Clogged Spray Can Tip

[Harry P.]

Model paint in spray cans is ridiculously expensive. Next time you have some time to kill and you want to try out your third grade math skills, take the price of a can of Testors or Tamiya paint, and divide by 3 (the number of ounces in a typical can of "model paint") to get the per-ounce cost. Ouch!

To make matters worse, the spray tip usually starts to sputter and spatter or clog up altogether long before all the paint is used up. And every time after you finish spraying, If you follow the manufacturer's advice to clear the spray nozzle by turning the can upside down and spraying paint until the feed tube is clear and you're just spraying propellant, you're wasting a lot of that very expensive paint (not to mention all the overspray!)

The solution: Keep a glass baby-food jar filled with the appropriate thinner for the sprays you use. After you finish spraying, pull off the spray nozzle and drop it in the bottle of thinner. Next time you need to use that can of paint, you should have a clean spray nozzle ready to go!

Note: Different brands of paint may use spray tips with slightly different "throat" diameters... don't assume that a nozzle from Brand X will fit on a can of Brand Y. You might want to keep separate bottles of thinner, each labeled "Testors," "Tamiya," "Walmart," "Krylon," etc. so you can keep all the Brand X nozzles separate from the Brand Y nozzles.

[Joker]

Thanks for the "Tip". .

That is all.

[Harry P.]

Thanks for the "Tip". .

That is all.

I love it when a guy catches the pun!

[Vampira]

Nice Tip....

[CadillacPat]

If you do choose to use Rattlecans,

When you find a can that sprays exceptionally well, keep the spray button from that can and use it on other cans of the same type.

Some of those buttons emit nicely formed sprays and others do not.

CadillacPat

[cobraman]

That is a handy tip. I hate when a can " spits" a glob and that usually happens on a body on the rare times it has happened to me.

[greymack]

Thanks for the advice

[Joker]

I love it when a guy catches the pun!

Hahahaha...the "That is all" is the M.A.S.H. public announcement ending..two for one!

[rmvw guy]

Great tip Harry! How long will the tips last if you leave them soaking in the thinner long term, have you ever had a problem with leaving them too long? Also, does this mean you never turn the spray can up side down to clear nozzle ever again? If so this is really good news!

[Harry P.]

Great tip Harry! How long will the tips last if you leave them soaking in the thinner long term, have you ever had a problem with leaving them too long? Also, does this mean you never turn the spray can up side down to clear nozzle ever again? If so this is really good news!

I can't say for sure what long-term would do... if you're worried, just swirl the tip around in the thinner and take it out, don't let it soak for days.

[Guest G Holding]

Why not decant the whole rattlecan....only thing wasted is the propellant.

[CadillacPat]

Why not decant the whole rattlecan....only thing wasted is the propellant.

I think that would be for another thread.

This one is about using the Rattlecan as is, hence the discussion about the Buttons.

CadillacPat

[Guest]

I've been putting my spray nozzles in thinner for 10+ years. I have some in lacquer thinner that have been soaking for well over a year with no effects to the nozzles. I also keep my clear nozzles separated from my paint nozzles in a different container. You also want to make sure to do a short test spray before you begin spraying your model to make sure all of the thinner is out of the nozzle.

[zenrat]

The one time I tried this the next time I tried to spray the first burst of paint ejected the small "jet" from the nozzle leaving me with a dribbler.

That was an enamel nozzle soaked in turps.

I take the nozzle off and blocking the hole in the top with my finger, blow through it.