On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:38:06 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:20:06 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:28:44 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.
Don,
That's a great idea! I can think of at least 7 people I know who could
use these. Thanks! I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents. And
anybody who has put a match to spray paint knows that the propellant
burns pretty well so propane isn't gonna hurt.
Cheers,
Eric

Hints:

Not all spraycans are the same. Mike the nozzle stem from the kind of
paint usually used.

It works best if there's a little slit in the end (slitting saw),
only needs to be .050 long or so.
I'll do that. Maybe there's a way to use a cone to fit several stem
sizes.
Eric