How Readers Manage to Use Their Rattle Cans Again and Again...

I Keep Extra Nozzles on Hand and Clean Others With WD-40 I enjoy Auto Restorer here…30 miles west of Sacramento...on a little walnut farm just out of Winters, California. I enjoy reading your articles and liked the one about rattle cans when the nozzles plug up. I use them all the time...and find that it does not seem to matter if it is cheap paint or expensive or different kinds, like satin, gloss or even flaked.

I have thrown out a few cans when the nozzles plug. But now, I save a few good nozzles off of cans that are empty...to use when one plugs up.

As you know, unfortunately, there are a number of different kinds and sizes, so not all nozzles fit all cans. And recently there are more fancy caps that cannot be traded.

There is even a new nozzle design out now that seems much less prone to plugging. I think your advice about shaking the can a lot before use is key.

The best trick I have found when a nozzle is acting sticky or is plugged (when the paint in the nozzle is still wet) is to use a can of WD-40 and force that back through the nozzle. I put on some disposable gloves, pull the nozzle off the can, hold the nozzle in a rag in one hand, and wash the nozzle out by tightly connecting the tube tip of the WD-40 to the nozzle opening, then “spray” the WD-40 for a moment. The plug usually comes right out...and you can put the nozzle right back on the can and spray. The WD-40 just goes away in an instant and you are back in business.

Cheers—here are photos of a few of my cars. Herb Wimmer Winters, California

Two of Herb’s vehicles, a 1930 Model A pickup and a 1948 Chrysler Windsor 4-door, are seen on these pages. Herb says all of his vehicles “are fine runners, have flaws, are insured and used from time to time, and all are garaged.” And no, the cars weren’t painted with rattle cans.

Try Lacquer Thinner or a Strand of Copper Wire

I never turn my cans upside down and spray to clear the nozzle after use. I find that a waste of pressure that depletes the effectiveness of the spray.

I have cans that I have not used in years and very rarely do I experience nozzle clogging. When I do, I soak them in lacquer thinner for a short time and then blow them out with compressed air.

On stubborn ones, you can run a strand of copper wire stripped from a piece of stranded 20- or 22-gauge electrical hookup wire through the nozzle orifice. Also, save the nozzles from spent cans so you have a spare when you can’t clear one. (Some are interchangeable; some not.) Merl Wagner Georgetown, Texas

A “Blast” of Gun Cleaner Will Work

I enjoy your articles and saw the rattle can question on clogging nozzles.

Many of us use rattle cans but don’t like to admit it. The solution is to purchase a can of blender or gun cleaner in the same brand of aerosol and after painting remove the nozzle and put it on the cleaner or blender and give it a threesecond blast and voila…a clean nozzle for the next time.

SprayMax makes a high-tech can that has this cleaner and blender in their system and it works great. You can also purchase 2k primers and clear coats intheir “rattle cans.” (Editor’s note: Visit spraymax.com for more on their products.) Randy Albright Wadsworth, Ohio

Editor’s note: In the January issue a reader complained that the nozzles on his paint “rattle cans” always clog up after one use and the cans cannot be used a second time. “I have thrown away more paint than I have used…,” he stated. He then went on to ask if any readers have a “magic bullet” that would allow him to spray for a while and then place the can on a shelf “with the confidence that I will be able to fully use the balance of the can in the future.” We can’t certify that any readers are in possession of a “magic bullet,” but a number of you responded with great approaches to the problem. Here are several of the solutions we received and we’ll print more in an upcoming issue. And by the way, if you’ve never worked with aerosol paint and are wondering why they are called “rattle cans,” pick one up and shake it as if you were mixing the contents and the reason for the nickname will be immediately apparent.

Try Putting the Can In Some Hot Water

I have a couple more suggestions for getting “rattle cans” to spray again. Try heating the can in hot water, bring a pot of water to a boil, turn it off, then stand the can in the hot water for a few minutes, shake the can for about two minutes before trying to spray again (also make sure the nozzle is clean first) The hot water makes the paint mix and spray better.

Another tip, if you have a clogged nozzle (with fresh paint, not dry) try using a can of brake clean, the small long spray tube fits inside most spray nozzle stems and will sometimes blow/clean out the nozzle.

Make sure you wear safety glasses and gloves as sometimes the brake clean will blow back out of the paint nozzle stem. Of course, aim the nozzle in a safe direction when trying to clean it. Gary Franchi Via email

I Put the Can In a Sink Filled With Hot Water

I have found that I can shake the can for 30 seconds then put it in a sink of hot water (my water heater is set at 150 degrees) for about 10 minutes, then shake for another minute. The warm paint will mix much better, with substantially less clogging.

I know there is a potential canbursting risk with this, but I am 69 years old and have done this for years with many different brands of paint with no problems. William Smith Sunnyvale, Texas

Always Store a Rattle Can on Its Side

Rattle cans will remain usable indefinitely if stored on their side. Should the top of the can have a dot showing the pickup tube position, keep it pointed up (away from the solids which have settled to the low side of the can). Shake well and happy painting. C.L. “Fitz” Fitzpatrick Dalton, Massachusetts

Editor’s note: We checked the mixkwik.com web site and the company describes its device this way: “MixKwik is a custom-made tool which fits into a standard reciprocating saw. It accepts a range of aerosol can sizes and will even handle the large ground-marking locater sizes.” They have a video of the tool in use on their site. You also can call the company at . The MSRP on their web site is $24.95 plus $5 shipping and handling.

Hold Them Upside Down and Spray

A reader asked for help with clogged spray can nozzles. My method of eliminating or at least mitigating this problem is to hold the can upside down and press the nozzle until the spray is clear, with no color remaining. This has the effect of clearing any paint from the nozzle thus preventing a clog due to dried material in the nozzle. This tip used to appear on spray can labels. A. Roy Olson Tucson, Arizona

I Had a Can of Paint Last More Than Three Decades

I have had very good luck with spray cans by inverting the cans and clearing the spray cap and then removing the cap (pull straight up to remove) and clearing the nozzle by inserting an extended spray tube from a can of brake clean or carburetor cleaner and squirting a small amount through to clear out the spray paint residue. Do this with eye protection and at arm’s length because I promise you that you will at some time get kickback spray and carb cleaner in the eye is no fun. I usually let the spray nozzle dry out before I set it back on the can.

Also, the little dot of paint on the top of the ring holding the spray valve in place on the top of the can indicates where the feed tube is clocked so when you align the spray nozzle with the dot you will get the last of the contents of the spray can.

I had a can of high-temperature silver manifold paint last over 30 years using this technique.

Again, be careful of the back spray you will inevitably get but for most of the spray nozzles the tube supplied with carb cleaner or brake clean will slide inside the stem and clear the nozzle. Make sure the nozzle is pointing away from you and any project that may be in the area. R. D. Geelan Via email

I Shake Rattle Cans With My Saw

I saw a device on the “This Old House” TV show a few years ago that uses your Sawsall to shake paint cans. I recently purchased the device called MixKwik. Running it for 20 seconds on low speed would easily meet the 100-seconds-byhand suggestion.

I purposely tried it on some old rattle cans and it appears to be working as advertised. It is certainly much easier on the arms than the old way! I found it on Amazon but you can also purchase it directly from mixkwik.com. Brad Kershaw Burleson, Texas

Soak Those Nozzles in Acetone

Regarding the question about clogging rattle cans…years back I experienced the same problem. It really pained me to throw out a half-full can of spray paint. A wise friend advised me that after clearing the spray nozzle by spraying the can upside down, I should remove the spray nozzle and put it in a jar of acetone.

I’ve got a baby food jar with a lid that contains many different styles of spray can nozzles soaking in acetone. I’ve never had a problem with clogging when using a “clean” nozzle from the acetone soak.

Remember to give the rattle can a quick test spray to clear out any residual acetone from the nozzle prior to painting. Scott D. Stubenrauch Little Rock, Arkansas

I Soak Them In Lacquer Thinner

As soon as you are finished spraying, remove the tip and put it in a cap full of lacquer thinner (I use the cap from a gallon can of thinner). Give it a few seconds, and blow it out with a rubbertipped air gun from the can side of the nozzle. Do this two or three times and the tip is as good as new. The key is to do it as soon as you’re done spraying, not five or 10 minutes later. Clean it before the paint can set up. This works with all paints, even heavy undercoating.

I’ll be 71 next birthday, and my son (he’s only 39) rolls his eyes when I do this, but I’ve never had a tip clog, unless it was one that he didn’t clean with thinner. Thorough shaking of the can is also essential, especially if they’ve set around several years.

I’ve got rattle cans that are 20 years old and still work like new. Clean the tip! John Rhoden Sarver, Pennsylvania