I want to paint it yellow

[davefoxx]

It’s not difficult to decant paint. Just need a plastic straw cut in half with a large enough diameter to cover the spray nozzle and a paint bottle, then let it de-gas for a day.

Dumb question of the day: How does one properly de-gas paint?  I would imagine that you're still sealing it in a bottle, or else it would start to cure.  Right?

DFF

[Kentuckian]

Dumb question of the day: How does one properly de-gas paint?  I would imagine that you're still sealing it in a bottle, or else it would start to cure.  Right?

DFF

I thought I was the only one that didn’t know.

Thanks for all the responses; I have learned a lot. I asked YT how to decant paint. This is what I understand so far: you need a couple or three paint bottles, a plastic straw with the corrugated elbow, some painter’s tape, and of course the paint. You bend the straw at 90 degrees and seal one end of the straw to the spray can nozzle with tape. Put a few layers of tape over the empty paint bottle opening to completely seal it. Cut an “X” in the tape and insert the other end of the straw in the bottle, and seal with more tape. Spray. Apparently the paint collects at the elbow and flows into the jar. When the jar is full remove the tape and just lay the lid on the bottle so the paint can outgas for 24-48 hours.

Once the spray can is empty of propellant there is still some paint in the can. I would never do this because it involves sharp objects and potentially pressurized containers  but by poking holes in the can some more paint can be collected. I plan on wearing eye pro when I’m not doing this.

I am leaning toward the Rustoleum 2x, I’m still thinking. I would like to try a new technique.

[bbussey]

Dumb question of the day: How does one properly de-gas paint?  I would imagine that you're still sealing it in a bottle, or else it would start to cure.  Right?

DFF

After you decant the paint into a glass (preferably 2 oz) bottle, wrap your hand in a fist around the open glass bottle until it warms to your temperature.  Your body heat will disperse most of the gas as you'll see it bubble to the top.  Then screw on the lid loosely so remaining gas can escape for the next 12 or so hours.  Then screw the lid tight.  Check every few hours by slowly unscrewing the lid to let remaining gas out and then reseal.  Repeat until you don't hear any gas escaping.  The entire process should take no longer than 24 hours.

It's ready to airbrush as is.

I decant by cutting a plastic drinking straw in half, covering the nozzle with one end, placing the other end in the bottle, and half-pressing the nozzle head so that the paint doesn't splatter out of the bottle.  Takes less than a minute to fill the bottle.  I simply hold the straw against the nozzle, never had any issues with paint splattering.

Asides from the depressurization issues, I never decant by freeing the gas from the spray can, because you only need a few ounces at a time to paint.  The paint lasts far longer in the spray can than in the bottles no matter how tightly you seal the bottles.

[peteski]

Here is a collection of aerosol-can nozzles I collected over the years for decanting.  This photo actually made into one of the TRW banners. I'm proud of that! 
Whenever I see nozzles which naturally come with a tube (like WD40 for example), I save them. I also sometimes open up empty cans and extract the siphon tube inside.  Some of the nozzles are modified to accept  those tubes.  I have large variety because there are multiple types of valves on cans.  This way I have a good chance to have a nozzle with a tube that fits the stem.



Once I'm done decanting, I immediately put the pipette on the nozzle's stem and place the tube in glass with some lacquer thinner.  I then pump the pipette to flush the still-fresh paint out of the nozzle.  This makes the cleanup very easy.  If I waited too long, ,some of the partially hardened paint would not flush out easily.

As far as degassing goes, that is a really good idea!  The propellant inside the can (usually propane) is partially dissolved in the paint (like carbonated drink).  When the paint is decanted, some of the propellant remains in the paint.  That is especially true since decanting process cools the paint as it comes out of the nozzle.  Cool liquid retains more propellant. If the decanted paint is in a glass jar, when you swirl the paint in the jar you can see the paint bubbling.

Like Bryan, I just screw on the cap on the bottle, but don't tighten it.  A day or so in room temperature will let most of the gas come out of the paint.  If you don't do that, then later shook the jar and open it, the paint will come out spraying all over you (again, like shaking a soft drink can then opening it).   When I need the decanted paint in a hurry, I place the decanted paint containers (with loosely fit cap) in my dehydrator to warm up the paint.  Then I can use it in couple hours.

Autommotive modelers often decant paint. For some more unconventional ways to decant see:
http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/151903-decanting-spray-paint/
http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/132876-decanting-spray-paint/