Solid Butyrate Dope - can it be saved?

[sekps]

After a couple of years standstill in my L-18C restoration (I had to build a hangar...) I finally restarted last week. I put one of the (nitrate doped) wings on saw horses, cleaned it and made all preparations for the first butyrate coat. But when I opened the (previously unopened, Randolph non-tautening) 5 gal can, I was sligthly surprised: Under 3 inches of fluid there was just a big lump of "stiff jelly"! Actually more like heavy styrofoam, i.e impossible to stir...

I bought the can 6 years ago so expected that some of the thinner would have disappeared, but this was a bit too much. :-?

I added 1/2 gal of thinner, put the lid on and waited a week - but absolutely nothing happened.

What do think - is there a way to save it?

/Mattias

 

[Steve Pierce]

I know they guarantee a shelf life of 5 years on an unopened can. I would put it on a paint shaker and shake it until the solids shake out of the bottom. I always have dope left over and have used some older than that with no problems for repairs.

 

[sekps]

The funny(?) thing is that it doesn't look like the ordinary sediment on the bottom of the can. It's more like the whole content have solidified and then shrunk 20%. Everything is the "marinated" in a fluid which doesn't smell as aggressive as thinner.

/Mattias

 

[Steve Pierce]

Sounds about like what I have seen. Shake it all up and I bet you will be surprised.

 

[12Geezer2]

Don't know chemistry well but if butyrate is related to the old automotive laquer there is hope. Did a spot repair on an old Harley racer a while back. Found the old can of orange that I had painted it with 30 years ago--dried up to a curley chip Poured in some thinner waited a week--stirred---sprayed---perfect match :lol:

 

[bob turner]

I have dope from the 1970s that is still usable. Six bucks a gallon. I have paint I bought six months ago - unusable. I don't think they have changed dope, but acrylic enamel seems to be vastly different from olden days.

 

[sekps]

That sounds hopeful! Then I just have to find a paint shop with a big enough paint shaker...

 

[Icecub]

Mathias,
You don't happen to have a friend who has a Rotorway Exec.
About 15 minutes of flying will do.