Rattle can replacement

[zeykr]

I use a lot of shellac in a rattle can, it's convienient but gets expensive. I'd like to mix my own shellac, or at least buy pre-mixed in gallons and keep handy in something where it would always be ready and convienient to take where I needed it in the shop (no attached air line).

Does anyone have experience with this eastwood rechargeable spray can or something similar or something else that would work?

Would the shellac stay good in the can under air pressure?


8051

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=14355&itemType=PRODUCT&iMain Cat=523&iSubCat=524&iProductID=14355

[billp]

Ken,
I had a system similar to this one a few years back. The main problem was the nozzle(s). Depending on what you are shooting they may pack up on you. If you can get extra nozzles, and/or take the nozzle off,clean it while you somehow "cap"the container you should be OK, but otherwise the valve will clog. In the meantime the shellac would only need a little agitation/stirring to keep the solids in suspension.....

[ken_rychlik]

I tried one like it, but not that brand. It was more trouble than it was worth. The time spent messing with mine cost more than the extra for spray cans.

Kenneth

[Brady Watson]

Hey Ken,
What about one of those $15 Harbor Freight HVLP touch-up guns? They work great...and are on sale many times a year.

-B

[zeykr]

I've got the HF touch up guns, but have to fill and then clean everyday, possibly a couple times a day. I tend to use for 10 mintues several times a day, but there may be several hours between uses. So far the convienience of the rattle cans beats the detail spray guns.

Now that I get to looking there are several similar rechargeable systems, some industrial with replaceable, cleanable valves. I'll do some more research.

[khaos]

I know the purists will moan here but when I was airbrushing I would keep a small touch up sprayer with basic background colors in a gallon bucket of thinner. I had several. After use I poor the majority of the product back into the paint can. Then I would spray a little thinner through the gun, then drop the gun in the bucket of thinner as is closing the lid on the thinner with the gun inside completely submerged. I am sure I went weeks without really cleaning some of them. The key was never mix colors.

Maybe you could use the same idea for shellac ...

Just a thought.

[rb99]

What is the cost of the shellac in a can vs the spray cans?

Is it that much of a savings?

RB

[zeykr]

The 12oz rattle cans are just under $6. The gallon is $26 and there would be equivalent of 10.6 rattle cans in a gallon. So looks like it's $2.60 vs $5.95 or about half.

Not sure what cost would be if you mixed your own shellac.

Here is a message from Milwaukee Sprayers:

http://sureshotsprayer.com/BrassSprayers.html

"Paint and Varnish or Shellac are always more or less hit and miss. When you use our sprayers there is one thing that makes them different from an aerosol or other spraying equipment. Our sprayers spray 100% material. There is no air or propellant induced with the material. Because of this the mist is quite a bit heavier. This may or may not work with shellac.

The best chance would be with our Model A7700 which is a 32 oz. can with our #707 nozzle which puts out our finest mist. You would need to do some thinning and be very aware that you are spraying 100% material. Wish I could give you a more definite answer but I would rather you know what you are up against."

[Brady Watson]

http://www.dickblick.com/products/preval-sprayer/

[rb99]

"The 12oz rattle cans are just under $6."

The propellant (16 oz) for the DBlick thing is $5.84, plus the cost of the nozzle and the container jar. Then you have to buy the shellac and thin it...Shipping as well?

Not any savings there...

Nice option to know about though.

RB

[bcammack]

LMC Tools has the replacement Preval power units for < $3 + Shipping. Ostensibly, the power units are good for spraying 16oz of liquid.

I don't know what impact that has on the cost equation, but I thought I'd mention it.

[sneakers]

Look at the spray can and see what percentage of solids are really in the can. Some cans are only 12 percent solids. So now you need 8 cans to equal the same volume of finish as the can should hold (12 oz). The rest is propellants and thinners.
Look for a sprayer called lil critter. It is a sprayer that uses a bottle to hold the liquid and uses air for propellant. They cost about $30 and don't need cleaning if used for laquer or similiar finishes.

Gary

[myxpykalix]

I just saw this as a link from a handyman club email i get and thought it might be relevent:
http://www.cangun1.com/index.html

[bob_s]

Gary
Do you have any more info on that sprayer? running a google search on "lil critter" and "sprayer" gets more info on male cats than I wanted to know, but not the sprayer you mentioned.
thanks

[Brady Watson]

Oh yeah, good one Gary & Bob. I forgot about the 'ol 'Critter Gun'. Nothing to really clean up. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006FRPJ/ref=cm_rdp_product

[bob_s]

thanks -
much better -
it looks very interesting for use on my 3d carvings & small pieces
for $35. I think I will try one.

[gary_n]

If my memory serves me correctly, Rockler used to have a Critter Sprayer kit that allowed you to use either pint or 1/2 pint canning jars. With a good sealed canning lid and gasket, this would be ideal for small amounts of paint.

[zeykr]

The critter looks interesting. Think I have something similar to that around from my model airplane days I'd forgotten about.

Jack,
The spray can handles are handy. Mother in law uses one all the time since it's easier on her hands. You can pick them up at walmart and hobby lobby for a few bucks.

[myxpykalix]

FOLLOW UP ON THE CANGUN1
I have no affiliation with the inventor and when i posted the link it was from an email i got from handyman club and I didn't realize the inventor frequented this forum.

He sent me one to try out as a thank you for posting the link. Now i'm not a product tester and don't do professional write ups so let me just tell you about my expreinces with it.

I first took it out to the shed to try it with a can of silicone sparay to try to help make the lock on my shop open and close easier.
Normally you just press down on the nozzle and spray with cans and you get what you get and it goes all over especially on your finger tip.

By using the cangun trigger I was able to control the spray coming from the nozzle to make it a straight stream so i could direct it into the holes in the lock and not just drench the whole thing with a wide spray.

I then took it off and found my can of spray shellac and used it to spray a scrap of wood.
Normally when you use your finger to spray with a regular can you just press down hard and spray.

I found that i was able to control the direction of the spray and velocity far easier and if you have ever seen a professional painter as they spray, let up and end, start up on next row/layer
I found that you had far better control and far better hand/wrist position.

I don't recall the price (4 bucks?) and the combination of made in america and a lifetime warranty, everyone ought to buy at least one of these things. I liked it and recommend it. When you order, if you do, tell them "Jack sent me!"
lol...

[joe]

Great topic Ken,

Like you, I find a rattle can save time and doesn't interrupt the process.

A gun like "Lil Critter" would be neat. It would also let me select the dilution rate. Shellac, from the paint store comes in a 3lb. cut. I prefer a thinner dilution for finish work like under coating my gold size.

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=shellac+buttons&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=4&u=http%3A %2F%2Fwww.taunton.com%2Ffinewoodworking%2FMaterial s%2FMaterialsArticle.aspx%3Fid%3D28833 (http://www.ask.com/bar?q=shellac+buttons&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=4&u=http%3A %2F%2Fwww.taunton.com%2Ffinewoodworking%2FMaterial s%2FMaterialsArticle.aspx%3Fid%3D28833)

A good source for buttons is www.shellacshack.com (http://www.shellacshack.com). Their Garnet is my favorite for undercoating Sikens exterior clear. It gives such a beautiful golden glow that last for a long time ourdoors.

Let us know your conclusion. I'll probably buy what you end up with.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[ed_lang]

I have used a little critter for years and love it.

[zeykr]

I bought one of the little critters and love it! I've really not used much for the original intended purpose of shellac yet, but more for spraying latex paint. Love the ease of cleanup and switching colors - just keep a mason jar of each color handy and a jar of water.

We've even tried spraying sikkens and it works well for that also. I'll probably buy a second to dedicate to shellac soon.

Ken

[bob_s]

Ken;
What kind of latex have you had success with? My small shop is under the house and I am trying to use just non flammable finishes. I have used some Sherwin Williams latex semi gloss. It takes so long to cure to be hard enough to sand well- 2 days or so - even in a low humidity environment that I am looking for something better. It ends up as a nice finish, but the time is a problem.
thanks

[zeykr]

Lately I've been dealing with the local Pittsburgh paint store as I like the owners, but have used Sherwin Williams on other projects. I'm mostly using flat paints and not trying to sand them so others may be able to offer more info for you.

Ken

[joe]

It's good to keep in mind, shellac looses some of it's better qualities when it gets old. One of the first signs of aging is the sanding and drying time. It should dry and be sandable in about 30 minutes. You should see a dry white powder left behind the sandpaper. It's a good sign everything is going well. If it gums up on your paper or is slow to set up, you know what to do.

A quart can of BullsEye, with the top left off, can go bad overnight. It's not just the evaloration of the Alchohol. That can be replaced but it will never be the same. It won't sand right either.

If your like me, sloping it over rough cedar or some oily Ponderosa Pine knots, it's not much of an issue. But when sealing up furniture or table tops, it's best to start from flakes or buttons. I have a quart coffee jar which I fill half way up with alchohol. I place a cup of buttons in, seal up tight, and let her set all night. A good shake or two the next day will get it into solution. Buttons aren't as pure as flakes and needs to be strained before use. After all, they've come all the way from India and aren't processed very finely. Gotta get those bug parts out if you're doing fine violens.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[phil_o]

I received the Can Gun recently. It's an impressive design. I tried it out and I like it. It fits on the can easily and is very easy to use. I haven't used it extensively but I have no doubt that will perform as advertised.

[phd1658]

I too received one of the Can Guns for evaluation. I try to be a person of my word, so here's what I experienced:

1. Very easy to install/uninstall
2. Very easy to use.
3. Was much less tiring on the hand.
3. I probably just did the best spray paint job out of a can I ever did.

My wife drug me to Walmart later in the afternoon. They had a competitive brand (I forget who makes it) selling for $2.44. I tried it out in the store (just squeezing the trigger). It was much harder to pull and was a single finger trigger. From an ease of use point of view, if you want to use something like this, the Can Gun is a definitely a better proposition.

[ed_lang]

Well I too got one and I think Bill Munroe said just about everything I was going to. I didn't end up at Wally World and try a different brand, but I have had a different brand in the shop for a couple of years and didn't like it at all.

Seems the Can Gun1 is the only 1 to get now.

[wberminio]

Ed,I totally agree

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/15719/43562.html?1246889147

Erminio

[scottcox]

I was also one of the 10 who received a free Can-Gun1 and here is my review.

First, I'm not much of a painter/finisher, so I don't have expensive spray guns and have little experience with fine finishing. I do paint occasionally and usually use a spray can when I do. I've seen products like this in the past, but never used them.

I received the Can-Gun1 and was surprised at how well it works. The leveraged trigger gives you a much finer control over the push button on the can. And I like the trigger shape that allows you to grip the handle with your little finger while the others control the trigger. It was really easy to position the direction of spray and still maintain control of it.

It fit my Krylon cans with no problems and no fear of it coming loose. I even tried to shake the can loose by using the handle to shake it.

If I could change anything, it would be to add a weight inside the handle to help with balance.

Overall, I like it. Thanks Ken!

[bleeth]

To admin:
1. The ten received something for evaluation-If they didn't like it it would hardly be an endorsement!!
2. I have received over the years a variety of Shop-bot items free of charge. They have included several caps and t-shirts (like them all), a traveler coffee mug (bad design-toss it) and fractional/decimal converter mouse pads(Fantastic quick reference guides-best item of all).
3. I have also received samples of things like precision board in various densities and have noticed that well before you offered Cabinet parts Pro on your site you had no problem allowing Ryan (as you should have!!) to offer a "free" version of his software.

So therefore regarding your note elsewhere about "evaluating" the appropriateness of the offer: Lighten up guys!!!

Warmly;

Dave

[rb99]

How come I was the first person to send in an email and you never acknowledged me?

RIB

[br928]

Is the Can-Gun1 at the big box stores?

[kenkneeb]

Hi Gents:

Thanks to all you guys who put the CAN-GUN1 to the test and offered their honest opinions & feedback about my new spray can tool. If the moderator allows it, please continue to share here and/or on the Blog tab on my CAN-GUN1 website here: http://www.cangun1.com/blog