Spray can nozzles

Phil Graham was right ;)

I find that I cannot empty the can before the valve plugs up. Not the nozzel but the valve in the can top Krylon seems to be the worst now. Hate buying a can and throwing away more than half because I cannot get anything out

Best thing I ever did for spraypainting was pick up a couple of the trigger handles at various tag sales. I know Eastwood carries them, but there's probably cheaper ones out there too... --Glenn Lyford

I agree. I have a cheap one and a good one. Saves the ole digit

Not recently, but have had the same problem with Rustoleum. I figured they reformulated their mixture and/or didn't like freezing temps in my garage. I try to keep everything someplace where it doesn't freeze now. This was ~5 years ago. Just been buy no-name cheap stuff ever since that amazingly hasn't had that problem so far. But I don't use it as much as I once did either...

Couple of things going on. CA's CARB caused a blanket reformulation of paints in general and spray paints in particular in the late '80s- early '90s. None to be had on the shelves shelves for almost a year there. Supposed to reduce VOCs. The replacement stuff was thicker, didn't spray as finely and ran if you looked cross-wise at it. Clogs were more common than not.

Roll forward. They used to use propane for propellant on a lot of paints, it was also a dandy solvent in liquid form, also a VOC. Replaced with CO2. It dissolved in the fluid and you could get a full can out before the foof went flat. Still had the same problems with thick paint, clogs and runs.

Roll forward again. CO2 is now a nasty "greenhouse gas", probably replaced with nitrogen, hard to get enough in the can to get complete emptying. Haven't bought much spray paint since the second iteration, I use thinned brush-type paint and a touchup gun. Best move I ever made, getting that compressor. When I want a thin coat, I get a thin coat. No clogs, no runs(that aren't my fault).

Stan

I won't buy paint in spray cans. Rust-O-Leum primer and enamels are good examples of why -- the stuff in spray cans is a completely different formulation, and nowhere near as good as the stuff they sell for brushing. Except for some model paints, I haven't bought a spray can for 20 years.

I have a Badger "spray can," which is just a siphon-type mini spray gun, and I use it for all the jobs for which I'd otherwise use a regular spray can. A convenient way to supply air for ordinary jobs around the house is a spare car tire and a Badger adapter for it. For heavier paints I heat the jar in hot water until it will spray, or, as a last resort, I'll thin it. The simple gun cleans up in about two minutes.

It also suits my personality: it's cheap as dirt. d8-)

-- Ed Huntress

The usual cause is the can is simply not shaken enough before using...

All they had to do was use CO2 pulled from the atmosphere- carbon neutral.

(or say it was, hehe)

Dave

I don't think so in this case. They changed something. I have ancient cans (30 years old) that still work. Around 10 years ago they started doing something different with them.

Yep, and you really have to shake them now.

I had a bunch of Zinc Chromate replacement stuff that didn't want to spreay well. Shook them on a real paint shaker for a couple of minutes and they shaped right up.

Without the internal solvent (propane days) the solids seem to clump up in the bottom. That clogs the tunes and the can is useless.

Cheap cans are a lot worse too.

For what it's worth...

SATS... I just washed my hands and can't do a thing with them.

I have a small touch-up gun that works well and air-brush setup, but... you have to get paint into the cup, thin paint, hook to air compressor, take care of left over paint, clean gun, put away all said above. I'm not that ambitious anymore.

I want to grab can off shelf, shake the daylights out of it for several minutes, spray paint object, blow out/clear nozzle, put away, wait for paint to dry. This used to be the way it worked. Still have old ancient cans that work that way. Pipe bumper on my truck still has black Rust-Oleum put on this way 25 years ago...

Well, Rust-Oleum is far from cheap. I still have the problem cans, way too much paint left in them to just toss. I'll give your "super shake" plan a try next time I feel ambitious. Got nothing to lose trying it :)

I have a touch-up gun, too, and a small portable compressor, but using the Badger "spray can" is much quicker and easier. But it's not as simple as shaking and spraying, it's true. I've just never found the Badger sprayer to be enough trouble that it would make me go back to regular spray cans. When I pump up a tire with my compressor, I usually can use it for several jobs before filling it again.

"Leon Fisk" wrote: (clip) I'll

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I usually do the shaking in a stream of hot running water under the swing faucet. The heat thins the paint, making it mix better and spray better. The heat raises the pressure of the propellant, which is also good.

But don't do what my friend did. He put the spray can in a coffee can of water, and heated it on the stove. While it was heating, he went outside, "just for a minute," and got distracted talking to a neighbor. The pressure built up in the spray can until the bottom blew out. It shot up like a rocket, punched a hole in his ceiling, bulged the bottom of the coffee can, broke the stove grate, and sprayed red paint all over his kitchen

Or what this Darwin Award winner did:

About a year ago my curious mind became interested in learning the outcome of the lawsuit by the woman's daughters. I couldn't find anything definite, but a respondent on alt.legal checked it out through his connections and said he couldn't find any evidence that it was settled in favor of the plaintiffs.

Jeff

Ed, I've been sleeping under a rock...

I've not heard of this product. is this the item?

Karl

That's their newer, fancier one. I've had mine for 30 years, and I have one my uncle made 60 years ago. Simple siphon sprayers are a really easy job for anyone with a lathe. All you need to machine are the siphon nozzle, the air nozzle, and the air-hose fitting. The rest is a piece of plastic tube and a glass jar with lid. An ordinary commercial coil spring is usually used to hold the adjustment on the nozzle. The one my uncle made is maybe twice as big as the Badger.

I've looked at that newer one you've linked to in a store, and it looks good. I think that it's the same thing with a zippier design. Being one of the original cheapskates, I don't think I'll buy one until my present one wears out. I give it another 20 years.

Let us know how you like it if you do get one, Karl. And check with Badger on their tire conversion gadget. I think I paid $3 or so for mine, 25 years ago. It really is handy. (Oh, looking at that page, I think it's the same thing as their Propel regulator. It screws into a can of Propel or an ordinary Schrader valve stem. And it's included with the $18.99 kit! Good deal.)

-- Ed Huntress