Decanted paint storage?

[Jantrix]

When you guys decant a spray can, and have paint left over how are you storing it?

What sort of container?

Where do you get them?

How well does it keep?

And when empty just rinse with thinner or do you chuck them in the purple pond?

Or do you just decant as much as you need and don't bother keeping extra?

I'll be doing a lot of this in the future and just thought I'd get the particulars.

[CadillacPat]

The simplest method is just to remove only as much paint as you need from the aerosol can. Leave the remainder in the can.

Or, an old CadillacPat Tutorial thread of mine here, http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52097&hl=

This Tip goes along with my "Removing Paint From Aerosol Cans" over in the General Section under Model Cars Magazine Wants You.

This paint storage method is fine for all Solvent based paints including Aerosols or Automotive brands.

I purchase most of my House Of Kolor paints by the Gallon or Quart.

Rather than constantly reopening the large containers I came upon this method to store my paints for easy daily use.

I needed containers that were cheap and easy to pour from.

These soft, squeezable small mouthed plastic bottles pictured here work perfect for me.

They consist of the type plastic that is not reactive to solvents so any type paint or related solvent based products can be stored in them.

I fill them with paint directly from the can for daily mixing and some of the bottles contain reduced paint of colors that I use frequently.

HOK Urethane Clear, 311 Reducer, Catalysts (both Clear and Candy Activator), InterCoat Clear, Lacquer Thinner, Primer and a variety of Basecoats.

The small mouth makes for easy pouring for mixing or even for transferring mixed paints into a 1/4oz. paintcup.

The same small mouth also allows for less exposure to the air when opened.

Pure strength paints or premixed, these lightweight smaller containers make for easy handling resulting in less mess and waste.

If you have a project that you'll be painting all day these bottles are perfect for use as a mixing container.

I Barbecue or Grill frequently, at least twice or three times a week and throwing away so many Barbecue and Ketchup bottles made me wonder if they couldn't be put to use.

There had to be a better cheaper way to store paints than spending money on glass bottles from the Container Store.

It turned out that these type Polyethylene or Polypropylene low-density plastics were non reactive to solvents.

Even if you dump the sauce within, these proucts routinely go on sale at Food Stores for as low as 44 cents, usually 66 cents, making for a very cheap buy.

Just wash the threads of the Cap and Bottle thoroughly.

Fill half way with water, shake, shake, shake, repeat, repeat, then add a couple of drops of dishsoap, fill, shake, rinse, rinse, rinse and let dry.

Run hot water over the labels, remove them and using a permanent marker indicate what you've stored in the container.

Or make your own label.

If premixing or if filling with Clear or Catalyst, mark the date filled.

I do a whole lot of paint mixing and paint transfering, so while I don't paint full size cars these containers hold just the right amounts of paint for me.

They're fine if you're doing Artwork or anything smaller than a car or large motorcycle parts.

They are cheap enough that by the time you have emptied the container you can just toss it and use a fresh one.

--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--

[Cato]

My wife had 6 glass, 3 oz spice containers with screw caps full of 'Old Spice' <)). Perfect.

Emptied the spices, cleaned with lac thin and stored decanted stuff. Air tight.

You can buy similar empties in the supermarket or maybe restaurant supply places.

[CadillacPat]

My wife had 6 glass, 3 oz spice containers with screw caps full of 'Old Spice' <)). Perfect.

Emptied the spices, cleaned with lac thin and stored decanted stuff. Air tight.

You can buy similar empties in the supermarket or maybe restaurant supply places.

Glass bottles are fine but you have to be caeful about hard plastic tops, styrene or HDPE, that will quickly react to solvent paints.

If you're storing waterbased or waterborne paints, it won't matter.

CadillacPat

[Cato]

Glass bottles are fine but you have to be caeful about hard plastic tops, styrene or HDPE, that will quickly react to solvent paints.

That's true. I tested by soaking one in thinner overnight and they're fine. Gassing-out the mix is most important before sealing.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Cato

[Jantrix]

Okay- that's something else I wondered about. Gassing out the decanted paint.

How long?

How can I tell it is?

I obviously don't want it exposed to air too long.

Great advice guys, thanks very much.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Jantrix

[CadillacPat]

Okay- that's something else I wondered about. Gassing out the decanted paint.

How long?

How can I tell it is?

I obviously don't want it exposed to air too long.

Great advice guys, thanks very much.

If you shake up the bottle (the one you transferred the paint into) and there is still pressure when you ease off gently on the cap, then there is still excess propellant in the paint.

Shake, gently unscrew

Shake, gently unscrew,

Shake, gently unscrew,

Until you notice no more pressure in the bottle.

Here's my Removing Paint From Aerosol Cans thread,

Here's the method I came up with to show other Customizers how to make use of cheap Aerosol paints.

I also have it here in an old post somewhere.

Toy Car and Model Mag contacted me to ask if they could run it in one of their issues many years ago.

You will need a 3" - 4" length of plastic drinking straw, some 1" wide tape, and of course a suitable container.

I collect the empty film cans from local WalMart Photoshops. This soft pliable plastic will not react with automotive paints.

1st-----Butt the straw up to the hole in the button of the Aerosol can. In most cases with Duplicolor, the straw will actually slip over a short protrusion in the button.

2nd-----Wrap the tape around the straw and button so they are held together firmly and tightly.

3rd-----Just spray your paint into whatever container you've chosen. The straw will perform like a muffler, choking down the escaping gases and allowing the paint to gently run out the end of the straw.

If you're only using small amounts of paint, you can just spray the paint directly into your paint cup.

I will add this note.

I have an alternate method for removing the paint from aerosol cans when I want to completely empty the can and transfer all its contents to another container.

You can of course use my above method to completely empty an Aerosol can but this second method is quicker.

Remove the spray button from the can.

Shake the can to thoroughly mix its contents.

Set the can down on a flat surface.

Using a file sharpen a small nail to a point and with a small hammer gently tap a pin hole just inside the lip at the top of the can.

A pinhole is all you need.

Just barely break the skin of the can.

Allow the pressure to fully escape, about 15 minutes.

Now similarly tap another pinhole opposite from the first on the other side of where the spray button was.

When all pressure has escaped enlarge both holes with a larger nail or phillips screwdriver.

These two holes will equalize the air pressure in the can so you may pour out the contents.

Now you need a suitable container to hold the contents.

You may use any soft plastic container i.e., polyethylene not hard styrene.

I choose either Ketchup bottles or Barbecue Sauce bottles.

Yeah, I do a lot of Barbecuing around here.

These bottles are constructed of soft vinyl like plastic which will not react with the chemicals in Enamel or Lacquer paints.

They also come with the benefit of having a small mouth opening so you may safely pour your thinned paint directly into your AirBrush Cup.

Gently pour the contents of the can into your new container and leave it open for about 4 hours.

Return every so often to swirl around the contents assuring that the gases get released.

The paint still contains propellant in liquid form and will create pressure in your new container if shaken.

Diluting it with the prescribed amount, 35%, of Paint Thinner will deactivate some of this tendency to bubble up and boil over.

I screw on the cap, gently shake the bottle and very easily loosen the cap 4 or 5 times repeatedly to allow all remaining propellant to escape.

So here you have methods of removing paint from aerosol cans allowing you to either release small amounts as in using the Straw Method or to completely empty the can and transfer the contents to another container.

All my painting is done completely with House Of Kolor products, Of Course!!

But I like to give alternate methods so that anyone can get perfect results using products they can easily obtain.

CadillacPat

CadillacPat

Edited October 19, 2012 by CadillacPat

[Cato]

Inserting a wide-mouth straw into the mix and letting it sit will cause the gas to bubble-up. Like soda fizz. A few minutes of that and the open/close routine over time will do it. Don't be in a rush.

I sometimes take the cap from the rattle can and just lay it sideways over the new bottle-so air can vent out but dust doesn't get in. Can leave overnight that way.

[crazyjim]

Bottles like Coast Airbrush uses are available on the internet.

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/SearchIndexPlastic.html

[Miatatom]

I decanted my first can of French Blue into a small Mason (canning) jar recently. I can fills a jar about 1/2 way up. The seal is good and the paint hasn't thickened in 3 weeks. I'm thinking the seals may degrade over time from exposure to the chemicals in the paints. The best thing is I got a dozen for about $8.00 at WM.

[NOBLNG]

Rather than start a new thread, I figured I would add to this relevant one. My Paasche airbrush came with two cheap plastic paint bottles, only one of which had the fitting to attach to the airbrush. I can buy these two sizes of glass bottles at Michaels that fit the Paasche lid, but they come with foam gaskets in the lids that disintegrate with any volatile fluid.

I went to a local gasket supplier and got some 1/16" PTFE (Teflon) offcuts for next to free! Replacing the cheapo lid gaskets with this stuff means I can store just about anything in them. It is quite soft and gives a very good seal. I also made a gasket for a 1/2 pint relish jar to store laquer thinner in, it is big enough that I can drop these smaller glass bottles inside to soak and clean them if necessary.

Edited April 17, 2019 by NOBLNG

[Bainford]

Excellent tip! About 20 years ago I got my hands on a quantity of 1/32" sheet PTFE, and made gaskets for all of my airbrush bottles, too. It works exceptionally well.