>Added code was like so....
>
>FOR x% = 1 to 255
>    blank$ = blank$ + "0"
>NEXT
>
Oops--that's definitely not what you want. That gives you the following 
string:
"00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000",
where each char is represented with the value 48 (_"0"). What you want is 
FOR x% = 1 to 255
    blank$ = blank$ + CHR$(0)
NEXT
...but that's what you had to start with if you used CLEAR LOCAL.

 0"0
 =J= a  y
  "