Decanting spray paint for airbrush use

[Zoom Zoom]

After reading about disasters associated w/decanting (poking holes into a pressurized cans :shock: ), and also reading about some convoluted and expensive (and unnecessary) ways to solve the problem, I discovered this solution.

Recently someone somewhere turned me onto the simplest solution I've heard of yet to decant spray paint. It costs nearly nothing, it does not make a mess, and no tools beyond a pair of scissors or your X Acto knife are needed. No need to go the hardware store or clean up a disaster. Captions below photos.

Ingredients:

Spray Can

Length of drinking straw

Small piece of Fun Tack (poster tack)

Suitable container

Make an O-ring from the fun tack and surround the nozzle with it.

Attach the straw to the fun-tack O-ring, adjust as necessary to make a good seal.

Simply spray the paint into a container. The paint mostly runs into the container, splashing/mess is almost non-existant. Remove straw & fun tack, wipe nozzle clean, and the spray can is able to be used again. No need to poke holes into a spray can!

Fun tack removed, nozzle wiped clean w/a paper towel. Fast, clean, easy; spray can is still usable. Decanted paint is ready to run through an airbrush. Let decanted paint sit open before covering the container, unless you immediately spray it through an airbrush. The propellant from the decanted paint is still there, if you cover the container it will pressurize and make a mess when you open it later. I have had zero problems w/immediately spraying the decanted paint through my airbrush, the propellant atomizes completely before hitting the model's surface.

This is one of my all-time favorite KISS methods.

[MonoPed]

Fun-tack is a good idea - I just use a bendy straw

[Zoom Zoom]

Fun-tack is a good idea - I just use a bendy straw

This was a bendy straw, I just cut it into several pieces. I hear McDonald's straws fit really tight w/o the need for fun tack. But since I don't eat there, I guess I'll stick w/the grocery store bendy straws.

[crispy]

Bob, great tutorial. Fun tac, can I get that at any store? Ive never heard of it or used it before. I'm guessing hobby lobby maybe?

Good call on McDonalds. After my boys got older and we quit going altogether, I bet I lost about 15 pounds. I quit drinking soda as well.

Beer, Vodka and water for me....

Chris

[crispy]

Not all @ the same time, I hope......

Nope, not at the same time. Although I am sure it has happened once sometime in my life..... :wink:

Chris

[Zoom Zoom]

Bob, great tutorial. Fun tac, can I get that at any store? Ive never heard of it or used it before. I'm guessing hobby lobby maybe?

Good call on McDonalds. After my boys got older and we quit going altogether, I bet I lost about 15 pounds. I quit drinking soda as well.

Beer, Vodka and water for me....

Chris

What, no martinis? :wink:

Fun tack is available everywhere; it's for holding up posters on a wall w/o tacks. Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Ace Hardware, Wally World...it's everywhere.

[larrygre]

I've always done it the "hard way". I would drill out a rattle can nozzle to accept one of those red tubing "straws" used on cans of compressed air and lubricants like WD-40. That always worked for me, but I like your idea better - and it's a lot easier to find drinking straws than to try and buy bulk on those little red tubes!

[crowe-t]

Bob, This is a great trick which I'll use soon.

Mike.

[ScaleDale]

I do something similar to this but I epoxy the straw to the nozzle. It's more foolproof. I empty the whole can into a glass jar and it keeps just fine.

Dale

[Roncla]

I've been doing it like this for years, but using Blu Tack, and can second that its a simple fool proof method.