Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Hi.
Bit of an odd one this.
I decided, having stripped and de-rusted it, that I wanted to finish a larg(ish) steel chassis in a hammered brown.
Having primed it, I started spraying it with Rustoleum Hammered Brown aerosol spray paint. (Image of product attached.)
The first can worked fine but exhausted before I'd finished, so I sourced another.
Then the problems started.
Simply said, the trigger doesn't work properly.
You have to put your finger up almost to the nozzle for it to spray at all, then press very hard for it to spray.
The output is then variable and blotchy.
I've now sourced two cans from different suppliers with the same result.
It's most peculiar, anyone else had issues with this product?

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Is it possible to remove the top of the empty can and fit it to the full can ,I have had this problem not with that make though , Mick.

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

That is an odd one, as Mick says, try pulling the top off the old one and swapping it if you still have it. One problem I have had with Halfords spray cans before was them leaking all their gas out after the first use, that resulted in what little gas was left not propelling the paint enough and made a blotchy finish. Is it a proper aerosol can? It looks like it has an unusual trigger on top. It might be worth getting in touch with the manufacturers and telling them about this problem, maybe they’ll send you a replacement.

Regards
Lloyd

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Sometimes special paints have a low turnover and could be relatively old stock and the contents settle. I’ve had some where they need a lot of shaking to mix the thinners with the settled paint and additives. Unless properly mixed the thick settlement clogs the tube inside and can block the spray head.

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

It should be noted that shaking the can should also include spinning the ball bearing around the inside of it. Shake, spin, shake, spin......

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Agreed, I do this - for about three minutes before attempting to use a can.

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Not sure if it's the case with this particular style of spray-can but in the last few years I've come across various aerosol-cans that are designed with a little 'web' of plastic moulded between the button and the outer-part; this is a security feature to stop people 'spraying' the can in-store as a tester before buying it.

Press the button hard-down first-time and the little 'web' audibly snaps, thereafter it sprays as normal. If you don't realise the web is there, you can still get a sort-of spray by pressing the button so it distorts on the little tube which connects it to the can to open the valve - but keeping it like this involves loads of finger-pressure and the distortion between the tube and the sprayer-nozzle often results in leakage.

Re: Spraying a prepared (de-rusted) steel chassis.
 

Hi G6.
Thanks for the thought. Their fancy can uses a different trigger lock illustrated.
Apparently, they used to use a conventional can once - but no longer.