Fill 'n Finish Gone Bad

[BobCox]

Like many others here, I often use Elmer's Fill 'n Finish to fill gaps, grain, and spirals. To thin it, I spray a little water into the container and then stir the top layers until it reaches the desired consistency.

It has been several months since I have used any F'n'F. Tonight when I opened my container, I found a disgusting mess. Mildew, mold, slime -- I'm not sure what this glop is.

Fortunately, I was able to scoop out the top inch or so and the remainder looks fine.

Has anybody else seen this happen?

 

[Peartree]

I've had spackle do that before...


Ick.

 

[jj94]

Eeewwww. Oh cra*, I forgot about the FnF I have! I have to check up on that.

 

[CAS2047]

I've seen it happen to various water based materials when they spend a lot of time in a warm damp locations.

 

[Green Arrow]

Look like you were growing something Bobcox. I think you need to have a licence from the FDA to culture your own antibiotics!! :rotflol::rotflol::rotflol:

 

[jj94]

I just checked mine. There's some mold starting to spread in a corner and I'm going to throw it out.

 

[foose4string]

I was going to start a thread similar to this a while back. Yep, I'm having the same thing happening to mine. Mine is the "light" colored filler, so I'm not getting that dark gloopy mess you are, but I am getting lots of white colored mold on top. I scraped all the bad stuff off the top, but it came back a week or two later. I don't remember adding all that much water to mine, either. I've got another unopened tub, but I hate throwing 3/4 of a tub away. I'll just keep scraping the top, and hopefully the pathogens and allergens won't get me.:cry:

 

[maxpower]

Yes. This has happened to my FnF too. Threw out most of a tub.

 

[tbzep]

Yes, but I caught it before it got as bad as yours. I just scoop out the mold and keep using the good stuff underneath. You guys eat cheese and drink wine that's formed by little critters, so what's wrong with a little Fill-n-Finish ecosystem for your rockets?

 

[Fishhead]

I just mixed it back in. Never gave a thought to tossing it out. It's not like I lick my rockets.

 

[tbzep]

I just mixed it back in. Never gave a thought to tossing it out. It's not like I lick my rockets.

Your avatar would.

 

[rbeckey]

I have a spare fridge in the basement for adult beverages and such. I also store film, batteries and various adhesives in there to extend their shelf life. I wonder if storing the Fill n Finish in there would help.

 

[foose4string]

Here's what mine looks like. I've been digging under the mold and grabbing the good stuff, but I think it's about due for anther scrape.

 

[tbzep]

I have a spare fridge in the basement for adult beverages and such. I also store film, batteries and various adhesives in there to extend their shelf life. I wonder if storing the Fill n Finish in there would help.

Mold grows in my refrigerator just fine. :hmpf:

I'd just skim the stuff off and keep using it. The tub I have now is several years old and I've only had to skim it a couple of times.

 

[Fishhead]

Mold grows in my refrigerator just fine. :hmpf:

Wow, no kidding. I went to make my daughter and her friends a pizza on Friday and the sauce I'd "just" opened had gone.......fuzzy.
No kidding. You couldn't see any red, just white mold. I listened for a while, but they were just starting talk of world domination. Nothing serious yet.

 

[BobCox]

Mine is the "light" colored filler, so I'm not getting that dark gloopy mess you are...

Mine says 'light' on it as well.

I've had spackle do that before...

Now that you mention it, I had some spackle do that last year. I think that was a pretty red and blue fuzzy mold.

I think you need to have a licence from the FDA to culture your own antibiotics!!

I think I found Saddam's missing bio-weapons.

 

[BayouRat]

Gross! I checked mine that I've had for a few years (I buy in bulk) and there is no sign of mold. I always mix in the water out of the storage container. That may have something to do with it. Also I seal up the container tight. Was yours left open somehow?

 

[tater1337]

maybe a drop or two of bleah would help with the mold problem?

that is until you guys get clorine resistant strains

 

[BobCox]

I always mix in the water out of the storage container. That may have something to do with it.

I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.

Question for the others who have seen the same problem -- Did you add water to your original container, or do you wet the FnF separately?

Also I seal up the container tight. Was yours left open somehow?

Nope. It was sealed pretty well.

 

[foose4string]

Normally, I mix outside the container, using only what I think will be needed at the time. But, this container must have been on the shelf while, because a good portion of it had hardened on one side before I opened it for the first time. I put a couple teaspoons of water in there and closed the lid to help soften it. It worked like a champ, but I wound up with the mold. I just scraped off the mold again, so we'll see how long it takes to grow back. The bleach is probably not a bad idea...only thing I wonder about, is how certain additives may affect the glue and paint? I guess if it's diluted enough, it shouldn't matter too much.

 

[Peartree]

I mix FnF with water in a seperate container. Would it make a difference if you considered where your water came from? Municipal water supplies are most often from an open air reservoir and collect all kinds of stuff in them. Yes, they are treated and (generally) fit for human consuption, but they don't even try to get everything out. We used to live in Akron, Ohio and occasionally in the spring you could notice the spring algea blooms in the reservoir appearing in the coloration of your tap water. Newspaper interviews with the water people would reassure us that it was completely safe.

Anyway, even though we've had well water for years now, we generally drink water from our kitchen water cooler, carbon filteres, reverse osmosis, blah, blah, blah.

Perhaps FnF isn't contaminated by using *pure* water?

 

[falingtrea]

Just exposing the Fill 'n Finish to air can contaminate it. And stirring it is even worse, I would think.

 

[Micromeister]

Yeap I've had that science experiment happen on ultra light ceiling spackle as well after thinning with water. A few drops of bleach did the trick in it. I'm sure it'd do as well in fill n finish.

 

[2muchstuff]

I've had the same thing happen, but only in the small containers I use to mix the FnF with water. I'll scrape out a couple of teaspoons worth and put them into a empty margarine tub. Then I'll add water until it's the right consistency. If I don't use it up right away, I'll cover it up for later. Several times I've opened it up weeks later to find mold growing in it. But since it's just a small amount of FnF, it never really bothered me.

I would not use bleach - it almost surely will screw up the adhesion of of glue and paint. Just mix what you need in a small container and leave the original tub alone. Plastic film canisters work well for small jobs, the margarine tubs for bigger ones. Mix with a craft stick.

YMMV,


tms

 

[BobH48]

Perhaps FnF isn't contaminated by using *pure* water?

And what is "pure water" anyways? Read the labels on bottled water containers and you will see that much of it is just Municipal water that has been filtered.

Would distilled water be "pure water"? How long would it stay "pure"? As soon as you open the container, wouldn't it be exposed to the air and no longer be uncontaminated?

 

[Peartree]

Exactly why I encased *pure* with the asterisks...

Just a guess anyway, but distilled water or reverse osmosis water ought to be fairly *pure.* Back when I took chemistry in college a jug of distilled water was generally "pure enough" for most experiments. That said, yes, once you open it you can't leave it exposed sunlight because it has been contaminated with airborne mold spores, yeast, etc.

Like someone else said, the FnF has been exposed to the air already so it probably doesn't matter much what's in the water. Mixing small batches is probably the best control but still not foolproof (fools are so ingenious...).

 

[BobCox]

Today I was re-painting one of the walls in my secret underground laboratory and needed to spackle some nail holes. Guess what I found when I opened my jar of spackle? Another science experiment. I never added any water to this spackle so these fuzzies are naturally ocurring.

 

[tbzep]

Today I was re-painting one of the walls in my secret underground laboratory and needed to spackle some nail holes. Guess what I found when I opened my jar of spackle? Another science experiment. I never added any water to this spackle so these fuzzies are naturally ocurring.

Mmmmm.....tasty.

 

[ultrasonicTim]

Gross! I checked mine that I've had for a few years (I buy in bulk) and there is no sign of mold. I always mix in the water out of the storage container. That may have something to do with it. Also I seal up the container tight. Was yours left open somehow?

I always mix mine in a separate container as well.

 

[tbzep]

My current tub has had mold removed a couple of times, but my son and I have been using it more often the last 9 or 10 months and the gunk hasn't returned. I think the real culprit is that you guys aren't building enough rockets!