Rattle can problem

[uk_figs]

I have two cans of aerosole Mar-Hyde self etch primer and both seem to have gummed up inside the can. The nozzles are clean and are not blocked but I cannot get any spray or air to come out of the cans.
Anyone have any idea if it is possible to get the cans working and how. I hate to waste the long weekend waiting for new delivery and am at the point where I can prime the cockpit interior. Also what can I do to prevent this happening again.

Thanks

[cytoxin]

unless they are just very cold( in which you cant paint in the cold anyhow)
i suspect they have lost their propellant and you are just out of luck. warm them to room temp in the house and see if that makes a diff.

[jcoloccia]

The pickup/valve is very possibly internally clogged. If you were getting SOMETHING out, then you probably could have fixed it by just holding the can upside down and spraying for a bit...sometimes that works.

With nothing coming out, you're may be out of luck, unfortunately. It's super critical to hold the can upside down after every use (even if you're just going to put it down for 5 minutes to grab a beer) and spray until it's just propellant coming out. If you do this religiously, you'll get every last drop out.

If they're new cans, I'm baffled. With cans that have been used once or twice, though, this isn't uncommon if they're not cleaned REALLY well after use.

Good Luck!

[G-force]

Do they still have pressure in them? Squeeze the sides of the can...if you can dent them in, they are dead.

[mgomez]

Originally Posted by jcoloccia

The pickup/valve is very possibly internally clogged. If you were getting SOMETHING out, then you probably could have fixed it by just holding the can upside down and spraying for a bit...sometimes that works.

That's good advice. It's the only way I've ever been able to clear them.

[AntiGravity]

I found that although the nozzle looked clean, it must have been gummed up on the inside. I stole the nozzle from another spray paint can and it worked just fine. Over here in NZ, I'm pretty sure I can buy spare nozzles from plastic shops. I need to check that out. Maybe you can do the same?

[RV7AAAAAAA]

Dave
Many times I've had brand new cans of spray paint that had no propellant. One time it was a can of Mar-hyde like yours. I know this stuff is expensive, and you probably don't want to wait to get a new can so try cutting the can open and pouring the primer into a touch up gun or the little aerosol sprayers you can get at Home Depot or any hardware store. Now the only obvious problem is what if there is pressure in the can somehow. What I've done in the past is shoot the can with a BB gun first from a safe distance and then cut the can open. If you don't have a BB gun try a dart I guess a rag covering the can with a sharp awl would do it, but a BB gun is more fun.
Good luck Jim
RV-7A fuse under construction

[rvbuilder2002]

I have had the exact same problem with marhyde rattle cans.

About 4 months ago I purchased a box of 6 cans for the shop and 3 of the cans clogged up as soon as I began spraying with them. This was after shaking/mixing each for a generous amount of time especialy after the first one clogged up.

The paint store replaced them with no problem.

[svanarts]

I've had the exact same problem. I'm pretty sure they've changed the formula too because I'm finding it just doesn't stick like it used to. I used Marhyde on my RV-4 but I'm going to switch to something else for the 7.