Inverted marking paint

I have been using yellow Rustoleum inverted striping paint for 10 years. It lasts longer than marking paint. I get it at Home Depot, 12 cans per case. They have a variety of colors.

I still find marks in parks that I made more than 3 years ago (I use 4" number stencils). I used marking paint for a couple of courses, and the green faded to white within about a month, and disappeared in 3 months. Very important to use striping paint, not marking paint.

Mark, I'm just curious about your preference for inverted paint-- I've used it but find that I can write much more neatly with the other kind.

I do understand using inverted paint if you use a setup like Nathan Porch's-- he's mounted a paint gun on his bike , along the front fork. It's pretty slick.

Also gotta ask about those colors; I've thought that white paint stays visible a lot longer (?). If you're looking for a really bright color, putting down white first and then a fluorescent color on top is pretty dramatic. (But maybe doesn't last all that long.)

(Just saw Duane's post, and I agree about striping paint, it is pretty durable. I remember it's being pretty hard to clean off if you get any on you or something you want to keep clean but maybe the durability makes it worth it. And if you use stencils the inverted paint makes sense.)

Bob, the only thing I do is paint short lines. I tell the RD to look for a 2in x 6in white mark (or whatever color). At least around here nobody makes that kind of mark so it is actually very easy to identify. I leave it to the RD to write numbers or whatever at the marks if they want to. I don't like doing that.

The different colors are for situations where there are two overlapping course distances (5k, 10k) for the same event. A different color for the miles marks of each course.

So this is the stuff you're talking about?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rus...-6-1691838/204731851

Have you had any issues with the nozzle getting clogged? Like I said, with regular non-inverted paint it is hard to find something that both retains its color and does not clog. I think that's because the stuff that retains the color tends to be thicker.

I generally use spray chalk which is what we use for marking directional arrows on courses and have often been amazed to find it is still visible a year later even after a winter like 2 years ago.
When I do use paint Aervoe makes fluorescent colors that are bright and durable.

Jim, do the Aervoe paints come in inverted cans?

Mark, I have tried that marking paint. I hate it. It is mega-messy. I end up with it on my hands, clothes, shoes, bike, and car interior. Never again for me.

I like Rustoleum Precision Inverted paint: Rustoleum Precision. This paint goes down neater, and a can lasts longer than any other I've tried. Around D.C., there is so much repaving, development, re-paving, not to mention the snowplows and salt in some years, that some courses must be remarked every year. And, in some places, like bike paths, I do not want the paint to be permanent, in order to avoid the wrath of park authorities and homeowner associations, which I have incurred, going back to the 80's and still occasionally today.

This just occurred to me, I shouldn't assume that everyone knows this: to keep the paint from clogging, each time you finish marking a point you should turn the can upside down and squirt it a bit to get the paint out of the nozzle. For inverted can you do the reverse I think.

At least this is supposed to work. Recently I feel I've experienced more cans clogging up anyway but it may be my laziness.

Mark, I use this.

"Have you had any issues with the nozzle getting clogged?". Nope, it clogs regularly, so not an issue. ;-) I have flattened the end of a few paperclips, and carry them in the bag with my nails & washers. I also keep all my old nozzles, and clean them, and store them in my nail bag. When a nozzle clogs, I swap it out, and clean it later. Not an issue! Pain in the tush, yes. But, the paint lasts a long time, so to me, it is worth it. I have 6 or 8 clean nozzles in my bag at all times, and may have to swap once on a course.

And, yes, I clear my nozzle after each use. It is worse on cold days, as the paint is thicker. Most of the clogs are from the edge of the tube of the nozzle. It flakes off, then plugs the slit. Paperclip (also carry a small screwdriver that works well) cleans all types of clogs.

Lymon, maybe your fingers are larger than mine, but it is only the finger that holds my stencil that gets painted. I carry a rag, and wipe it off, so I normally don't get paint on anything other than the ground and my stencil.

Duane, this is why I like the precision paint. It makes me look like I am not a slob.

The upside to my trial of striping paint is that it is easy to remember and identify my measuring clothes - with their colorful abstract expressionism splashes of white and yellow.

I am reading nothing into your comment about my finger size.

Duane,

Do you have a magic solvent for cleaning old tips? I can clean and scrape all I want and a used nozzle seems to clog 3 times as fast as a new one.

Oscar

Oscar, no, I don't use solvent. I just use the small screwdriver or flattened paper clip, and clean inside the tube, and the outside of the spray nozzle. Takes about 30 seconds.

As I said, though, I keep 5 or 6 cleaned tips with my at all times. I swap during a measurement, then clean the plugged tip after the measurement.

It also helps to hold the can upside down (or right side up if you're using surveyor's paint) and spray for 1-2 seconds to clear the nozzle.

To clean standard nozzles, I remove the nozzle and spray WD40 through the nozzle and then blow it out with a compressed air can (for computer keyboards) or with my small "contractor" air compressor.

For inverted aerosol cans, after each use I upright the can and blow out the nozzle until only air comes out. I also carry a paperclip and leave one end stuck in the nozzle hole between uses.