Rattle Cans - who still uses them?

[Ron Hamilton]

I am still a "can man". I have a lot of MCW air brush paint, a compressor, and a couple of airbrushes. For the time it takes to set up, then clean the airbrush, I can spray can a couple of cars. I am not building for a contest, so I am not that concerned.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Ron Hamilton

[martinfan5]

I like the best of both worlds

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Testors One-Coats, baby, 'specially the Wet-Look clear. Bailed me outta many a deadline.

Sometimes only an airbrush'll do, though. Got a new Grex gravity feed to break in...

Edited July 26, 2013 by Chuck Kourouklis

[gtx6970]

Even though I do own an airbrush. I use rattle cans almost exclusively.

Although I have 2 builds planned for this fall that I think I may use an airbrush on, because it's a 3 color car. And I think I can control edge lines better and less chance of color bleed thru with an airbrush

[vintagestang]

I use rattle cans. I have an airbrush but I'm too lazy to get it out and mix paint.

[clovis]

I was very embarrassed when I joined this forum when I admitted that I used rattle cans exclusively.

I still have the base Badger AB that my dad bought me for Christmas back in '82 or so, but truthfully, cleaning it after use does not sound like much fun.

Glad to know that I am not the only rattle can guy around!!!!

[Dr. Cranky]

I use rattlecans all the time, in particular when laying down clear coats and FX, the bling, the glitter, etc . . . also with primer. Although most of my paint jobs are done with the airbrush, I still rattlecan.

[Tom Kren]

I still use them

[Pat Minarick]

What's an airbrush ??????

[mbl4321]

I spent years as a rattle can only person. Now that I'm 95% airbrush, I'm sad at those years I missed out on. Airbrushing is now my favorite part of the hobby. But I do a lot of weathering stuff. Impossible to do pre-shading and post-shading and things like that with a can. I rarely do cars anymore because I hate doing anything with a gloss finish. I started as race cars only and I don't think I've done a car in over a year. If I were doing cars and wanted everything to look off the showroom floor, I doubt I would use my AB that much.

[tiking]

I spent years as a rattle can only person. Now that I'm 95% airbrush, I'm sad at those years I missed out on. Airbrushing is now my favorite part of the hobby. But I do a lot of weathering stuff. Impossible to do pre-shading and post-shading and things like that with a can. I rarely do cars anymore because I hate doing anything with a gloss finish. I started as race cars only and I don't think I've done a car in over a year. If I were doing cars and wanted everything to look off the showroom floor, I doubt I would use my AB that much.

I will eventually go over to an air brush but until I get a dedicated hobby space, I will continue to use the cans. 

[drodg]

 

The biggest advantage, IMO, is the absolute control an AB gives you. The biggest disadvantage: everything else! The thinning of the paint, the cleaning of the AB, dragging out the compressor, etc. I don't have the kind of work space where I can keep an AB and compressor out all the time, ready to go. So I tend to get lazy and just grab a spray can. Shake and spray... no thinning, no cleanup afterwards.

So true and that is why when I can I still use a rattle can.   

[Atmobil]

I still use rattlecans and I will continue to use them until the day that I get a proper paintbooth setup. At the moment my paintbooth is a big box in a non-insulated shed outside. I have a little fan-heater in the box to get the heat up but it does not have proper ventilation and setting up and airbrush in there is today nothing I want to do. My hope and plan is that I will have money left over sometime in the future to rebuild the shed with proper insulation and I want to build a permanent paintbooth like a mini version of a real 1:1 paintbooth with heated air trough a proper ventilation system with filters to avoid dust. Then I can also store my paint there instead of inside in my hobbyroom as I do now.

[Hawk312]

I was very embarrassed when I joined this forum when I admitted that I used rattle cans exclusively.

 

I still have the base Badger AB that my dad bought me for Christmas back in '82 or so, but truthfully, cleaning it after use does not sound like much fun.

 

Glad to know that I am not the only rattle can guy around!!!!

I`ve been using rattle cans exclusively for over 20 years now and am getting decent results. I have no plans at this point to go to an airbrush. 

[62rebel]

At this stage in my building career, I'm not about to invest in an airbrush, compressor, the necessary equipment for cleaning and maintenance, and still pay exorbitant prices for paint and thinner, when there are so many colors and finishes available that require only clean dry surroundings and a clean surface for good results. Not going to diss anyone for going that route, just don't feel the need for that kind of complexity in my leisure pursuits.

[FordRodnKustom]

For me airbrush only for painting bodies and Alclad. Spray cans for everything else.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I still use rattle-cans for a lot, but i just made the jump to a high-quality airbrush to give me more control and better, more consistent atomization of certain materials.

There are just some things you simply can NOT do with rattle-cans, but they remain a perfectly useful tool where they're appropriate.

PS: This version of spellcheck doesn't know the word "atomization". Geez. 

[every second counts]

Right now its all rattle cans for me, cant beat the new krylon primers and dual colours. They just brought out new colours and some metalics, I just bought a can of blue ocean breeze, aka mint, cant wait to use it. I do have a bran new iwata airbrush my son bought me, i can hardly wait to experiment with it. It will probubly open up a hole new world of colours and technics.

[martinfan5]

For me airbrush only for painting bodies and Alclad. Spray cans for everything else.

This is me 99% of the time,  I still at times will rattle can bodies, but its rare.

[gtx6970]

I'll use an airbrush ONLY when I cant get or find the color , or even anything close to what I want to use in a rattel can . But to be honest I've started walking down paint isles in most every store I go in . Walked down the paint isle in my local True Value hardware store  few weeks back and found a couple of rattle can colors for some fifties cars I plan to use .

Although on some of the older annuals i have,,,, the emblems are quite thin so an airbrush may be my only option to avoid burying them in paint and primer.

Edited January 26, 2016 by gtx6970

[AC Norton]

........rattle cans since '68 when the car model disease settled in......still do, always will...never owned an airbrush, no interest either....spray away..lol.......the Ace

[angelo7]

spray cans for life.

[Tom Geiger]

I own a couple of airbrushes and a compressor.  Never got into it.  I use spray cans for just about everything. I don't brush paint small parts, I mount and spray them.  I use auto paints like Duplicolor for bodies.  I'm not much for shiny, and have no problem getting the results I'm aiming for.

[iamsuperdan]

I use rattle cans. I always seem to get a good finish. Lots of light coats, a clearcoat top, and some polishing, and they look fine. I have an airbrush, but it's too much work. Takes the fun out of the hobby. I'll only ever use it for Alclad.

[Tom Geiger]

. I'll only ever use it for Alclad.

Alclad does come in a spray can too!  That's what I use.