freezing weather

[goshawks00]

With the coming of winter, I got to thinking about all the paints, primers, fillers and hardeners in the shop, and need to know --what needs to be done to preserve them? Can they take the constant freezing, then thawing when I work in the shop... I have a wood burner in the shop but can only work in there on weekends, or in the evenings... with Mich weather dipping to near zero for weeks at a time, what is the appropriate way to save paint /body products?
Barry

[Phil V]

Barry, unless you have a water based paint then freezing temps is a non issue. Urethane, epoxies and lacquer paints are not a problem in cold storage temps. Just make sure the lids are sealed well and you're good to go (same rules for warm or medium temps).

[goshawks00]

Thanks Phil you just saved me a bunch of time building new shelves in the basement<G>
Barry

[MikeP]

I would think that a steady temperature would be best, as it is with pretty much everything. I keep my stuff in the basement, it is dry, warm, clean and very organized. The temperature varies maybe 5 degrees all year. Of course, I suppose I have a bit of an explosion hazard in my house, but I don't have a lot of paints. Just my 2 cents worth. Mike

[Phil V]

I have some grabber blue lacquer that was left over from one of my cars I painted back in 1976. That can of paint sat in the trunk of that car in the U.P. of Michigans subzero temps for a couple years then it sat in the trunk of another of my old cars for at least 5 years in S. Michigan. Occaisional subzero temps in the winter and occaisional 100+ degs F. in the summer months. Then for the next many years up to this date it has been stored in 3 different shops that were never heated at night in the winter months. I just used some of that paint on one of my personal projects here a couple months ago and it was still good paint.

[Mooch]

The only thing I ever had freeze and break the tube was Liquid hardener .

mooch

[Len]

I would think that a steady temperature would be best, as it is with pretty much everything. I keep my stuff in the basement, it is dry, warm, clean and very organized. The temperature varies maybe 5 degrees all year. Of course, I suppose I have a bit of an explosion hazard in my house, but I don't have a lot of paints. Just my 2 cents worth. Mike

Yes, a steady temperature is best especially for partially full paint cans. When the air in the can is warmed it expands and pressurizes the can. This causes most air to leak out slightly then when the can is cooled the air contracts and the can inhales slightly. This causes two things to happen....

1. It cause the room that the can is stored in to smell like paint and we all know what that means. You're breathing solvents and even if it's only slight this can be a health hazard over the long term.

2. It can cause the air leaking into the can to remove solvents and cause the paint to age in the can.

In the early days my shop always smelled like paint and I thought it was just the smell of a place that sprays paint. My insurance inspector came in one day and freaked out, he told me that I needed to install paint cabinets right away or he would cancel my insurance. I complained about the price and he said to get a couple of old refrigerators, cut the cords off and store my paint in them. The next day I went to the township dump and had my pick of about twenty refrigerators so I picked two, cut the cords off, sprayed them a gray so they didn't look so kitcheny and put all my paint in them. Guess what, no more smell in my shop but man when you open a frig you better hold your breath.

[Steve g]

You also want to check your cutting/polishing compounds. I know for a fact the Mcguire's ones must be protected from freezing.

Here's a bit of trivia that may surprise some. The best way to store the battery in that car you put away for the winter is outside in the freezing cold. Make sure the battery is fully charged. Wash the outside surface and disconnect the ground cable. A fully charged battery will not freeze in -40 or lower. Self discharge happens by a couple of means. Parasitic draw from the vehicle, hence the cable disconnection, draw from current conduting between the posts on a damp dirty battery top (check this with a voltmeter on a dirty battery by connecting one clip to either post and touch the other to the dirty battery top and watch the voltmeter) and some from the natural chemical reactions going on in the battery itself. This reaction, like most checmical reactions, is slowed by the cold.

I first heard this from a battery distributer that was told it by a manufacturer's rep. I've since read it on a battery manufacturer's website. I had done it that way for years on my motorhone and boat in the frigid Winnipeg weather.

Steve g