PROBLEM:
You want to varnish or shellac your project, but you don’t know if the can of finish you have is too old to be good any more.
Write a date on finish you buy so you can track how long it has been in your shop, and spray Bloxygen into the can to keep it from skinning over.
SOLUTION 1:
Here are two things you can do to prevent a too-old finish from ruining your project: 1. Write the date on each can of finish the day you purchase it (TIP: don’t buy any “new” cans of finish that have a thick layer of dust on them; who knows how long they’ve been sitting on the store’s shelf). Some finishes, like shellac, may have a shelf life as short as six months, while others may last a year or two. When in doubt, try the finish on a scrap of wood, to make sure it applies and dries properly.
SOLUTION 2:
You can keep finishes from skinning over and oxidizing by filling the empty space in an opened container with an inert gas, such as Bloxygen.
