Spray paint storage.

[ewetwo]

I was wondering if it is ok to lay your cans of spray paint anther sides for storage? 

[Cornpatch]

I suppose you can store your rattle cans anyway you like. It won't hurt the paint but all the paint inside and the rattle ball will gather to that side of the can. When you start to shake it, it will have to start mixing from the side that it was laying on, instead of the top or bottom.  I store mine on their top, so when I turn them over to shake them, they start to mix up and down in the can,not from the side.

It's just my opinion that it will mix faster when the paint is already in the main stream, then you have to get it to feed into the main strea from the side. 

                                                             Jeff

[Rodent]

I have a new can of 1:1 SEM interior paint that was on its side for about a year and it appears to be clogged. I don't know if it is a bad can, or if it was the way it was stored.

[thatz4u]

I always store mine upright...

[Pete J.]

10 hours ago, Cornpatch said:

I suppose you can store your rattle cans anyway you like. It won't hurt the paint but all the paint inside and the rattle ball will gather to that side of the can. When you start to shake it, it will have to start mixing from the side that it was laying on, instead of the top or bottom.  I store mine on their top, so when I turn them over to shake them, they start to mix up and down in the can,not from the side.

It's just my opinion that it will mix faster when the paint is already in the main stream, then you have to get it to feed into the main strea from the side. 

                                                             Jeff

Yup, upside down and I have a little more considered reason.  If you store it right side up, then the dip tube(the little straw inside that the paint goes up) is on the bottom.  As the solids settle out of the paint they will surround the tube and clog it.  Shaking can clean it up, but by storing it upside down the dip tube is not submerged in the paint and it is less likely to be clogged. 

[Bills72sj]

10 minutes ago, Pete J. said:

Yup, upside down and I have a little more considered reason.  If you store it right side up, then the dip tube(the little straw inside that the paint goes up) is on the bottom.  As the solids settle out of the paint they will surround the tube and clog it.  Shaking can clean it up, but by storing it upside down the dip tube is not submerged in the paint and it is less likely to be clogged. 

I agree, I just had to throw away a large can of primer that clogged 4 different clean spray nozzles instantly.

[TarheelRick]

6 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

I agree, I just had to throw away a large can of primer that clogged 4 different clean spray nozzles instantly.

I saw a you tube or maybe it was a suggestion on here that spoke of using  compressed air to clear clogged spray cans.  The idea is to remove the nozzle, soak it in thinner.  Then take (Brain dead this morning, CRAT [can't remember a thing]) the piece that fits into a wheel for blowing up a tire, over the stem of the can and use short spurts of light air pressure to unclog the siphon tube.  Haven't tried it yet but have several cans to practice on.  When I was getting my late  parents house ready for renovation I found a box of some of my 60's cans of AMT spray paints - candies, and other types - am going to try to see if they are salvageable.

[peteski]

9 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

I saw a you tube or maybe it was a suggestion on here that spoke of using  compressed air to clear clogged spray cans.  The idea is to remove the nozzle, soak it in thinner.  Then take (Brain dead this morning, CRAT [can't remember a thing]) the piece that fits into a wheel for blowing up a tire, over the stem of the can and use short spurts of light air pressure to unclog the siphon tube.  Haven't tried it yet but have several cans to practice on.  When I was getting my late  parents house ready for renovation I found a box of some of my 60's cans of AMT spray paints - candies, and other types - am going to try to see if they are salvageable.

I think what others are saying about clogged spray cans is that the tube inside is clogged (not the nozzle itself).

Here is how I maximize the life of my spray cans.

I'm an airbrush guy, but whenever I use spray cans (hey, even when I decant them for airbrushing), after spraying I always turn them upside down and spray until no paint comes out.

Then I religiously follow this procedure: I first pull off the nozzle. Next, I take a pipette with lacquer thinner and I put the thinner in the valve hole in the top of the can. Make sure it goes down all the way (sometimes an air bubble forms).  I let it sit there for a minute, then I use compressed air to blow the thinner out of the valve hole.  So, that I know that the valve is nice and clean.  Next, I have a nylon-body pipette where its opening perfectly accepts the spray can nozzle stems.  I push the nozzle stem into the pipette. I put some lacquer thinner in a shot glass then I immerse the nozzle in it, alternately squeezing and releasing the pipette's bulb. This sucks and expels the lacquer thinner through the nozzle, completely flushing it out (while the paint in it is still fresh).  That's it. I then don't put the nozzle's steam back in the clean valve - I just drop the clean nozzle in the spray can's cap and put the cap over the can. That way I don't take a chance of jamming the nozzle too deep, causing the paint to spray through my freshly cleaned valve and nozzle.

 

Yes, I know this seems a bit of an overkill and a chore, but it really doesn't take much time and I actually enjoy doing thus (especially knowing that this will prevent clogging of the valve and nozzle). The process takes much less time than it took me to write this up.   So every time I spray from that can, it is like a brand new can. No paint residue!

[ewetwo]

5 hours ago, peteski said:

I think what others are saying about clogged spray cans is that the tube inside is clogged (not the nozzle itself).

Here is how I maximize the life of my spray cans.

I'm an airbrush guy, but whenever I use spray cans (hey, even when I decant them for airbrushing), after spraying I always turn them upside down and spray until no paint comes out.

Then I religiously follow this procedure: I first pull off the nozzle. Next, I take a pipette with lacquer thinner and I put the thinner in the valve hole in the top of the can. Make sure it goes down all the way (sometimes an air bubble forms).  I let it sit there for a minute, then I use compressed air to blow the thinner out of the valve hole.  So, that I know that the valve is nice and clean.  Next, I have a nylon-body pipette where its opening perfectly accepts the spray can nozzle stems.  I push the nozzle stem into the pipette. I put some lacquer thinner in a shot glass then I immerse the nozzle in it, alternately squeezing and releasing the pipette's bulb. This sucks and expels the lacquer thinner through the nozzle, completely flushing it out (while the paint in it is still fresh).  That's it. I then don't put the nozzle's steam back in the clean valve - I just drop the clean nozzle in the spray can's cap and put the cap over the can. That way I don't take a chance of jamming the nozzle too deep, causing the paint to spray through my freshly cleaned valve and nozzle.

 

Yes, I know this seems a bit of an overkill and a chore, but it really doesn't take much time and I actually enjoy doing thus (especially knowing that this will prevent clogging of the valve and nozzle). The process takes much less time than it took me to write this up.   So every time I spray from that can, it is like a brand new can. No paint residue!

No. Not overkill at all. But I’ve had some paints the spray upside down. So you can’t clear it. I should learn to air brush.

[slusher]

David, I store all my paint upright in a plastic bin in my house. I never turn upside down and clear the Nozol. I have had no problems at all...

[ewetwo]

I changed all my can upright now. They took less space laying sideways. I'm going to build a shallow shelving unit so I can mount it to the wall. 2 cans deep. It will be much easier to store.