StopLossBags?

[Mark J]

What's the verdict on StopLossBags?  Are they good, bad or indifferent? 

My little 4 oz can of Osmo Polyx-Oil is now half empty, but has skinned over twice.  So I've lost confidence in the remaining contents.  I'm thinking of getting a .5 liter can of the Osmo TopOil next, but I don't want it to go half to waste, too.  So I thought I'd try the StopLossBags.  Just looking at the product I'm a little concerned that the floppy bags won't be so easy to fill with that floppy funnel.  I'm also thinking that decanting a quantity of finish might be messy.  Got any real world experience to share?

[JohnG]

I like them. Filling them sometimes requires 3 hands, which I personally find difficult to manage. Make sure you clean out the funnel after use, it’s a pain to clean if any finish dries on it. 

Once finish is in the bag, I found it easy and clean to pour out a small amount. 

At one point the bags would blister up if you put shellac in them. Mine did that, but never leaked. They had offered free replacements for a while if you had that happen, but a couple years later I still have shellac in one and it still hasn’t leaked. Not sure if this still happens or if they warn not to use them for Shellac.

They sell replacement caps for the bags, and I bought a set in case one of mine gummed up but I’ve never had an issue. 

I would have put my polyx in one by now, but I didn’t clean out the funnel well last time I used it and I’ve been avoiding that task.

[Wimayo]

I have used them and, as stated, they are kind of a pain to fill, but they do what is needed as far as storage is concerned. I have also used ordinary heavy duty freezer bags. Because of the wider opening, you have to use a little more care, but they are certainly cheaper. I fill a bag, close it up, and then put it inside another. I have sometimes cleaned out the original can and put the bags in it for protection and for easier identification.

Either way it helps a lot to have something to hold the bags while you fill them.

[Mark J]

2 hours ago, JohnG said:

 

I would have put my polyx in one...

I never transferred my little can of Polyx-Oil as it was only 4 oz and that seemed silly to put in a 32 oz bag.  I used Bloxygen instead, but that didn't prevent skinning in my case.

[Coop]

Having it available to me, I once used CO2 instead of Bloxygen and like argon, it is heavier than air and displaces the oxygen. However, every time you open the can to use out of it or to pour into a separate container, the remaining is again exposed to oxygen. I was still losing more than I would have like due to the skimming. Ever since @treeslayerturned me onto these bags, I haven’t lost a drop of finish.

[Ronn W]

I use the Stop Loss bags.  I like them.  I have had satin ARS in a bag as long as a year and ended up using every drop of it.  It's easy to mix the product before use without introducing any bubbles into the product.  Just be sure to follow the directions and remove the air from the bag after each use.

As for filling the bag - easy - put the collapsable funnel over the top of an open can of product. Insert the bag nozzle into the small end of the funnel.  Turn the whole works upside down holding the can and letting the bag sit on the bench.  Hold the can fimly and poke a hole in the bottom of the can (which is now on top).  The product flows into bag.  Take the bag off the funnel and screw the cap on.  Take the funnel off the can and set it aside so the product lining the funnel dries and then peal the product out of the funnel.   Always wipe the bag nozzle after use so dried product does not build up so fast.

[Mark J]

Do you guys reuse the bags?  If so do you clean them out? and how?

[JohnG]

I haven’t. I bought a few packs of them from Woodcraft when they had them on sale and haven’t worried about reusing them. If you use the proper solvent for the finish in the bag to flush them out, then let them dry out, it’ll probably be fine. 

[Chestnut]

Someone a while ago posted about using these instead of stop loss bags.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088H5Z3S1/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=A1XLIDN9XQ0PZA&psc=1

Sounds like it works just as well and they come in varying sizes.

[Ronn W]

Oh good, now I can store my ARS as a pint, fifth lor whole bottle>>>>>>>

[Wimayo]

On 8/8/2022 at 10:02 AM, Chestnut said:

Someone a while ago posted about using these instead of stop loss bags.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088H5Z3S1/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=A1XLIDN9XQ0PZA&psc=1

Sounds like it works just as well and they come in varying sizes.

I've used both. Those work just as well as the Stop Loss except that the spout is smaller and a bit more difficult to work with.

[Coop]

@Ronn W, you mentioned that it is easy to mix the finish in the bag without inducing bubbles. Up until now, I have only stored ARS gloss but just filled a bag with satin. I mixed it thoroughly before pouring it into the bag. How do I mix it again in the bag before the next use? Is it since you squeeze the air out before replacing the cap, there is no air to form bubbles and it can be shaken to mix? 

[Mark J]

I thought you'd just slosh the liquid back and forth in the bag to mix it.

[treeslayer]

9 hours ago, Coop said:

How do I mix it again in the bag before the next use?

yep what Mark J said, that's what i do. of course make sure the cap is on tight. you can really see the separation on a bag of satin after it sits for a bit and easy to tell if you have mixed the solids after a little bit of sloshing back and forth

[Ronn W]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:03 PM, Coop said:

@Ronn W, you mentioned that it is easy to mix the finish in the bag without inducing bubbles. Up until now, I have only stored ARS gloss but just filled a bag with satin. I mixed it thoroughly before pouring it into the bag. How do I mix it again in the bag before the next use? Is it since you squeeze the air out before replacing the cap, there is no air to form bubbles and it can be shaken to mix? 

Yep, no air in bag so I just tip it back and forth to diperse the solids that have settled to bottom of the bag.  With ARS satin you can see when it's mixed.  I really have not shaken it - just didn't seem like the right thing to do.  I will have to try it.

[Wimayo]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:41 PM, Mark J said:

I never transferred my little can of Polyx-Oil as it was only 4 oz and that seemed silly to put in a 32 oz bag.  I used Bloxygen instead, but that didn't prevent skinning in my case.

Just use common zip lock bags and then put that bag into a second bag for security. These are a bit less convenient to use, but it works the same.

[Mark J]

I used a StopLossBag for the first time yesterday evening.  I just bought a new 750 ml can of Osmo Polyx-Oil that I wanted to store.  I jury rigged a holder for the bag with spring clamps and some bits of wood, but the kindest thing I can say about using a floppy, collapsible funnel to decant 3/4 of a liter of viscous liquid is, "precarious". 

StopLoss gives you a drawing of a bag clip you can make to suspend the bag, but I didn't take the time.  It would have been better than spring clamps, but wouldn't have helped much with the collapsing funnel.  Still I think making the clips could be a business opportunity for someone with a CNC ( @difalkner ),  especially if one could also include a holder for the funnel.  

The good news is that I probably won't need to do this again for a very long time.  

I should have re-read this thread first, 'cause I didn't clean out the funnel last night.  Hopefully the stuff will peel off  like Ronn suggested.  By the way, the stated capacity of the bags is 1 liter.  I think that is an optimistic figure.  It was nearly full at 750 ml.

Edit:  On further examination it will definitely hold more than 750 ml, but getting a full liter in might be challenging toward the end, especially if the material is viscous. 

[JohnG]

Precarious might be generous. I was realizing that I need to transfer my polyx into a stoploss bag. The can lid is really gunked up. But the thought of using the funnel on a floppy bag with only two hands made me postpone it, yet again. 

Once it’s in there, it’s really nice. 

[Mark J]

This is how I had the bag stand jury rigged: 

Obviously the cap was off and the funnel attached.  This left me with one hand for the funnel, and one hand for the Osmo can.

It looks like the cured finish will peel off the funnel, but it may be a few days before the thicker areas of residue cure all the way through.  Wishing I'd wiped out the excess and left a thinner film.

 

[Coop]

I found that separating the bag prior to, that pouring was easy without support. Also, like you, I thought the film would just peel off of the funnel easily. On the second go around, I found that wiping the excess off while wet was the way to go. 

[Chestnut]

Why don't finishes just ship in those bags? There is no way a can is cheaper..... I was thinking this when i was watching Cermona's recent box video and some total boat finish came in bags.

Not to mention being able to ship something more square instead of all the loss around a circular object....

[wtnhighlander]

You might be surprised at just how cheap the cans are to produce, not to mention recycleable. And given the ham-handedness of the current crop of deliver drivers around here, there would likely be a lot of leaks, rather than just dents.

[Mark J]

11 hours ago, Coop said:

I found that separating the bag prior to, that pouring was easy without support. Also, like you, I thought the film would just peel off of the funnel easily. On the second go around, I found that wiping the excess off while wet was the way to go. 

Coop, I didn't follow you.

It may depend on the finish in question, but fortunately given some more curing time the Polyx has peeled off, but next time I will wipe the funnel  too.

[Mark J]

17 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

You might be surprised at just how cheap the cans are to produce, not to mention recycleable. And given the ham-handedness of the current crop of deliver drivers around here, there would likely be a lot of leaks, rather than just dents.

Are the cans recyclable if they contained finish?

[JohnG]

On 12/24/2022 at 10:03 AM, Mark J said:

Coop, I didn't follow you.

It may depend on the finish in question, but fortunately given some more curing time the Polyx has peeled off, but next time I will wipe the funnel  too.

I think it was ARS that led to me throwing a funnel away. Glad the PolyX came off for you. 

They would probably need to buy completely new filling lines in order to change to bags. Some of the really big companies might have dedicated lines for each can size, but many likely rotate through the same line (or few lines) for multiple can sizes. 

Plus the capping and labeling equipment after the filling, which might sound trivial but can be very expensive. 

The commercial guys might hate the idea of it coming in a bag with a small opening.

 

Most areas probably won’t recycle the can if it hasn’t been washed out thoroughly.