Rattle Cans - who still uses them?

[Skip]

I use both, the deciding factor is usually desired finish quality. I own six working (big name) airbrushes Iwata, Badger, Paasche and even a couple of the Harbor Freight DeLuxe models. I shoot all rattle can primer and clear coat.

The Harbor Freight DeLuxes can take quite a bit of abuse, they are cheap enough that you can literally use them as a starter airbrush. I know several sign/Kustom Kulture professionals who use them every day, these are guys and gals who have an early every make of airbrush in their bag of tricks, yet are using a cheap Harbor Freight airbrush. Why? They work great, which makes them great to learn with. They aren't built as stout as some of the Name brands, they are stout enough to learn the tricks of the "trade". If you already have any sort of working air compressor go for, get one and see if you like it, if you don't someone will always trade you something for it. Keep them clean and they work great!

For rattle can paint the difference for me besides all the can warming tricks mentioned by others is I shoot everything in my Paasche spray booth. Everything is allowed to flash off, then is final cured in the dehydrator which is a huge improvement in itself.

[Danno]

I use both, the deciding factor is usually desired finish quality. I own six working (big name) airbrushes Iwata, Badger, Paasche and even a couple of the Harbor Freight DeLuxe models. I shoot all rattle can primer and clear coat.

The Harbor Freight DeLuxes can take quite a bit of abuse, they are cheap enough that you can literally use them as a starter airbrush. I know several sign/Kustom Kulture professionals who use them every day, these are guys and gals who have an early every make of airbrush in their bag of tricks, yet are using a cheap Harbor Freight airbrush. Why? They work great, which makes them great to learn with. They aren't built as stout as some of the Name brands, they are stout enough to learn the tricks of the "trade". If you already have any sort of working air compressor go for, get one and see if you like it, if you don't someone will always trade you something for it. Keep them clean and they work great!

For rattle can paint the difference for me besides all the can warming tricks mentioned by others is I shoot everything in my Paasche spray booth. Everything is allowed to flash off, then is final cured in the dehydrator which is a huge improvement in itself.

Dittos!

[LongRoofNut]

I only use cans, I don't own an airbrush.

This van is Duplicolor out of the can.

Man I love that Ford van. This is exactly how I want to do mine but take two and make it into a LWB.

[LongRoofNut]

I have used rattle cans since I started this hobby when I was a little kid. I have a compressor that my folks bought me when I was a teenager but never had the room/time to set up a proper paint booth. In time I will do air brushing due to the fact you can custom colors to what you want. Rattle cans kept me in the hobby when I was in college and just now discovered I can use 1:1 Dupilcolor automotive spray paint. For my '76 Caprice I used the two part system from Testors, two coats of primer, three or four color and three or four coats of clear then wet sanded and a final hand rub out.

And the '72 Ford Custom was done in the same fashion.

[Tom Geiger]

Long Roof - Love those colors! The Chevy in silver / red is so 1976. Back in '76 I had a '66 Valiant with a red interior, so I painted it Ford Granada silver since that was the 'it' color scheme that year. And in the early 70s every third car was that green!

[LongRoofNut]

Long Roof - Love those colors! The Chevy in silver / red is so 1976. Back in '76 I had a '66 Valiant with a red interior, so I painted it Ford Granada silver since that was the 'it' color scheme that year. And in the early 70s every third car was that green!

Thank you. I try to get as close to what was around in that era. I have always liked that silver and red color combo, my '75 Mark was the same as my Caprice model.

[gtx6970]

Even though I do have an airbrush, I have not used it in years. Once I found out I could Duplicolor rattle cans, it's what I use almost exclusively. with a Upol rattle can urethane clear, also rattle can

[LOBBS]

I received a $300 Grex pistol-trigger airbrush for my birthday years ago. Beautiful piece of equipment. I needed a fitting to adapt it to my compressor. Needless to say, other than pulling it outta the box a few times to ogle it, it has never had a drop of paint put through it.

[LoneWolf15]

You hit the spot there Harry. But the fine control is the beauty of it all. I am moving to house this month but have not fully decided yet. The cost of one AB can get me many models.

Three models .... To be exact ! You can have a Paache H series kit delivered to your door for $ 63.00. !

[Wonderbread Kustomz]

All rattle can for me

Edited June 7, 2013 by DragLoKustomz619

[gluebomb]

I use spray cans a lot, as well as, my airbrush.

[jaydar]

Not for bodies but for everything else!!!! If i had to use my airbrush for every part i would either quit or i would become a much more efficient builder. As it is now it takes me a year to get 1 or 2 cars and a bike or two built.

I use the rattle can to knock out all of the black gray silver etc. stock colors....

joe.

[crazyrichard]

i have a airbrush but use mainly rattle cans .. so easy no cleaning

[Dave Van]

I have two decent air brushes.........cans about 90% of the time....vs 10% for air brush.......cans (Tamiya) have gotten so good and me so lazy is why!

[sjordan2]

Has anybody used one of these? I've got one sitting in a box I haven't unpacked yet.

[Tom Geiger]

Has anybody used one of these? I've got one sitting in a box I haven't unpacked yet.

For the short time it takes to spray model parts, I don't believe this is necessary. If I was painting something large, like a real car hood or a fence, this would be a decent accessory. Now I could've used something like that for my power washer trigger. I cleaned my deck and walk ways over two days and my fingers still hurt!

[LOBBS]

Has anybody used one of these? I've got one sitting in a box I haven't unpacked yet.

I taught my sons how to spray paint with rattle cans using one of those.

[Gramps2u]

Has anybody used one of these? I've got one sitting in a box I haven't unpacked yet.

I got one for my grandson he used it a couple of times and tossed it aside and uses his finger.

[Jeff Johnston]

Great subject. I think you can get great results with both. Very different techniques though.

I generally airbrush bodies even if I have the color in a can. I feel like I have better control. However if I am in the mood to just get it done I'll use the can. I generally always rattle can interiors and chassis and primer. I never clear anymore from a rattle can but I used to, and got descent results.

.

[TheRX7Project]

I still use them. I don't have the space to dedicate to my hobby (my "workbench" is also my computer desk) anndI REALLY don't have anywhere to set up a compressor...

[PARTSMARTY]

I USE BOTH.

[John Goschke]

Both, but large areas of my exterior paint jobs are Tamiya rattle can. Small sections such as secondary color on two-tones, scallops, and panel outlines are decanted then airbrushed.

[robertw]

Both airbrush and rattle cans and will sometimes decant the rattle can to use it in the airbrush, whatever I think will work best for the given project is what I'll do.

[cartpix]

When I got back into the hobby, I used rattle cans for the first couple paint jobs. The last one (Boyd Purple) went on super smooth, no orange peel, & really shiny. Now, I use cans for primer & I have a couple cans of semi gloss black, from Home Depot. I use a Paasche VL for all my colors. I even decanted a spray can & shot it through my AB. Came out great. For clean up, I bought some squeeze bottles, like ketchup comes in at restaurants, fill it with lacquer thinner & spray it through my AB, where the jar plugs in, pull the needle & squirt thinner through the back, while holding down the button. I put it back together & it's clean. If you don't want to clean up that much, get an external mix AB.

Jeff

[mrknowetall]

My "collection". The go-to, often used colors are at the top.