Bloxygen Boy Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Folks, Hi there, I'm the Bloxygen guy and I've been contacted by board members about using Bloxygen with Dick Nite finishes. Bloxygen contains an extremely powerful inert gas, Argon. Argon is totally natural, totally inert, and heavier than air. When you store varnish, polyurethane, or glues and want to prevent oxygen or moisture damage, just spray Bloxygen, seal the container, and store your leftovers. It's really that easy. Some facts: Bloxygen (for Blocks Oxygen) is pronounced blocks-a-JEN. Argon is completely natural but extremely powerful. Bloxygen costs about 13 cents per use in quarts. We have been selling this product to woodworkers for over 10 years now. It's fully guaranteed. Dick Nite and I are working on having Bloxygen available directly on his site. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on finishing. I'm here to help. Take care everyone and have fun using all your finish, not just the first half. Steven Steven Zawalick, Owner IronWood Designs P.O. Box 13838, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 (805) 542-9219 phone and fax Email IronWood.Designs@pobox.com Wasting varnish, paint, or stain? Use Bloxygen and use all your finish, not just the first half. Protects leftovers during storage. See www.Bloxygen.com for more Frequently Asked Questions What's the PROBLEM? No matter how tight the lid is, our expensive oil finishes always skin over or gel. What can we do? Simply, we need to prevent any oxygen or moisture from reacting with the finish. By using a blanket of protective gas to purge the container, you can store your finish safely and use ALL of it, not just the first half. Why do they skin over? Is this bad? Moisture cure products are damaged by humidity and oil-based products dry and harden by absorbing oxygen. When we store these products, the oxygen or moisture that's sealed in the container continues to dry and thicken the product, eventually forming a skin over the top. This skin is wasteful, time consuming, and messy to remove. Sometimes, hardened particles can clog spray guns, ruin the final finish, or even destroy the remaining finish. How can we get rid of the problem? Bloxygen uses ultra pure and dry Argon gas to drive the oxygen out of your container. Simply blow the oxygen out of your container with Bloxygen and then seal the lid. The heavy, inert Bloxygen gas sink down to block oxygen or moisture from the liquid surface. Because Bloxygen is heavier than air, it will separate the liquid surface from any air that may remain in the container. What can we use it on? fine finishes oil-based paint varnishes polyurethane oil stains paste wood fillers resins putty fillers oil-based inks photo chemicals polyurethane glue Anything that "spoils" by reacting with oxygen will do better in an oxygen free environment. Water-based finishes including latex and solvent-release finishes like lacquer will typically not benefit from Bloxygen since they don't cure with oxygen. I want to know more.... Bloxygen uses ultra pure Argon, part of our normal atmosphere. A full can, because it only contains gas, feels empty. The gas is non-toxic, non-flammable, and tasteless. The gas is used daily in food processing, welding, and lighting. There are no CFCs, VOCs, or added propellants. Where have we seen this? In January 1997, Popular Woodworking gave this idea the Best Tip award. Since then, Bloxygen has been in Woodshop News, Woodshop Business and American Woodworker. Also see positive editorial reviews in Fine Woodworking (#129, p.96) and Wood (#107, p.78). The Wood review earned us FIVE stars and "Editor's Choice." What are the benefits of Bloxygen? Use all your finish, not just the first half Eliminate spray gun clogs and jams Reduce your hazardous waste / product loss Avoid paying a premium for small volumes of finish Improve the quality of the final application Prevent changes in product chemistry during storage Save time by making finishing easier and storage quicker Store your leftovers safely, in the original, labeled containers What if we have problems with Bloxygen? We will make every effort to satisfy any concern. There are only three problems we've ever seen: 1. Not Enough Gas Used: The entire storage container must be purged. You cannot use too much gas. 2. Slow Lid Seal: Once the container is purged, the lid must be immediately sealed into place. 3. Bad Finish: Once finishes absorb oxygen or moisture and skin over or gel, they will continue to have problems during storage. These finishes will never be the same. Start with new finish and use Bloxygen each and every time it's stored. What about other solutions? For years this problem has frustrated woodworkers and finishers. Of all the attempts to solve this problem (see below) none we've seen are as quick, as safe, or as successful. What about marbles? Some folks try to eliminate the air space in their container by throwing marbles or rocks in the liquid. In addition to contaminating their product, they often find that cleaning the marbles results in lots of wasted time and product. What about a smaller container? Transferring your liquid to a smaller container will reduce the air space, but you'll still have oxygen in there. Since the labeling was on the original container, tracking the instruction labels and warnings could be a problem. What about exhaling into the container? As scuba divers or paramedics know, the air we exhale is NOT oxygen free. We inhale 21% oxygen and exhale about 16% oxygen. What about tipping the container over? Storing your leftovers upside down will only guarantee that the skin will form on the "bottom" of the liquid. Your finish will still be ruined. HOW DO YOU USE IT? First, secure the extension tube into spray tip with twist motion ALWAYS wear Safety Glasses. Avoid splash...direct spray to side of container. Hold container lid/top closely above opening of the container to capture the gas blanket. Spray inside for 2 full seconds (quart size or less) Spray inside for 4 full seconds (gallon size or more) Replace lid on container immediately and capture the gas blanket. The gases now settle on the surface to prevent loss through drying and hardening. Each can of Bloxygen provides about 150 seconds of protective gas. Sources? See www.Bloxygen.com and click on Purchase for a whole list of sources. Edited January 1, 2010 by Bloxygen Boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Steven, quite a few of us have been using Bloxygen on their Dick Nite poly and recommending it to fellow TU'ers. I'm opening and resealing Dick Nite finish between batches of baits, and could not continue with it had Bloxygen not been recommended to me awhile back. It works great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
