On Jul 16, 3:06 pm, wrote:
On Jul 16, 9:44 am, "Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote:

Is it me and advancing age? Or did the paint can Mfrs. increase the pressure
required to operate the standard paint spray can nozzle? I seem to remember
that I could just about empty a can before my finger got a permanent dent.
Now I don't get 1/4 of the can before my forearm goes into seizure and my
finger is in pain.

Stu

Couple of things going on. CA's CARB caused a blanket reformulation
of paints in general and spray paints in particular in the late '80s-
early '90s. None to be had on the shelves shelves for almost a year
there. Supposed to reduce VOCs. The replacement stuff was thicker,
didn't spray as finely and ran if you looked cross-wise at it. Clogs
were more common than not.

Roll forward. They used to use propane for propellant on a lot of
paints, it was also a dandy solvent in liquid form, also a VOC.
Replaced with CO2. It dissolved in the fluid and you could get a full
can out before the foof went flat. Still had the same problems with
thick paint, clogs and runs.

Roll forward again. CO2 is now a nasty "greenhouse gas", probably
replaced with nitrogen, hard to get enough in the can to get complete
emptying. Haven't bought much spray paint since the second iteration,
I use thinned brush-type paint and a touchup gun. Best move I ever
made, getting that compressor. When I want a thin coat, I get a thin
coat. No clogs, no runs(that aren't my fault).

Stan


All they had to do was use CO2 pulled from the atmosphere- carbon
neutral.

(or say it was, hehe)


Dave