Decanting spray paint

[iamsuperdan]

Experts, I need your help!

What is the eaiest way to decant some paint out of an aerosol spray can?

I have some trim/detail work I need to paint to match a body, but I can't mask it. That means I need to carefully brush it on.

How can I easily get the paint out of the spray can and into a tray or small container?

 

 

Thanks!

 

Dan 

[Fat Brian]

Swap the nozzle for one that accepts the little plastic tube. Put the tube down in a small jar and wrap a couple layers of paper towel around the tube/jar mouth joint. While holding the paper towels to keep them in place and the tube in the jar use your free hand to operate the nozzle.

[Khils]

1 hour ago, iamsuperdan said:

easily get the paint out of the spray can and into a tray or small container?

This is how I do it Dan....translucent milk container handle cut out ......also helps speed up in Degassing before using thru the airbrush.   I buy all basic common regularly used colors in the big rattle can & decant as needed.  Cheap, renewable & it works.

[espo]

Just had the same problem on my latest build. Not that it should matter but I was using Tamiya TS-49 Bright Red and just needed a little touchup around the windshield wipers. I have used a short drinking straw to spray just a little paint into a small cup. I only used just a very short shot from the spray can and I had more than enough to touch up my Bobo. I held the straw tight against the spray nozzle and had no problem with leakage between the straw and the nozzle.  

[jchrisf]

5 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Experts, I need your help!

What is the eaiest way to decant some paint out of an aerosol spray can?

I have some trim/detail work I need to paint to match a body, but I can't mask it. That means I need to carefully brush it on.

How can I easily get the paint out of the spray can and into a tray or small container?

 

 

Thanks!

 

Dan 

Hey Dan, I am a complete newb to all this but I have watched hours of YT videos and have learned a lot from them and this forum and some magazines.. Which I have spent hours reading.  I've only been at this for three weeks.  I will post a video below that I found helpful and it was this guys YT video that popped up in my feed that made me want to start modeling.  

Some thing that seems very important after you decant is to let it vent for about an hour or so after you have decanted it.  You will see at the end of this video when he sticks somethings in there that is "boils over" if you don't.  I saw another guy drop some BBs before letting it vent and it did the same thing.  One guy went so far as to drill out the hole on the spray can nozzle to put a small metal tube in so not to loose any paint but most of the vids I have seen they just use a straw.

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by jchrisf

[SfanGoch]

From Testors Model Workshop series:

 

 

[Kit Basher]

If you just need a little, put on rubber gloves, go outside, and spray some in a Solo cup.

[SfanGoch]

Doing that in my neighborhood is a sure way to get locked up for attempted graffiti wall tagging.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Just remember, everyone:

NOTHING -

N   O   T   H   I   N   G

 - that involves puncturing the can.

Because hey, at least for the risk of a paint-bombed face and wall or two, you get a mandatory emptying of all the can's contents.

Oh yes. Enough rocket surgeons suppose they know better than the warning on EVERY PRESSURIZED AEROSOL CAN that there actually had to be a discussion about this, once upon a time...

[Art Anderson]

Geez. and all these years, I've decanted rattle can paint into my airbrush jars, by simply spraying it, GENTLY (by not pushing down the aerosol nozzle fully!) into my airbrush color jar!  That has worked for my for decades, since my first airbrush purchase (using paper route tips and Christmas money, way back at holiday time in December 1961--before a lot of YOU were born!).  Back in those days, we then-teenaged model car builders learned by the "school of hard knocks" a lot of the time!

Art Anderson (nearly age 74 now!)

 

 

 

[Chuck Kourouklis]

I'm sorry, I thought a light touch on the button was a foregone conclusion no matter which of the legitimate techniques you use.

For paints less volatile than your boily Tamiya varieties, I've even gotten away with spraying directly into my airbrush cup (usually on top of a drop or two of thinner) - not that I'd recommend such an approach.

[NOBLNG]

I read somewhere on here about someone spraying into a funnel. Thank You whoever that was! The milk jug handle trick above would also work great I think.

[Michael jones]

I keep it much simpler than most here. All I do is get a straw, place it up against the nozzle and spray from the can into my airbrush cup. No need to hold any paint anywhere - that is just a pain. No need to wait for any reason either. Works amazing with Tamiya paints. This is a 5 second process.

 

Sometimes I don't even use a Straw like Art said above!

Edited January 11, 2019 by Michael jones

[935k3]

On 5/13/2018 at 2:59 PM, Art Anderson said:

Geez. and all these years, I've decanted rattle can paint into my airbrush jars, by simply spraying it, GENTLY (by not pushing down the aerosol nozzle fully!) into my airbrush color jar!  That has worked for my for decades, since my first airbrush purchase (using paper route tips and Christmas money, way back at holiday time in December 1961--before a lot of YOU were born!).  Back in those days, we then-teenaged model car builders learned by the "school of hard knocks" a lot of the time!

Art Anderson (nearly age 74 now!)

 

 

 

Exactly what I've been doing. Just tilt the jar a bit and lightly spray. Also there is zero loss of paint. I also do this with my gravity feed airbrushes when I need a small amount. For touch up with a brush just spray some in the can lid.

Edited January 11, 2019 by 935k3