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Thread: How much is enough bloxigen

  1. #1
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    How much is enough bloxigen

    Yesterday morning I decanted some Waterlox and applied a coat to my current project. I put the left over Waterlox in a glass mason jar and sprayed bloxigen on top with the lid down on the red delivery tip. Sealed the jar. This morning I had a film on top of the Waterlox in the mason jar. How do you know how much bloxigen to use? Thanks Brian
    Brian

  2. #2
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    Waterlox, in my experience, is the worst case for polymerizing if it get's the slightest whiff of oxygen. I've tried immoderate amounts of Bloxygen, and if you're careful and lucky (use a slow (non-turbulent) spray for 10-15 seconds) it will work. What really made Waterlox practical for me was using a Stop-Loss bag. I've been working from my last quart for nearly a year now, a previously unheard of lifetime. I squeeze the bag so that there is no air bubble at all, and it stays good.

    If I had an argon welding tank I'd think about putting the waterlox can into a five gallon bucket and then filling the whole thing with gas before capping the can. Can't afford to do that at Bloxygen prices!

  3. #3
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    I think it says on the can how long to spray. You can't use too much. The problem I've found with Mason jars is the lids don't always seal tightly, especially if there is any finish dried on the rim. I think Stop Loss bags have a better track record, and don't require the use of Bloxygen, though I have yet to try them. I've taken to putting a piece of Saran Wrap over the top of the jar, then the lid, spray Bloxyen into the jar, and then screw on the ring. So far, no gelling.

    One of my friends puts his wipe on varnish (Tru Oil) in the freezer between uses. He claims to have zero failures as far as the finishing going bad in the jar.

    John

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    Read directions I don't read no stinking directions. Thanks men.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Runau View Post
    Yesterday morning I decanted some Waterlox and applied a coat to my current project. I put the left over Waterlox in a glass mason jar and sprayed bloxigen on top with the lid down on the red delivery tip. Sealed the jar. This morning I had a film on top of the Waterlox in the mason jar. How do you know how much bloxigen to use? Thanks Brian
    When I used the stuff I also just followed the directions on the can. They also have info on their web site, at least they used to.

    An alternative to Bloxygen is a small tank of compressed nitrogen or argon. The initial cost of the tank and regulator is high (unless you have spares on hand like I did) but the gas itself is so cheap it’s almost free compared to Bloxygen. It’s not painful to err on the side of excess. I hold a flexible plastic tube under the rim of the lid and inject a healthy stream onto the container, enough so I’m sure it’s replaced all the air. This has even kept opened bottles of TruOil in good condition for years, in my experience a finish notorious for setting up in the container.

    I’ve been using the same size Q tank of nitrogen for 6-7 years. When it’s empty I’ll switch to a tank of argon. (Bloxygen used to be a mixture of argon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide but the last time I checked they had switched to straight argon.)

    JKJ

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    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    Waterlox, in my experience, is the worst case for polymerizing if it get's the slightest whiff of oxygen. I've tried immoderate amounts of Bloxygen, and if you're careful and lucky (use a slow (non-turbulent) spray for 10-15 seconds) it will work. What really made Waterlox practical for me was using a Stop-Loss bag. I've been working from my last quart for nearly a year now, a previously unheard of lifetime. I squeeze the bag so that there is no air bubble at all, and it stays good.

    If I had an argon welding tank I'd think about putting the waterlox can into a five gallon bucket and then filling the whole thing with gas before capping the can. Can't afford to do that at Bloxygen prices!
    Roger, any reason I couldn't use a ziploc baggie for this? thanks brian
    Brian

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Runau View Post
    Roger, any reason I couldn't use a ziploc baggie for this? thanks brian
    A freezer bag might have enough of an oxygen barrier to work. Several people have reported success with re-using the the liners from "wine in a box". With a ziplock type bag I'd think it would be a real pain to open and close the bag without getting finish all over the place, especially as he finish on the outside starts to harden. The stop-loss bags have a screw cap. They're a pita to fill (you need the special funnel that mates to the top of the bag), but then it's easy to repeatedly dispense small amounts of finish, as I often do when finishing small turnings. They are also re-usable, I've been using the same bags for the better part of a decade now, just refilling them when I get a new can of finish.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    A freezer bag might have enough of an oxygen barrier to work. Several people have reported success with re-using the the liners from "wine in a box". With a ziplock type bag I'd think it would be a real pain to open and close the bag without getting finish all over the place, especially as he finish on the outside starts to harden. The stop-loss bags have a screw cap. They're a pita to fill (you need the special funnel that mates to the top of the bag), but then it's easy to repeatedly dispense small amounts of finish, as I often do when finishing small turnings. They are also re-usable, I've been using the same bags for the better part of a decade now, just refilling them when I get a new can of finish.
    I broke down and bought some. Can I use a regular funnel? Brian

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    ... The stop-loss bags have a screw cap. They're a pita to fill (you need the special funnel that mates to the top of the bag), but then it's easy to repeatedly dispense small amounts of finish, as I often do when finishing small turnings. They are also re-usable, I've been using the same bags for the better part of a decade now, just refilling them when I get a new can of finish.
    How do people deal with the need to mix the stop-loss bag's contents before use (e.g. a satin finish or semi-gloss finish with flatteners)?

    Do you dump out the entire bag, stir, then put some back in the bag?
    Mark McFarlane

  10. #10
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    I just squish it back and forth in the bag. There's no air so you don't introduce bubbles, if you're one who worries about that.

    Quote Originally Posted by mark mcfarlane View Post
    How do people deal with the need to mix the stop-loss bag's contents before use (e.g. a satin finish or semi-gloss finish with flatteners)?

    Do you dump out the entire bag, stir, then put some back in the bag?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Runau View Post
    I broke down and bought some. Can I use a regular funnel? Brian
    The opening is small, so it's hard to get a regular funnel to work with any kind of flow rate. The one they sell has a rubber nipple that seals to the opening. You could pour the finish into a squeeze bottle with a small tip and then squirt it into the bag, but for me, buying their funnel was easier. Filling the bags is the worst part of using them.

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