Not so.pleased with Minwax lacquer nozzles

The fan spray pattern is nice but it seems to spit occassionally despite wiping it during use. I 'd like to swap nozzles but it doesn't appear that I can remove the nozzle. Any ideas?

Place the can in a warm water bath before spraying.

+1... paint inside the can cools as you spray... a little preheat helps tons.

Hey Colt!

minwax just sent me a fresh new can of clear semi gloss. good customer support.

i was 1/4 way through a can on a guitar and the nozzle stuck and just emptied out, haha i was running around goin wtf! trying to get it to stop. ended up slammin its face in the dirt and stomped in to email them haha.

they have some 'new and improved' nozzle that has an adjustable pattern on it on the clear and clear satin Poly and frankly thay aren't worth a flip...same problems the OP mentions, had one shoot straight up into my hand recently. I've taken to soaking the nozzle in acetone when I'm done and shooting it upside down for a sec or so and then wiping with acetone again and it hasn't happened recently...the older nozzles were consistantly better. I'll try the heating up bath water, but here in FL it probably won't help a lot. Heck I shoot ouside and then have to run it inside to get it out of the humidity and into the A/C and deal with the fumes...

Place the can in a warm water bath before spraying.

I'll try that, thanks.

I think I remember reading a Stew-Mac tip by Dan Earlewine where he used rattlecans to finish a guitar, and said he usually stops using a can when it gets down to about the last 1/4 or so, because of spitting potential. Especially on finish coats that you don't plan to (or hopefully need to) sand out any flaws, just some light leveling.

I use all the tricks mentioned here--warm the can in hot water, wipe the nozzle with lacquer thinner, plus one trick with the "new" adjustable nozzles, is make sure the little nozzle part (the part you turn to change the pattern direction) is pushed completely into the housing. Sometimes they come only partially pressed in, and sometimes when you change nozzle direction, they'll pull out a little, which can mess up your spray pattern. But overall, I've been very happy with Minwax (Gloss) spray lacquer.

Here is the response I recieved from a Minwax rep -

6/8/2012 10:56:21 AM [Agent Note]

Dear Chris,

Thank you for contacting Minwax. We appreciate your inquiry.

I am very sorry to hear that you have had a displeasing experience with our spray polyurethane. Unfortunately, issues such as what you have experienced can happen when using this type of packaging. It is likely that there was a clog in the container that is preventing this product from spraying out as intended. Also, a long continuous spray could cause the polyurethane to build up around the nozzle and clog the can. Sometimes shaking the can vigorously and then spraying it upside down can help to dislodge any clogs in the dip-stick (the system that allows the product to be drawn up and out of the container). Cleaning the nozzle with 100% mineral spirits may also help remove any clogs from this portion of the container too. I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have cause you.

As you were displeased with the performance of the product, I will be more than happy to send you a replacement container as a customer courtesy. If this is acceptable, please respond back to confirm your contact telephone number, UPC and the batch Code from the can.

The UPC is a 12 digit number located on by the barcode on the can. The batch code is located on the bottom of the container. It will be roughly 8-12 digits long and typically begin with MW. We will forward these numbers to our Minwax Quality Control Group. We also use the batch code to identify both the specific plant where the product was made and the production date of the product.

Or, if you prefer, I would be happy to refund you for the purchase price of this product instead. If this is acceptable, please mail your original receipts (must be original for auditing purposes) along with a copy of this email transaction to the following address;

Minwax Product Support
101 Prospect Ave NW
Cleveland, OH 44115
Mail Stop #1
Attn: Feraas

Again, I am very sorry you have had this experience. I hope this information is useful. Please let me know if you have any further questions by replying with message history.

Sincerely,
Feraas
Minwax Product Support

I wish the nozzles were removable so that I could either drop it in a jar of thinner, or better yet, replace it with one of those nice ReRanch nozzles.

ace hardware store brand rattle cans. superior to any i've ever used, no splatter, get the last drop out. most of their paint is also surprisingly excellent. not so much on plenty of their other items, especially on price, but really like their paint, can or spray.

Does Minwax customer service really not know the difference between lacquer and poly or is it possible your communication confused them? If the former, that's kind of disappointing. My local Walmart just started stocking the gloss lacquer and I was looking forward to trying some.
Rex

Does Minwax customer service really not know the difference between lacquer and poly or is it possible your communication confused them? If the former, that's kind of disappointing. My local Walmart just started stocking the gloss lacquer and I was looking forward to trying some.
Rex
haha, i know, i saw "minwax & nozzle" and thought id share anyway. the threads more about nozzles to me, sorry for any confusion.