Freeing Up Those Clogged & Stuck Spray Cans

With time, old-type spray cans of touch up paint can become clogged and unusable. Then, you can do one of two things: toss them or clean them so you can spray the rest of the paint. Here’s how you can fix them.

Pull off the spray head and push a short piece of rubber hose onto the valve. (See Illustration 1.)

Fill the hose with the correct solvent, such as lacquer thinner, and let it set for a few hours.

Soak or clean the spray head and reassemble the spray can.

Put pressure on the valve by placing a dime between the pressure point and the valve rod. (See Illustration 2.)

Without the dime, the rod might push up into the pressure point rather than free up the valve.

There is one safety note you should keep in mind. Wrap a cloth around the top of the can before pushing on the pressure point for the first time. I’ve never had a misfire after making this fix; the paint d keep in mind. Wrap a cloth around the top of the can before pushing on the pressure point for the first time. I’ve never had a misfire after making this fix; the paint has always come out straight just as it should. But, as always, exercising some caution is the best approach.

Ray Windecker Livonia, Michigan