Arm R Seal Congealed

[Alex Vessey]

Hi folks,

I took a short break in between applying some coats of Arm R Seal to a desk I'm working on. When I came back (after like 2 weeks) my can of finish has started to congeal. It still has a fair amount of liquid varnish in it but before I jumped in and risked messing up a project I wanted to ask: am I OK to use the remaining liquid or has the balance of liquid to resins now been changed in some fashion that would make it unsuitable for further use? I really only need another coat or two which amounts to a pretty minimal amount of varnish and thus I'd prefer not to have to go get another can as I have no projects on the immediate horizon and then I'd be back worrying about THAT can congealing. Curious if anyone has experience with this. Thanks!

[John TenEyck]

If it's congealed only on the surface, just scrap it off and go about your business, but if it's uniformly thick in the can you are taking a risk using it. Arm-R-Seal reacts with O2 in the air and that reaction happens only once. So what's reacted in the can isn't going to cure properly once applied. You can try applying some to a piece of scrap, and if it cures hard and clear, then it is OK to use.

This is why many folks either back fill their partially used cans with Bloxygen or pour their new cans into smaller containers, or fill partially used containers with marbles, etc. In all cases, displacing the oxygen is the key.

John

[Alex Vessey]

Thanks John. It's only started to congeal in a ring around the edges. The remaining liquid seems to be the same consistency as ever so I'm guessing I'll be OK but you're right about testing. I'll throw it on some scrap and see what happens. Thanks!

[Prashun Patel]

I would also add a little bit of mineral spirits to the liquid. It can get thicker as you use the can. Also, the final coats can go on streaky... (that is if you are wiping). Thinning helps. I learned that trick from JT.