How can I keep paint from skinning over?

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
For various reasons having to do with the nature of my two person household, I always have many partly used cans of paint on hand. Is there an easy way to keep them from skinning over? I thought of adding a bit of CO2 gas to the container before I close it, or putting a small chunk of dry ice. The trouble with that idea is that it doesn't quite qualify as easy, and also, I don't know if it would do any good. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Stan
 
Oil or laytex? I add a couple of drops of water to laytex. One gallon can 1/2 empty add maybe one or two milk jug caps full. I have found that lytex is a very critical mix. Stir in, seal can, store up side down. Others will tell you the upside down makes sure that NO air gets in. Good way to do it. Dry ice will blow the lid off. A puff of CO2 or air in a can is good but too much and the can will CRUSH. Ask me how I know. Keep it simple with just a tiny spit of water.
 
It will help if you spread a sheet of saran wrap or similar over the top of can before reinstalling the lid. The lid pushes the wrap into the grooves and makes a better seal.
 
I get one of the wife's zip lock bags she uses for freezer food. I place my quart paint cans inside it,snap it about three quarters of the way shut,then squeeze some of the air out of the bag and then zip lock the rest of the way. This keeps my paint good in the can.
 
Hi Thats what i was going to suggest, an old engineer friend of mine was doing that 25 years ago. It worked for him. I don't ever remember him having a lid come off and painting a shelf or random floor. He was the kinda guy you'd of heard commenting on it, 40 miles away the day it did L.O.L.
Regards Robert
 

Garry has got it in one . Seal the can then store upside down . Can't imagine how this works as the air inside just changes sides but it does . Don't we all know of something that just works without a scientific explanation behind it ?
 
it would seem to me that the only thing upside down storage does is create a better seal in the can. Usually the residual paint on the top of the can does the same thing.
 

paint needs plenty of air to skin over. The more times you open and close the less likely it is to seal, so storing it upside down will make it seal itself. If half or more is gone it has more air to cause the skin to form. in that situation I will add some thinner or water before closing it.
 
On the small cans of sign lettering paint people breath into the can before sealing. Then there are those who use an AC gasketed screw to open [ screw into] the top and store upside down. These cans are usually only four onces so I don't know how it would work on a gallon can . I imagine the CO2 would work well.
 
Any INERT gas that is heavier than oxygen would qualify as easy. Lift a corner on the lid, shoot a little in, close the lid and you're done. The air that's left inside will stay above the gas.

Bloxygen is argon in a can sold for that purpose.
 
Well I don't like the upside down method as then you have a harder time getting the skin out it still forms just on the bottom now when you open it up. When it is on top most of it can be peeled away from the paint mix. I have had some higher quality paint not skin over ? So brand and quality must come into play also.
What I really hate is the latex paint gets so old rust forms inside the can ! Guess that's why many use plastic paint cans now ?
 
Upside down is the ticket. PVC glue is the proof of the pudding on that one, as right side up, even closed with channel locks, it will be short lived when right side up!
 
When I open a can of paint with a skin, I take a razor blade and carefully cut around the outside. Then I try and extract the skin whole. Most of the time the paint underneath is fine.

In the worst case you may want to filter the paint into another container using cheese cloth, pantyhose, or purpose made paint filters. This will remove the bits of dried paint that fall in from the sides of the container.

I worked in a paint store for 4 years. Even the pros have these problems.

Cliff(VA)
 
Those are all the things I regularly do, Cliff. They're not terrible, certainly, but I wouldn't mind not having to go through that much bother when I want to use the paint in a can that's been closed for a long time. That's why I asked.

Thanks,

Stan
 
(quoted from post at 11:26:41 02/05/15) Those are all the things I regularly do, Cliff. They're not terrible, certainly, but I wouldn't mind not having to go through that much bother when I want to use the paint in a can that's been closed for a long time. That's why I asked.

Thanks,

Stan

As three of us said, a little thinner no problem.
 
showcrop;

Three people said put a bit of the appropriate solvent (water or thinner) on top of the paint, seven said to turn the can upside down, and five recommended adding inert gas, or doing something completely different.

I'm not a great believer in the democratic process when it comes to knowledge, but fortunately I have enough partial cans of paint that I can try every method suggested.

Thanks,

Stan
 
(quoted from post at 20:44:39 02/05/15) showcrop;

Three people said put a bit of the appropriate solvent (water or thinner) on top of the paint, seven said to turn the can upside down, and five recommended adding inert gas, or doing something completely different.

I'm not a great believer in the democratic process when it comes to knowledge, but fortunately I have enough partial cans of paint that I can try every method suggested.

Thanks,

Stan

I pointed it out just because you indicated that you wanted a no bother method.
:lol:
 

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