[Lithium_joe]

So technically it would have had a longer life had you not tried any preservation technique on it.

Possibly. At least we can discount by some order of probability that WD040 does anything to preserve pumpkins.

The Varnish seems still to be holding forth,

[GUS]

also try & trackback as to where the wd40 mythoram originated from, ..crush it

[Lithium_joe]

An OD of WD40

An ode to WD-40.

From the moment of it's creation,
this 'kin was set for deflation.
An end expedited,
and in this matter quite slighted,
by a can meant for hinge lubrication.

[Artex76]

I never thought the WD-40 would work. Seems it would soak into the pumpkin and make it soggy such as in your case. Also cutting off the bottom I have found makes them rot faster anyway it seems to allow alot of moisture out.

[Lithium_joe]

That seems to accord with my findings.

[500cdn]

Would It Be Possible To Remove The Varnish ?

Without Destroying The Kin ?

[Lithium_joe]

Doubt it somehow. it's a spray and it settles and dries. It's what you'd use for coating wooden surfaces with like shelves or table tops. It seems to be doing a pretty good job of retaining the moisture in the pumpkin as well as sealing it from air-borne bacteria etc. as far as I can tell.

Next time (I bought a atomiser yesterday) I'm going to treat the carved pumpkins with bleach before I varnish them so there should be a discouragement to mould growth underneath the varnish too.

Why though would you want to remove it?

[GUS]

what about one of those wee battery operated gas neutralizer devices (ala QVC) that removes banana gas type things adds life & vitality to vegetable vittles!?

[nosferatu]

This feed is getting weirder than it was and it was pretty mental anyway.

It sounds to me that LJ is basically setting himself as a pumpkin embalmer or gourd taxidermist. I bet he already has his own squirrel army like The Janitor in Scrubs.

Watch out, he'll be dishing out business cards in a minute. Did I hear the words introductory offer..........?

[500cdn]

Why though would you want to remove it?

The Reason I Ask Is the Varnish Makes The Kin Look Plastic

I Am Experimenting With A product At The Moment Called Plasti Kote
This Coats The Area With A Thin Coat of Plastic But This Also Makes The Pumpkin Look Plastic
I Am Hoping That The Plastic Will Peal off When I Want To Display It,

[Lithium_joe]

what about one of those wee battery operated gas neutralizer devices (ala QVC) that removes banana gas type things adds life & vitality to vegetable vittles!?

Well know you've completely lost me.
A What??


-----------------------------

on the subject of squirrel armies: not a bad idea that.

-----------------------------

This feed is getting weird

Yeah...that happens around me alot. Can't explain it.
Meanwhile I'll just go stir to boiling cauldren of mercury I have on the stove....

[Lithium_joe]

The reason I ask is the varnish makes the 'kin look plastic.
I am hoping that the plastic will peal off when I want to display it.

I see.

Well, I don't think it will peel off and almost certainly not without removing the layer of pumpkin it is adhered to. I suspect the name plastiikote might just be misleading. After a bit of research I've discovered varnishes dry when the solvent they are mixed with evaporates and leaves behind the hard resin finish. So you might try a applying solvent of some sort.

However, if I may counsel, that seems like a lot of unnecessary effort because when it is dark and lit from within, the 'shineyness' I find is simply not visible.

My objective was to be able to preserve a pumpkin so that I could carve it ahead of time, take more over it, and be lessed rushed for Halloween.
I wasn't too concerned what the pumpkins looked like when I was done.

[Lithium_joe]

Some evidence of mould taking hold in pumpkin 2 today. I'll post photos shortly.

[GUS]

What sort of pumpkin temp monitoring device have you been using in this science project?
Have you been testing for atmospheric pollutans?

is the wind blowing?

Any cats pee'd on one?

[Lithium_joe]

haha. None of that. It wasn't that scientific!

The test site has been indoors (no wind) but in an extension with no internal heating, north facing so pretty cool and dark at all times.

Pollutants - not checked for those although it is probable that because my pumpkins last year spent a large amount of time in the house where it is both warmer and there is more bacteria on account of just more people present, that I saw them degrade quite quickly. So it is reasonable to assume that keeping them in the extension exposes them to less air-borne pollutants, microbes etc but I couldn't put a figure on it.

No cats or other mammals.