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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: James Mills on March 27, 2013, 02:59:14 PM

Title: Question about clear dope.
Post by: James Mills on March 27, 2013, 02:59:14 PM

I have a gallon can of Randolph that I have kept out in the garage, got it last fall or late summer.  I had used about 1/3 or so of the gallon.  Today I went to mix up some to start building up the coats on a wing and the clear is very thick (imagine syrup).  Now it's not mixing with the clear.  I stored it with a rubber lid on the container (the type you buy at Home Depot or Lowe's with the pour top).  Has it gone bad?

Thanks,

James

Thanks, I did get the clear to mix.  Took some shaking and stirring and a little more thinner.

James

Title: Re: Question about clear dope.
Post by: Noel Corney on March 27, 2013, 03:44:06 PM

The thinner has started to evaporate out.Just mix in some more thinner until it's where you need it. Noel.

Title: Re: Question about clear dope.
Post by: Randy Powell on March 27, 2013, 05:46:14 PM

Yep. that's the answer. As it sits in the can, the thinner in it evaporates and will even move through the metal can. It can get pretty thick after awhile. Adding thinner will bring it back.

Title: Re: Question about clear dope.
Post by: Will Hinton on March 28, 2013, 08:33:51 AM

I worked for a FBO at Toledo airport a very long time ago and we discovered a 55 gallon drum of butyrate that was over ten years old, had never been opened!  They couldn't find the paperwork on it and their records went back those ten years.  We opened it and it was like the syrup you mentioned!  Since we were recovering several Piper Colts we decided to try it, and it worked fine.  Took a LOT of thinner, but Randy's right, the stuff will pass thro8gh metal over a period of time.

Title: Re: Question about clear dope.
Post by: billbyles on March 29, 2013, 10:25:23 PM

Quote from: James Mills on March 27, 2013, 02:59:14 PM

I have a gallon can of Randolph that I have kept out in the garage, got it last fall or late summer.  I had used about 1/3 or so of the gallon.  Today I went to mix up some to start building up the coats on a wing and the clear is very thick (imagine syrup).  Now it's not mixing with the clear.  I stored it with a rubber lid on the container (the type you buy at Home Depot or Lowe's with the pour top).  Has it gone bad?

Thanks,

James

Thanks, I did get the clear to mix.  Took some shaking and stirring and a little more thinner.

James

Hi James,

As Randy & Will said some of the thinner in the clear has evaporated, and adding thinner will bring it back to original consistency.  Do not store dope with anything but the original metal lid for the gallon or quart can, pounded on tight with a rubber mallet.  The dope thinner cannot migrate through the metal can itself, but it will evaporate through the gap in the rubber lid you mentioned and through the gap in a loosely applied metal lid.  Also, be sure to clean any dope that gets into the circumferential channel on the top of the can and on the lid itself before closing the lid for storage.