everytime i spray paint something small i always get those damn spots where the paint spattered. i know it is fairly straightforward, but what am i doing wrong? is their a proper way to spray paint with a can? is there some sort of attachment i can buy for the can to avoid this? thanks guys.

Luke

Try turning the can upside down and spraying for several seconds. This is suposed to clear the nozzle so it dosen't do what you are experiencing. Also, if you spray alot at the same time, make sure the paint doesn't build up on the nozzle or the underside of your trigger finger. Same thing can happen if it does.

At least I have experienced both of these. Hope this helps.

I think if ur spraying on/off on/off frequently it winds up building up at the orifice too much. Id try keeping a rag in hand and giving it a wipe every cple passes

Make sure you shake the can up good and stand back far enough so you won't get those spots, also don't stop with the can just make long motions and re-cover as neccasary

...and while this might seem like stating the obvious, make sure the tip of your finger isn't hanging over too far over the nozzle tip.

Often time the spatter is caused by the tip of your finger extending too far foreward and you end up inturupting the paint flow. You can avoid this entirely by using a product such as
Rust-oleum's "SPRAYGRIP" (part #7899). Another way to obtain better results with a rattle can is to soak it in a bucket of hot water for several minutes before you use it.

Rattle can basics:

There are many reasons why we would choose to us an aerosol or “rattle can”. The convince of a small container with no clean up, or the lack of a compressor, or the product needed commonly comes in an aerosol like spray adhesive. Now, I know that you are saying, “come on, what could I need to learn about rattle cans”. One of my job duties as a paint rep was doing the “defects” every month or so. I would go into the distribution center and find six or seven cases of aerosol cans among the assorted sandpaper and bondo that “didn’t work” for the customer. I say “defects” because there are very, very few actual defects, most were returned do to misuse. With about 99% of these aerosols only problem being that they were plugged up I figure there are a lot of people out there doing as I always did and some “basics” could be used.

First off, what makes the thing work? The aerosol can is simply a tank filled with compressed air that pushes out the product when you open the valve. In a 12oz aerosol can there is about 4oz of paint product, 2 or 3 ounces of solvent and the rest is the propellant (compressed air basically). The nozzle is hooked to the pickup tube that runs down to the bottom of the can into the product. If you were to turn the can upside down, the end of the pickup tube would be up at the bottom of the can in the propellant right? More on this following.

The propelent is at the top of the can pushing down on the paint product. When you push on the nozzle the valve is opened to release the pressure. The propellant pushes down on the paint product forcing it up the pickup tube, out the nozzle onto the surface being painted. About the only thing that can go wrong with this simple design is for the tube or nozzle to get clogged.

This is exactly what would happen to a huge majority of the aerosols in the defect department. There is a very simple procedure that will eliminate this.

First: Shake the can like it says in the instructions. Most say for two or more minutes. Look at a clock and shake it for two or more FULL minutes, not the 20 seconds we THINK is long enough.

Second: Turn the can upside down and give it a spray to clear the nozzle. Most of the time there should only be air at this point. You are now ready to spray.

Third: When you are done spraying, turn it upside down and clear the nozzle and pickup tube by spraying out all the paint that is in the tube and nozzle. Remember, the end of the tube is up in the propellant at the “bottom” of the can. It is like spraying air through a spray gun when you clean it.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

If you do this EVERY time you use the can, you WILL use it till it is empty and never throw away a can for being clogged again.

You can even save clogged cans with this method, I used to save cans in the defect department all the time.

Remember, there is very little actual paint in the can and it is very thin. You need to apply a number of thing coats to get good results. I have never did a mil thickness test on an aerosol but I would venture to guess it is somewhere .05 mils a coat. The average paint product shot out of a gun is about 1.5 mils (some etching primers are down to .05 all the way to high solids clears and primers giving 4 or 5).

So if you only apply a coat or two, you are not getting the mil thickness needed for good protection.

Advanced rattle can use: Aerosols you buy at the parts store are pretty limited. Limited to 1K (though there are some 2K aerosols now hitting the market). Limited to color or product you can get. But there are a few ways to use aerosol technology in your projects. You can move up to unlimited color, and product choice, even hardener!

One is to have cans “Custom filled”. This is a really neat process where the paint store puts the paint of your choice in an “empty” can (it already has the solvent and propellant in it). The “empty” can looks just like a normal aerosol, it simply has no paint product in it. The paint store employee puts this aerosol in a “press” like device. A funnel is install right into the top of the pickup tube where the nozzle fits. This funnel is actually a cylinder in which a piston is installed, after the cylinder is filled with paint product. The piston is pushed down with a manual handle or even air powered ram.
You then have an aerosol with any product you want, as long as it is compatible with the solvent in the can. They were limited to lacquer, synthetic enamel and enamel. There are now “universal” fillable cans that will take darn near anything. I have even seen a guy mix the hardener in with the enamel paint, rush home and paint with it before the paint “kicked”. Sounds crazy, but it worked.

Check with your local paint supplier, he may have one of these filler in the back hidden from view. The seldom make it well know that they have it being it is kind of a pain to use. Ask and you may be in luck. You may have to buy a pint of paint and then fill a few aerosols if you need a color mixed.

Another way is with a “Preval” system. I don’t know of any other brand names but there may be others. This is a glass jar with a removable, replaceable propellant can that screws on the top. The disposable propellant can has the pick up tube hanging off the bottom that goes down into the bottom of the glass jar into the paint product. The top has the nozzle just like a regular aerosol. I am sure you get the idea. Any paint product can be put in the jar and sprayed. This includes epoxies, or urethanes using hardener. Is that cool or what?

Some products may need some over reducing to get them out of the nozzle. Some may not work at all because of their high viscosity like polyester primer. But your range is much wider with these two advanced aerosol systems.

One of my street rod mentors who lived near me as a kid sprayed an entire “T” bucket hot rod with aerosols and showed the car! You can get good results, just give the preparation the same respect as you would spraying it with a gun.

VERY IMPORTANT

Just because you are “only” spraying with an aerosol doesn’t mean you don’t need to protect yourself, please do so.

Those gun triggers for aerosol cans will make life easier on you too. I never had any trouble with splattering and I did all the newly painted areas in these pictures with rattle cans. Frame rails and front suspension were painted a satin black and followed up the next day with some clear. All other parts have 3 or 4 coats spaced hours or days apart. First picture is from the first time I had the engine/transmission in the car (weeks ago), second pic is from last night (everything removed, taken apart and put back). The motor was painted/assembled last fall the body and frame stuff was done then as well.






If you want to run for money its a 265, I swear! (grin)

Nice job!

awesome replies guys! damn this forum is awesome, you guys know everything

use light coats too

There's an oldtimer that lives a few counties away that has done quite a few complete restorations with spraybomb laquer, he orders the color by the case to keep the batch number the same for color match and does the jobs a panel at a time. They actually look good but lifespan is questionable. He now has a 32 chev coupe, 67 gto, and a 53 Ford pu all done in solid colors w/spray can laquer. A metalic would be tough to do I bet. MartinSR's idea on the rechargeable sprayer for use with epoxies, urethane primers, etc. is a great idea for the DIY's that need to do bodywork without a compressor. Bob

the reason that the paint globs at the nossle is pressure and temperature...try something..get a bucket of warm water ...get all of the cans you are going to be using that day...set them in the water....then after 5 minutes pull them out and shake them like crazy ....do a product test ...and then set them back in the water till you are ready to use them...

tell me what happens.......

If you are trying to hit just a small touch up area, try shooting the spray through a toilet paper cardboard roll.

here's another thing, those droplets are heavier than the spray and don't travel very far, if You're painting parts and you do as many people do and lay the part down and spray it, the drops can fall onto it, but by hanging a part up and spraying it many of the drops fall to the floor before they reach the part. It's not a complete cure, but it helps sometimes.