Rattle can disaster

[Jimbot58]

Recently, I watched a Youtube video where the author was using rattle cans of Rustoleum paint to finish a model. It looked that he was achieving very good results. I have never been a rattle can person myself but thought is he can do it, I can too. I purchased a can of the exact same paint he used from Wamart. I prepped the part I was testing it on, including priming with Tamiya grey primer and went to work.

I didn't get what I had hoped for! The paint came out like a firehose and impossible to control! I immediately ended up flooding the piece with plenty of runs and pooling and some of paint actually was coming out as foam!

Now perhaps it was my fault because as I said, I've been an air-brusher most of my adult life, and maybe I was approaching this lie I was painting my patio furniture. The part it sitting in a tub of Super Clean and I hope it will accept my sincere apologies for what I did,

Not sure that I will repeat this any time soon, but is there a method to this??

Thanks

 

[BOATMAN]

WELL hi sir i use rattle can all the time on my models an its comes out as a very fine spray so when you used your rattle can did you give it the 2 mins shake ? as thats nessacary
chrisb

 

[locomotive]

I only use rattle cans, never airbrushes. I find them easy but there are a few tricks and tips.
Makes and sizes...
I find the larger cans have way too much pressure and flow. I use 400ml size for priming. For top coats, matt or gloss I use tamiya, humbrol or hycote (150ml size).
The tamiya and humbrol are specifically for small projects so have better viscosity and higher atomisation. Hycote is also good though.
Prep...
Make sure the cans are not freezing to the touch. Room temperature is best. No need to warm them up!
Shake well. Like REALLY well. Especially when new and full. Turn a new can upside down and listen for the ball to fall. If it drops slowly, the paint has settled. It will need lots of shaking until it almost sounds like it's just the ball in there.Check by spinning the can and trying to make ball spin round the bottom of the can. If it doesn't, or you hear it sticking. Shake some more!
Spraying...
Practice on a piece if card or wood. Get used to how long you can press before you flood the surface. It's not long!!
Keep moving! Use a "puffing" Technique. On, off, on, off.
Every couple of sprays, turn the can away and blow any excess paint off the nozzle so large drops aren't forming.
If Spraying a long thing like a plane fuselage , press the button OFF the model, spray along, then let go when you're OFF the model. This stops spatters appearing.

Forget your airbrush technique. It's completely different. More paint, higher pressure, more flow.
To begin with i suggest using the tamiya or humbrol . They are easy to use and specific for small jobs. Then graduate to more general makes such as rustoleum. They are intended for large areas. (To be honest I'd never use rustoleum anyway. )

Once you get the hang of it, which is easy , you'll appreciate rattle cans over airbrush for convenience and speed of working. I've been using them for years and only problems I've ever had were my own fault. Usually too cold air temperature or contamination from other paints on the surface.

 

[BarleyBop]

too cold air temperature

Great walkthrough.
They should include it on the can!
The 'too cold' is an issue for me, as my booth is in the basement of my 150 year old home, which is never a 'just right' ambient temp.

One of the reasons I am moving to airbrushing is because it is increasingly difficult/impossible to get brands like Tamiya and Mr Surfacer: either they're banned or hard to stock in Canada.