I finally had to break my own rule about cheap paint after that garage sale mess

Last month I was at a community yard sale in Phoenix and saw this guy selling a bunch of dollar store spray paint cans for $1 each. I grabbed like 6 cans thinking I would save big on a patio chair project. Well those cheap cans have a different nozzle than the regular stuff and they clogged up after 2 minutes of spraying. The paint came out all splattery and ruined the finish on my chairs. Now I am stuck sanding everything down again. Part of me wants to say dollar store paint is fine for small stuff like picture frames but another part says it is not worth the headache after this. Has anyone else had luck with those cheap spray cans or am I just wasting my time here?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_lopez983h agoProlific Poster

Have you tried heating the cans up in warm water before using them? That trick saved me after a similar garage sale disaster last summer. @emmafisher is right about the dry climate messing with the nozzles, but soaking them in warm water for a few minutes helped the paint flow way smoother on my flower pots. Still not as good as Rust-Oleum though, those cheap cans just don't have the same pressure behind them even after warming.

emmafisher4h ago

Used to think cheap spray paint was fine for everything, but that garage sale nightmare changed my mind real quick. Bought a couple of those dollar store cans for a small lamp project and it splattered so bad I had to toss the whole thing in the trash. The clogging issue is real, especially in dry climates like ours here in Phoenix where the nozzles seem to dry out before you even use them. I'll stick with Rust-Oleum or Krylon now, even if it means spending a few extra bucks. Not worth the extra sanding and cursing for me.