Keeping your paint warm.

In the North West we are getting into the upper 20's already and my aklyd paint gets rather thick and molasses like at these temps. I devised a mehod of putting on magnetic block heaters on my paint cans to keep them warm on the job. This keeps my paint more viscous and accelerates the dry times alot. Keep in mid you cant do this on the machine as the heaters run on 110v but a small generator or plugging into a light pole base works very well. ACCUR8

You do not want any sparks (on/off switches) in an enclosed trailer that is carrying solvents!!!!!!

On the striper you could mount a car battery and a voltage inverter. that would run one of thoes 150 wat magnetic heaters for a few hours.

Another option is a battery heater blanket. I think they draw about 50 watts.

I have used the block heaters as well and they work great. Anyone come up with a way to keep the plastic buckets warm? Thought about a small hot water heater blanket like you can buy for your hot water heaters. Only draw back is the paint cools so fast when it is setting on the machine, need a way to keep it warm. The exhaust maybe???

Bear62 wrote on Oct 11, 2006:Go to #5

Only draw back is the paint cools so fast when it is setting on the machine, need a way to keep it warm. The exhaust maybe???

You hit the thumb on the nail. You need to make a hollow heat jacket for the can to sit in, pipe the exhaust into the jacket and it will warm the paint. A thermo tank is a good example, just need to make somethin smaller for a can.

On the tune of the plastic buckets, my friend is a hot rod buff and he suggested the nitrous oxide bottle warmers. they are a heated blanket that velcroes around the can, alot like a straight jacket. ACCUR8

Knit them pails some little sweaters, or get Eddie Bauer to make them some nice goose down vests. Seriously, I think you need to consider some sort of heated storage area. The paint takes about 24 hours reach ambient temperature, so if you can keep your paint at 50-60 degrees in a heated shed, portable heaters should not be needed. When you move the pails to the job, keep them nestled together with a tarp over them. Pail heaters sound like too much crap to carry around. I store mine in a 20' steel shipping container with an electric heater that keeps it at about 50 degrees. If you are working out of your residence, consider getting a small shed, insulating the heck out of it and putting a small electric barn heater in it. It can also be a good place to hide when the big house gets too small....

It can also be a good place to hide when the big house gets too small.... I wouldn't know...I've never been in the Big House!