Suggestions for heating source (Inverted spray paint)

Take it out of the truck each night and store it in a heated area 24/7. While in the vehicle keep it near a heater source and never let it freeze. In the artic, a full pepsi can stored on the floorboard of a flex track rig, not near a heater source, would freeze solid in less than two hours...that's where you learn to keep certain survey necessities just like your women....warm!!!

;>)
Pablo

Store the can in the truck anywhere that's works best. Then store the truck in a heated garage.

I'm wondering if an insulated box would be good enough? If the paint was warm when you put it in there, and the box was insulated with closed-cell rigid foam, it would take a few days of real cold weather before the paint froze. Not sure what your typical winter temps over there are, but the inside of a vehicle would tend to be warmer that the outside air, if you use the vehicle or it gets any sun during the day.

Any 12 volt heater idea would tend to drain your battery, so I'd be leery of that.

There may some type of a phase-change liquid that has a freezing/melting point higher than the freezing point of water that you could put in the box, which would give off heat as it changed from a liquid to a solid??

Quick lime and water should provide you enough heat to bring it to 500° or so. 🙂

I agree with Perry. Get a lunch cooler an appropriate size to hold the amount of paint that you want, and keep it in the cab, or even in the back, and bring it into the office at night with the total station, data collector, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions / comments.

Very cold environment. The weather is -30 to -40. The paint cans freeze in a few minutes (even by carrying paint inside jacket). Then, a heat source is needed to warm up the cans in order to use them again.

If it is that cold, you may want to use chalk for marking the ground until it is above freezing.

If you are talking about environments that are -30 below zero, then I would suppose that during the day you are either keeping vehicles running or have sufficient battery supply to use something like the Igloo Kool Mate 3392 Cooler/Warmer. At night, it could be plugged into 110v receptacle and left in the vehicle.

that sounds like the solution jeff.

Also, Georges, try carrying the paint in a pocket closer to your skin. (Years of cold-weather beer drinking have taught me this lesson)

I wonder if a different type of paint, a laquer or something would not freeze.

It would be expensive, but you could wrap a couple of handwarmers to the can.

Thanks folks for ideas. In the end, in this situation here, a good option to consider maybe the heated box.

Heated box

The temperature is set at the manufacturer's shop as per the customer's request. Expensive item but incorporated as a cost of doing business, cheaper in the long run.

Cheers,

Georges

It may not make a lot of difference at the temperatures you are working in but check to see if your paint is water based or solvent based. Solvent based paint might give you a longer working time when it's taken out of the warming box.

Looking at MSDS and product information from Aervoe, Seymour and Fox Valley, the recommended temperature range for use for almost all products is above zero Fahrenheit.

However Aervoe offers this product which they claim doesn't freeze.

http://www.aervoe.com/paints_coatings/Supreme-Utility-Marking-Paint.html

Only two colors. Video shows flo orange striping but your color choices are utility yellow and APWA yellow. Click on the product info icon and you'll see they claim it will not freeze.

I have no experience with this product and no connection with Aervoe.