spray paint can question

Can we assume you have tried pulling the nozzle off and replacing it with a fresh one from another can? Surely you have other spray cans. I think any other way would result in paint all over yourself.

Paul in Redmond, OR

Secure the can in a vice, base down. Put bucket closely under vice. Hammer small nail into the bottom of the can (wearing gloves). Nail may shoot out (not violently) on its own, or may need to be pulled out. I doubt that the paint will work for brushing. The absolute pressure inside the can is small - there is no risk of it splitting, unless you heat it first to 50C or so.

The easist way to open the can is an automatic center punch, however the paint then comes out of the hole much to rapidly to contain in a shallow vessel!

Why make the hole at the bottom? Wouldn't a hole at the top release the gas, without the paint?

Grant,

Hell years ago (were talking early 60's) as a kid, we'd just use a 'church key' on the bottom to make one *small* hole to let out the pressure then open it up all the way to dump out the paint. Then 'cuz we were kids we'd make a few more to get a hole big enough to get the *marble* out... I got a few really nice "Cat's eyes" that way.. LOL.

Quite honestly I just did the very same thing about a week ago to a can of Kyrlon that I wanted the last drops from to brush on the drivers on my Locomotive.

Just hold the dam can in yer hand and point the bottom AWAY from ya...

Dave

The "use a different nozzle from another can" is the easiest and cleanest method, as long as the paint tube isn't clogged. However, if you really need to depressurize the can, I would think you'd want to punch the hole as far from the pool of paint as possible. Stand the can upright on your bench, and leave it for awhile (15 minutes?), so that all of the paint settles to the bottom of the can. With the can standing upright, punch the hole in the metal top (but not where the nozzle tube comes through). The smaller the hole, the better. The air escaping from the small hole should not take much paint, if any, through the hole, because the air isn't pushing paint towards the hole in the top. When the pressure is gone, you can then use some kind of tool to open the can and pour the paint into a small bucket or similar.

Or, maybe I don't fully understand how spray paint cans work?

Of course, trying a clean nozzle would be the first thing to try. BTW, when I start a new can, I usually use the nozzle from a can that's already in use. I save the unused nozzles in my toolbox, so I always have a clean one to got to when there's a problem.

I don't know why it works, but sometimes you can get the thing working by taking off the nozzle and then putting it back. You'll get a little spurt, and then nothing. If you repeat this a few times, often the thing will start to work.

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.

Yup. This one is PLUGGED. Nothing is going to get it spraying again, not a new nozzle, nothing. And I just need a little more of the paint ..

I'll try the churchkey, sounds reasonable to me.

GWE

I have pressurized with air pressure from my compressor a paint can that has ran out of propellant . It take some finesse but it should also blow clear the stand tube inside the can. Steve

Must be you then Rex, as in culling out the ones stupid enough not to think and try things...

I'm 54 and have been doing this since I was 6 and NEVER had a problem, and it was my ole man who showed me the trick...

Maybe you should try things before shooting yer mouth off.

Dave,

I've done this with small nail. Works fine. Once the pressure is gone, put another hole in the rim on the opposite side for a vent & pour the paint out. It's pretty thin for brushing, but the solvent evaporates pretty quickly, so it will thicken up a bit if you let it "breath". It's been a while since I did this. I think I put the can on the floor in the middle of a sheet of newspaper, and held the nail pinched in another sheet to absorb what little spray there was. I tried to make a very small hole, and then held the nail in place while it vented slowly.

Doug White

Don, That's a great idea! I can think of at least 7 people I know who could use these. Thanks! I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents. And anybody who has put a match to spray paint knows that the propellant burns pretty well so propane isn't gonna hurt. Cheers, Eric

Hints:

Not all spraycans are the same. Mike the nozzle stem from the kind of paint usually used.

It works best if there's a little slit in the end (slitting saw), only needs to be .050 long or so.

Put it in the freezer overnight. There will be hardly any pressure.

And if you want to play it as safe as possible, put the can in the kitchen freezer for a few hours before you pierce it. That'll reduce the gas pressure a lot.

List me among the others who more than once have punched a spray can open.

Jeff

I would have expected no less than that from you, Don, the guy who IIRC told me he made a his own special bottle cap so he could refizz flat soda pop with CO2.

I just pour the flat soda in my 40 year old "soda syphon" and waste a CO2 cartridge on it, 'cause I don't have a big tank of CO2 standing around. :-)

Jeff

I have nailed the problem of either making soda water or recarbonating anything fizzy in a plastic soda bottle. I followed Richard Kinch's advice pretty much but for the cap hardware. I just went to the car parts store and bought some screw-on Schrader valves and drilled holes in plastic bottlecaps and screwed on the Schrader valves. I have a CO2 tank with Schrader fitting so now it's duck soup to pressurize a plastic bottle. For awhile I had my kids make their own pop. I think they were horrified by the quantities of sugar that went in, because now they don't drink sugary pop any more, so I'd say it worked.

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used for MIG welding aluminum.

GWE