresh-cut walnut bowl blanks and the stuff dried up fine....the tiny lumps adhere just fine to the wood. Gonna be ok.