Rattle Cans

[Dewey Crowe]

Where do you guys store your rattle cans? I have mine in a bookshelf in my garage but thinking about moving them inside. Will it make any difference in the quality of my paint jobs?

[SpikeSchumacher]

Hi Tommy, yes if it gets very cold in your garage it will affect the way the paints spray. Unless you have a way to warm them up (a bowl or small tupperware-type container with warm water in it for example). Also, if you are spraying in said garage, painting small parts with the cans may be okay, but complete bodies, etc. may be affected by the temperature as well. Humidity will also play a factor.

Just my two cents for what they are worth ?

Cheers

[yh70]

i keep mine inside in a old filing cabinet..

[bobthehobbyguy]

I would suggest keeping the cans in the garage and only bring the cans in to warm up when you are going to paint. Maybe a day before.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Some folks suggest storing your cans upside down, too.

As the paint sits, solids will settle out, and can make a thick, gooey mass in the bottom of the can

The thinking is that, though prolonged shaking will get everything back in suspension, random unmixed chunks might still possibly clog the dip-tube or valve inside the can more easily if the solids have accumulated on the bottom.

I have no proof or experimental data to back this idea up, but it kinda makes sense...and once a dip-tube is clogged, the odds aren't good that anything you can do will save the paint...other than decanting it for airbrush use.

I had a very old can just the other day that sprayed fine after several minutes of shaking, but quit when something clogged inside. If I can't clear it, I'll have to decant it, 'cause they don't make that particular paint anymore, and there's nothing else that works like it.

 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[TonyK]

Mine are stored in the garage. Most of them upright but some are lying down because that's how they fit.

[stitchdup]

most of my auto paints are stored top down or in a paint rack i got given, all open cans are top down but the small tins like tamiya are sitting upright

[yh70]

On 3/10/2023 at 8:39 PM, bobthehobbyguy said:

I would suggest keeping the cans in the garage and only bring the cans in to warm up when you are going to paint. Maybe a day before.

why would you want to keep them in the garage in the cold winter months when u have plenty room in the warm hobby room inside the home. i have always kept my paints inside with no problem..

[ctruss53]

I keep my spray cans in the basement, in my little storage room.

As far as temperatures. You can store paint cans anywhere they will not freeze. You can get them cold, but don't store them anywhere that gets below freezing.

And if you do store them where it is cold, make sure you warm the spray cans up before you use them and you will be just fine. Some people even warm up spraycans in warm water before use. I'm sure this helps, but as long as you are using quality paints, you don't really need to do this. Just bringing the spray cans inside the day before you use them should be good enough.

[bobthehobbyguy]

4 hours ago, yh70 said:

why would you want to keep them in the garage in the cold winter months when u have plenty room in the warm hobby room inside the home. i have always kept my paints inside with no problem..

That's true but I don't like the idea of keeping lots of flamable materials in the house.